I would like for someone to verify this for me, Please. There is this 1974 F-100 long bed with a 360-390 engine. The sticker on the valve cover says so. Now, theres also an F-600, not sure what year, with a seized engine. The sticker on the valve cover reads; Engine Family: 330/361/391, am I reading this right? Is there such a family? Will the two engines swap out without changing bell housings? Im not real familiar with the FE or that other engine. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Rob

 

The 390 will bolt to the tranny bellhousing and motor mounts. It is pretty much drop in as far as that goes. You may run into problems if you have air brakes or and air compressor for anything as the FT as a separate oil line for these things if I remember correctly which I may not. It is pretty late here. The engine in your F-600 is called an FT, not an FE. They are made from the same block design but have minor differences like bigger crank snouts etc.

 

You are definitely reading that right. It is similar block design alright. But, i'm pretty sure you are in for a big job trying to swap in one of the big truck engines.

 

As stated prior Rob, there is such a family. Basically a truck family, the crankshafts are usually steel and have a large snout on them. The heads(I think) had smaller valves and usually hard seat inserts, and sodium colled ex. valves. Most of the HD options for BIG trucks. I think there are more differences but I have not work on one for some time.

 

That's suppose to be sodium cooled ex. valves. ($60 ea.)

 

Dont the FT's mount with a block plate or heavy duty timing cover that mounts the engine on the front? they dont use the traditional engine mounts like pickups and cars. and because of this I'm guessing that you'd need the heavy duty big snout crank to fit that timing cover but i may be way off on this

 

I think they are drilled and tapped for both.

 

>As stated prior Rob, there is such a family. Basically a
>truck family, the crankshafts are usually steel and have a
>large snout on them. The heads(I think) had smaller valves
>and usually hard seat inserts, and sodium colled ex. valves.
> Most of the HD options for BIG trucks. I think there are
>more differences but I have not work on one for some time.


More differences for you. The FT engines have a larger diameter distributor, and the exhaust crossover is in the middle of the cylinder head on each side (two small openings centered on the head, instead of one towards the front or rear). FT and FE manifolds will interchange, (bolt in) but the crossover will not line up, so you'ld want to use FE heads/intake. Oil pump is different, as well as the pump drive is a bigger diameter. The end that goes in the pump is to large to fit into an FE pump.

Ford still sells a bushing for using an FE dizzy in an FT block, and all other parts will interchange in the bottom end. Cranks have same main diameters. IIRC the flywheel/flexplate is different from FT to FE, though. You'll need the timing cover off an FE for an FE crank, or if you have the FT crank snout turned down and re-keyed.

FT blocks make good engines, provided they aren't the marathon-million-miler sort


Recommended: Steve Christ's Big Block book outlines necessary changes to do this, and shows pics of the differences.