Head Decking and Cam ???'s
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From: Spokane WA
Head Decking and Cam ???'s
right now I have a 390,built to stock 76 specs. it has prolly about 10,000miles on it, but i want more power than is provided with the stock motor. I need to pull it anyways to put a new clutch in, and there are some little leaks that could use attention. I already have headers and carb.
I was thinkin of putting in a cam, an early-FE timing set, and decking the heads. What cam would be the best choice? How much can I reasonably have taken off the heads, and not have valve vs. piston issues (even with the aftermarket cam)? I'm looking for probably the highest compression that wont cause problems, and can run on pump gas.
THANKS!
I was thinkin of putting in a cam, an early-FE timing set, and decking the heads. What cam would be the best choice? How much can I reasonably have taken off the heads, and not have valve vs. piston issues (even with the aftermarket cam)? I'm looking for probably the highest compression that wont cause problems, and can run on pump gas.
THANKS!
Needsmorecoffee.
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: CT
You don't want a early timing set and you'd need a early cam to match. Just get a FMS, Cloyes or Rollmaster. Early timing sets used a horse shoe shaped spacer on the back of the cam gear and a spring cam button on the nose. Todays timing sets are cast to compensate for that spacer and eliminate the cam button. Much better.
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From: Long Island USA
I think he means the pre-72 vs. 72-up timing set on the 360, the one that retarded (or advanced? Can't remember) 12 degrees or something insane - for emissions.
I don't think the 390 was subject to the 72-up cam realignment, only 360's
You're not going to bump up the compression a lot by milling the heads. It's something you might do during a rebuild to try to get the extra .1 out of it, but I don't think it's going to help much.
Which pistons are in it ? The stock '76 "truck" pistons? The motor should be 8.2:1 compression. You can't go very big for the cam, unless you advance(?) it a bunch.
Does a Crane 901 (not even mentioning the 941) even come CLOSE to working with 8.2:1 ???
I know cost-wise, it's not a pretty thing, but I think your only choice is going to be to change the pistons. You're going to have to mill the heads a LOT to get any improvement. Or am I just plain wrong? Guys?
I don't think the 390 was subject to the 72-up cam realignment, only 360's
You're not going to bump up the compression a lot by milling the heads. It's something you might do during a rebuild to try to get the extra .1 out of it, but I don't think it's going to help much.
Which pistons are in it ? The stock '76 "truck" pistons? The motor should be 8.2:1 compression. You can't go very big for the cam, unless you advance(?) it a bunch.
Does a Crane 901 (not even mentioning the 941) even come CLOSE to working with 8.2:1 ???
I know cost-wise, it's not a pretty thing, but I think your only choice is going to be to change the pistons. You're going to have to mill the heads a LOT to get any improvement. Or am I just plain wrong? Guys?
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If you're up for takin chances, you can always figure out how much to mill off the heads after cam choice and use the .020 shim head gaskets. How much money ya got anyways? If you're gonna pull the motor, you're already half way there. You should consider another piston (not sure whats available for getting a closer deck clearance) or just go ahead and deck the block. My motor puts out sick power and I just got the 941 crane cam and 4v intake w/ headers. The rest is stock. No polishing/porting and stock gaskets. A properly built 390 goes a long long ways.
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From: Spokane WA
for the timing set i meant the pre 72. thanks
what pistons would be recommended? otherwise, how much should I have decked off the block? I would think that decking the block would still be cheaper than flat-tops and cylinder boring, but that's if it's even worth it.
Pretty much, I'm a newbie to the motor building world. I've done everything else on this rig twice, might as well do the motor again and push out a little more power, right? If anyone can put together a (affordable) setup for my stocker that would be sure to rock my pants, that would be way cool. I'd like to be in the $1000ish price range when it's all said and done (if that's not enough, that's okay too)
Thanks
what pistons would be recommended? otherwise, how much should I have decked off the block? I would think that decking the block would still be cheaper than flat-tops and cylinder boring, but that's if it's even worth it.
Pretty much, I'm a newbie to the motor building world. I've done everything else on this rig twice, might as well do the motor again and push out a little more power, right? If anyone can put together a (affordable) setup for my stocker that would be sure to rock my pants, that would be way cool. I'd like to be in the $1000ish price range when it's all said and done (if that's not enough, that's okay too)
Thanks
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From: Chesapeake, VA
I have a 360 and had the block at the machine shop and they bored it out .030 over and i got a complete rebuild kit from clevite (cam bearings, main bearings, pistons, rings, cam, lifters, timing set, all gaskets, and some other stuff) i dont remember what else. I also had my heads cleaned and that was around $1050 not assembled.
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From: CT
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Originally Posted by FFR428
Oh ok early as in pre 72 not 60's early early..LOL 
Get to work on that, will you?
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From: "Islander"
You go milling those heads or block down remember this will change the intake port to head location leading to port mismatch unless the intake sides are milled.
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From: Long Island USA
Originally Posted by Beemer Nut
You go milling those heads or block down remember this will change the intake port to head location leading to port mismatch unless the intake sides are milled.
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for $1000, i'd make sure the heads have hardened exhaust seats and the appropiate valves to go along with them, a fresh surface, and maybe clean the casting slag out of the ports, add an rv cam, lifters, and call it good. in my 360, i run a crower "baja beast" cam dialed in straight up, with crower lifters, and it works well for me. my truck is a '67 f100 with '74 f350 running gear, '76 360, '74 t18, i've put 100,000 miles on this engine, and dad got 100,000 miles out of the origional 352. the truck is currently empty, but with the last camper on it, it weighed 6900# and pulled a 4000# boat and trailer, with out a problem. it depends on what your going to do with the truck, as to how to go about building the engine. imo, trucks are for pulling, cars are for racing. the truck motor is, what it is, a low rpm, low compression, pulling engine. if you start radically cutting heads, you'll change the alignment on the intake manifold, which creates intake leak problems, although the intake face of the head can be surfaced to compensate. you cannot significantly raise the compression ratio, by cutting the heads, but you can surely mess up other things.
Last edited by azjay; Jul 26, 2007 at 11:05 PM.
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From: "Islander"
Originally Posted by azjay
, it weighed 6900# and pulled a 4000# boat and trailer, with out a problem.
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Originally Posted by Beemer Nut
At 10,900# with a 360 I find that hard to believe unless old 36hp VW's zipped past you on the hills.
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Originally Posted by Beemer Nut
At 10,900# with a 360 I find that hard to believe unless old 36hp VW's zipped past you on the hills.