390
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Joined: May 2007
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390
Hey guys, new here and have a few questions.
forgive me as im new to Fords (just left the SBC scene)
I have a 76 f-250 with a very sound 390. The engine runs and pulls very strong.
I cant leave anything alone. i wasnt to freshen up the top end with a dual plane aluminum intake, cam, new lifters headers and a Better ignition maybe a DUI?
My basic question is...How big of cam can i go with a stock bottom end and stock heads before valves start kissin pistons?
Any cheap tricks for horsepower? I have a 4 speed and 4.10's. I am going to swap the 4.10s i think for something in the 3.55 range.
Thanks in advance .....any help appreciated,
ZACK
forgive me as im new to Fords (just left the SBC scene)
I have a 76 f-250 with a very sound 390. The engine runs and pulls very strong.
I cant leave anything alone. i wasnt to freshen up the top end with a dual plane aluminum intake, cam, new lifters headers and a Better ignition maybe a DUI?
My basic question is...How big of cam can i go with a stock bottom end and stock heads before valves start kissin pistons?
Any cheap tricks for horsepower? I have a 4 speed and 4.10's. I am going to swap the 4.10s i think for something in the 3.55 range.
Thanks in advance .....any help appreciated,
ZACK
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,600
Likes: 4
From: Iowa
If it's the stock truck 390, dont worry about it. The pistons are already .112" below deck at TDC. You'll have serious valvetrain related issues long before you have to worry about valve to piston to valve clearance.
As with all things in life, you must take the good with the bad. The bad here is your motor doesn't have nearly the compression to support a big cam. A mild upgrade is all I'd recommend. Really, if the stock one is in good shape, I'd leave it alone and get an aftermarket timing set to bring cam timing back to zero.
FE's like air. Both on the intake and exhaust. Get a good intake (not the Edelbrock Performer), a good carburetor, and headers. That will make your horsepower.
I like a duraspark distributor and some form of aftermarket ignition myself. DUI just looks so GM, er, ugly.
As with all things in life, you must take the good with the bad. The bad here is your motor doesn't have nearly the compression to support a big cam. A mild upgrade is all I'd recommend. Really, if the stock one is in good shape, I'd leave it alone and get an aftermarket timing set to bring cam timing back to zero.
FE's like air. Both on the intake and exhaust. Get a good intake (not the Edelbrock Performer), a good carburetor, and headers. That will make your horsepower.
I like a duraspark distributor and some form of aftermarket ignition myself. DUI just looks so GM, er, ugly.
New User
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
heheh dui's look gm'd but run nice in 390's. Headers and dual exhaust are the most important, 600cfm carb is all you need to make it breath, the stock intake isn't bad from what I can tell. I'm running the dui with iridium spark plugs and get a very clean burn.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 11,141
Likes: 25
From: south louisiana
Cam? Comp Cams 268H. Intake? Edelbrock Performer RPM. Ignition? Leave it be, the Duraspark is equal to if not better than a GM HEI. Pull a plug wire off and crank her up. Watch the spark, I've seen em jump 2 FEET. Sounds like a fire cracker. Put long tube headers and duals. 600-750 vacuum secondary carb is what you want tune the secondaries to come on about a second after you plant your foot in it. The 390 Family is amazingly similar to the SBC. Oiling, valve layout, waterpump, distributor holddown.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 629
Likes: 2
From: DFW Metromess, TX.
My first 390 was in a 74 F-100. It came with a 2 bbl and Cruiseomatic. I never bothered to find out what the rear end was.
I did install a new Holly 600 cfm and an Edlebrock econmizer intake. I also had a dual exhaust welded on using 2 1/2 inch pipe, making an H-pipe crossover and some take off mufflers from a couple Ford pu's that had sport exhaust installed on them. My mileage did not suffer, actually got a little better on the road under 75 mph than the stock set up. It was getting about 15-16 mpg around town and about one maybe two more on the Interstate running empty. If I horsed it around and drove it hard, well then I paid the price. The fuel consumption went outta sight. The truck came with front and rear tanks from the factory, and I had saddle tanks put on to get my range over 1000 miles per fill up. I still miss that 390s' exhaust sound. Absolutely lovely lope.
So, yeah. Do your mod. But like the man said above, don't get crazy. In a truck it's set up to pull, leave it alone if you can. If you can't, then keep yourself under control. It certainly isn't a race horse, don't try to make it one.
I did install a new Holly 600 cfm and an Edlebrock econmizer intake. I also had a dual exhaust welded on using 2 1/2 inch pipe, making an H-pipe crossover and some take off mufflers from a couple Ford pu's that had sport exhaust installed on them. My mileage did not suffer, actually got a little better on the road under 75 mph than the stock set up. It was getting about 15-16 mpg around town and about one maybe two more on the Interstate running empty. If I horsed it around and drove it hard, well then I paid the price. The fuel consumption went outta sight. The truck came with front and rear tanks from the factory, and I had saddle tanks put on to get my range over 1000 miles per fill up. I still miss that 390s' exhaust sound. Absolutely lovely lope.
So, yeah. Do your mod. But like the man said above, don't get crazy. In a truck it's set up to pull, leave it alone if you can. If you can't, then keep yourself under control. It certainly isn't a race horse, don't try to make it one.
