Hello, actually I have two questions? I will also talk to some local shop guys and see how much they can reproduce this same engine for?

1. How good would you say this engine is?
2. Is it worth the price for a turn-key engine?

Thanks a lot!

420 HORSE POWER 390 FORD HIGH OUTPUT
PRECISION MACHINED 390 FE BLOCK
NODULAR CAST MICRO-POLISHED CRANKSHAFT
SHOT PEENED STRESS RELIEVED CONNECTING RODS WITH 190,000 PSI ARP BOLTS
POWER FORGED PISTONS 9.5 TO 1 COMPRESSION
SPEED PRO PISTON RINGS
3 PIECE STEEL ROLLER STYLE TIMING CHAIN
EDELBROCK PERFORMER RPM CAM (1500 to 6500 power range)
HIGH VOLUME Melling OIL PUMP AND SCREEN
EDELBROCK ALUMINUM COBRA JET CYLINDER HEADS
2.09 STAINLESS STEEL INTAKE VALVES
1.66 STAINLESS STEEL EXHAUST VALVES
HARD SEATS FOR UNLEADED OR REGULAR FUEL
HEAVY DUTY 1.55 DIAMETER VALVE SPRINGS, 7 DEGREE LOCKS
NEW HEAVY DUTY CHROME MOLY PUSH RODS
HIGH STRENGTH ADJUSTABLE MECHANICAL ROCKERS
OIL PAN, TIMING COVER AND NEW CHROME VALVE COVERS
HEAVY DUTY FLYWHEEL FOR AUTOMATIC APPLICATIONS
DYNA TESTED DROP IN READY
BALANCED, BLUE PRINTED, HAND ASSEMBLED BY ASE TECHNICIANS
ONLY $4,695 :-X12


To have the above engine arrive as a running engine:
New Edelbrock Dual Plane RPM Performance Intake Manifold
New 4 Barrel Carburetor 800 CFM Edelbrock
High Voltage Electronic Distributor And Coil
Champion Spark Plugs & Heavy Duty Ignition Wires, Electric Choke ASSY
New Chrome Thermostat Housing
New Fuel And Water Pump
New Dip Stick And Tube 5 Quarts of Valvoline Oil And Filter
New Edelbrock Air Cleaner, Complete P.C.V. Ventilation System
New Fuel Lines And Gas Filter
Hot Run & Live Video Tape Of Your Engine Running
Ignition Timing And Carburetor Fully Adjusted
Packaged and Crated
Total Cost For A Complete Turn key 390 FE Engine
$ 6,795.00

 

The stuff adds up. If you go buy all the pieces here you will probably spend this much money. Typical PLAIN rebuild charges can run $1500-$2500. $6700 seems high for a 390 though. A lot of money is in the new parts. If I were spending this kind of money, I would get a 428 or (marine) 427. The parts mentioned don't cost anymore for those engines, nor does the labor and the end product will be worth a lot more $$$$$$$

jmo David

 

Is that $1500-$2500 rebuild with the engine in the truck or not? Thanks for your quick response.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 25-Oct-02 AT 09:39 AM (EST)]Used to be you could get a short block for $495 and up ...and up. Nowadays, you will spend $1500-2500 to get an engine rebuilt. In the truck will be closer to the high end. You can get a short/long block at many places, with prices varying more than is believable. (how can they do this for that price?) Ans: they can't. You get what you pay for, but that does not mean that you have to pay a LOT.
If you want a decent running engine, not a 'money-pot' like the one you described, you can get a locally re-manned or a "Jasper", or a FoMoCo authorized re-man for lots less, and have a nice machine. My *guess* is that a long block 390 would run in the $1300 range. Plus about 6-8 hours of labor for removal/installation. If you have some tools, you can save yourself $400-600 in labor, depending on local rates. If you have more time than money, you can do a basic 'get-by' right there without removing the block from the truck. But, it is a mean and dirty job to do. You have to remove intake, heads, Y-pipe, oil pan. Then get a ridge reamer BEFORE removing the pistons. Ream the ridge so that the rings can slip past without messing up the lands/grooves in the pistons. Remove the pistons and clean out the grooves. Drop the main caps one-at-a-time, and replace the inserts. Rent or borrow a 'glaze-breaker' and a BIG electric drill, and hone/glaze-break your cylinders. Clean them out, and oily-rag them immediately. Install the new rings on the pistons, reinstall, and reassemble. You can take the heads apart and re-seat the valves using valve grinding compound and an electric drill. You will want to at least put on the new valve seals from the gasket set.
Again, this is time/money equation. You can spend some money now and do a minimal repair job to get by for a while, or spend a bunch more if you have it. The above job will make an oil burner into a decent engine, it will still burn oil, but at a way lower rate, and will pull real good. If you are lucky, and it is just the luck of the way the bores wore, you may not have much oil consumption. Just taking the head apart and lapping the valves, until the 'shiny' spot is even all around the valve & seat, will give you a lot more power, and a much smoother running engine. Make sure the lifters are free to move internally, or you will burn the valves...
Hey, this can be a fun project to do on Saturdays rather than parking in front of the tube.. Only takes lots of paper towels and GoJo and a significant other that doesn't mind dirty fingernails for a while.

tom

 

Very nicely done!!! I will be doing that same rebuild in the next couple weeks.

 

You might want to add another $1.12. 390's take 6 quarts of oil

 

Hey Dream

I would like to know who is offering this engine. It is fairly obvious that you pasted that from soneones web site or auction. I would be a little sceptical becuase they use a lot of fancy terms that don't mean much if anything. The cam has been suspect to failure in the past so it is questionable. If I remember right all Aluminum intakes require hardened valve seat or they will slap their way through the aluminum head. I may not be exactly right on this but i think the heads come from EBock with the seats already installed. To recap you defintily need to look into some other options for a build. I would check localy as well as a few other places on the net.

Also, the price listed above will net you one seriously powerful 460. I think a "FORD" crate motor with a MAX power of 515 can be had From carb to oil pan for just over $5000.00. That is more power more wieght, but less money for something that is more affordably up graded in the future. Just something to think about.


Scotty

P.S. if you want some help finding th ebest deal drop me a line I will help anyway I can.

 

 

Yes Scotty, I would like some help. I want to restore this thing, but I am not a mechanic/technician by any means of the word. I am learning a lot from this forum (one of the best I have seen so far) and appreciate the candid opinions of all who post. I thought it was an extremely high price for what is there (I look up some of the prices for the parts).

I don't remember exactly what website this came from, but yes that's where it is from. Somewhere on the East coast. I was trying to get a feel for what this things cost. I did speak with a local shop (Shreve Engines) and the guy there thought some of the things in this list were not necessary at all. He was kind of angry at the list actually, haha.

I would appreciate your help finding the best price. I live in St. Louis, MO if that helps you. Thanks, Lloyd.

 

Well how ou fix it up is up to you. IE what do you want to do with it after it is "done". Show it, drag it, daily drive it, use it as a wodd hualer, etc. The list could go on and on. The other thing is Unles you have a bunch of cash burning a hole in your pocket i would go in steps. Granted that 30+ year old motor is going to need a rebuild. If it isn't real bad right know you might consider holding off a little while. Do some exterior work. Fix the steering. Upgrade the brakes. Do a little body work on it. Then when you get a good fondation look into spending some big cash on a motor. Or Maybe buy a peice here and a peice there. Then when you get it all together and save up a little more for machine work ge that dude rebuilt.

I am planning to Drag my truck. Looking for something around low 12's high 11's eventually. Engine is coming out this winter. Going to do suspension and brake work this winter I hope. The some body or engine work. I am going to run a fairly good cam to begin with so I will have to beef up the valvetrain right off the bat. But I won't need to tear the motor down to put in a new cam either. Planning on running Ross racing pistons with around 9.6-10.2 to 1 compression. I would like to stay on pump gas and am going to run the stock D2te-aa heads for now. I am going to install CJ sized valves and do some minor port work. The bulk of my money will be in the motor. Becuase that is what makes the truck down the track. Eventually I will go to the Ed heads but that is a long way down the road. I am also planning to make fairly good looking as I plan to join a local car club. I will show it form time to time. but main goal will be Racing.

If I were you, which I am not, I would search and read every article even remotely close to the kind of work you want to do to your truck. Decide what you can do adn can't do. Do the things you think oyu can do. Then look at the list again and decide if there is anything elseon it you might be able to do, I say loo agian because you will with out doubt learn different things while doing the other. Allowing you to cut down on costs.

I am going to go for now. But, I will check back from time to time. Also, don't be affraid to contact me or the forum about problems you run into. If you e-mail me make sure it says something about the engine or truck in the subject as I get a bunch of junk mail. Sorry for the long post and I hope this helps.

Scotty

 

Low 12s or high 11s, will require gobs of power in an old pickup. A warmed over 390 will not get there. A super hot 390 would probably still struggle to see 12s.

To see 11s, I'm guessing you would need a blown or juiced 460 or better. Maybe , I'm being too skeptical. But, I don't think folks realize what it takes to get a heavy ,brick shaped vehicle down the track at that speed.

But, I would love to see or hear about it happening.

 

It aint going to be heavy when I get her done. Fiberglass one peice front end is going to be the big weight reduction. And the front is where the major wieght needs to come off of. Alluminum intake another 60 lbs go bye bye. I hope to get it to around 2900- 3200 lb range. It will be a stripped down truck with some emenities left in. It won't be completely gutted but it won't be a full on Ranger trim truck either. I think I can make it get there.

The Performance Trend Engine Anylizer is saying it could make as much as 485 HP. With over 515 Torque. Torque is coming in around 400 @ 3000 rpm's. And climbs to peak @ 5000rpm's. I think with the right gearing and some good traction I should get into the 12's pretty easy. That is once it is all done. Thatv may be an eternity from now, but all I got is time. God knows I aint got no money. LOL


I hope to get otor out before the first of the year. I HOPE


Scotty

 

I know of a guy with a 428 with the edel RPM package and he ran 12.7 with slicks and 4.10 gears. He also was running a C4 tranny behind it which cracked open on a hard launch. His truck wasn't really lightened much. With that fiberglass front end I think you could hit low 12's with not too much effort and still be somewhat streetable.

 

Was he running the Edelbrock RPM single pattern cam?

 

Yep, the edel heads have a good enough intake/exhaust flow that you really won't loose much if anything with a single pattern.