Some of the local guys I know are getting me inspired to do stuff to the ol' beater. Today I was farting around with the 360 I dropped in a few years ago, looked at what was in front of me:





When I bought the donor truck, the PO told me he thought the engine was rebuilt because the heads were a different color. I let that go in one ear and out the other. My compression testor told me the engine might be worth the trouble.

I'll have to put a straight edge across the valve stems, see if these have sunk any. Just maybe the valves have hardened seats...and the thing always had a little vibration, just maybe it's a 3.98 crank...kidding bout the crank comment. LOL

Now that I know these should be large-chamber heads, I'll have another option to consider for the T-Bird engine.

 

Sweet!!!! I hope they check out and are good to go! That's a nice surprise I bet! Maybe you should take a better look at the other stuff you have if ya haven't yet?? One mans junk is anothers treasure as they say?? Nice find bud!

 

You so gotta stop tinkering with photoshop Hyp LOL... Nice!!!! I havent been able to touch the FE or the boat for that matter, **** !! On the upside the yard is about to be as good as it gets for a while. So............... yeah! Show message

 

I can't read it very well, but are your heads
C6AE-6090-R ?

If they are, then you have some good heads.

 

That is what they are.

Funny thing is that I never got into the variations or interchange until this engine bent a pushrod. I'm fairly sure (though not too sure now) I wiped a cam lobe.

Thinking about new camshafts and improved technology got me in to the internet search. That brought me here among other places. Reading up in these forums has saved me a ton of money on new part$ I'll never utilize. It's just too bad I didn't have all this info back in '97 when I installed the oil pan. :-p

 

It's amazing what you find when you start looking at your own part numbers. It's how I wound up with a 428 core 390 block and a matching numbers 390GT. Both were "get these out of here" motors, and both wound up being definitely worth it.

Justin

 

Hey Mikey ! Have you checked yet to see if there was a big R at the end of the head?

 

On the very end? Not seeing anything yet. Would it be obvious under a layer of grime? I remember you mentioning this before, but I don't remember the significance.

I did some reading over at net54. Looks like a hardened seat is the wrong thing to do with a low-rise casting?

The more I look at this 360, the more I want to see. If it actually cleans up, I just might put an intake on it and kit one of these Holley 4Vs I have laying around.

Hey Russ, remember the song we started from your "gearbox full of neutrals"? Well I gots me a handfull of Holleys! LMAO

 

Hypoid, the C6AE-R is a decent casting, and can help you make some power, if the rest of things are up to the task. That means a good intake, and headers, or don't bother, the heads won't have a chance without good support pieces. But what is this idea that hardened seats are not the way to go ?? They won't last long without hard seats on today's fuel. Where did you hear that wasn't a good idea ? We have done dozens, never had trouble with any of them , and have never had a seat insert fall out. Ever. DinosaurFan, and right now I really am over at my Dad's

 

Sorry about the delayed response, hopefully you can edjamacate me on what it takes to install hardened seats.

Here is a link to the thread in question:
332-428 Ford FE Engine Forum: Question for the engine builders.

 

IIRC they were 12.00 each to install including the seat ring. thats about a benjamin.. so plan on having the heads done up right at that point.

 

Hypoid, I would be really curious to know what shops installed those seats. The fact that he states that the valves were 'lapped' to verify contact lines is also giveaway that someone either doesn't know what they are doing, or maybe doesn't understand what they are talking about. Nobody 'laps' valves anymore, not for more than the last 30 years. My best guess would be that there are some shops out there that have done thousands of chevys, and think they can do the FE. It isn't always so. Seat inserts are available in shallow or deep, and in several thicknesses and diameters. Perhaps the shops he used just don't know how to do it, or they are using the wrong seats. The idea of seat recession while running unleaded is no 'old timer's myth'. It is a fact of unleaded fuels and will happen to everyone eventually. If your car or truck has been run on leaded before, the seats will have some work hardening. But give it a valve job, or just keep burning unleaded, and you'll have it too. I promise. Try to find a shop that has done the early FE heads before.....the shop I'm am with has done this for more than 20 years, and none of our seats have fallen out. But the owners of the place I'm refering to have his and hers 428CJs.....you have to find someone with FE knowledge, not just 'any old shop'.......DinosaurFan, on an old 'puter my sister threw out

 

Are these the ones you are talking about? I keep looknig at the very end where stuff mounts. LOL

Date code 6E26:


Date code 5M13:


I keep wondering why someone would put these big chambered heads on a low compresion 360. To me it's like having a kid who is a little...different, and sending him to school in stretch pants. It's kinda hard to see the benefit in that.

Anyway, I went to set the crank so I could unbolt the rocker arms, couldn't find my XX mark. I sifted through my pile-o-parts and found the mark on the '65's damper, used it to mark the one on the truck. Then to cover my butt, I read up in two of the manuals I have here. The "Chilton's Truck and Van" says to turn the crank about 45* past TDC to re-assemble the valvetrain. At least both books agree on a sequence for unbolting the shafts.

Anyway, with all this business of turning the crank over and over, I decided to confirm the stroke on the ol' 360. First try gave me 3.5", next two gave me about 3.75"?!?!?! I'll have to try a few more spins, see where I come out.

 

OK Mikey, you just showed me in the last pic what I needed to see ..the DIF with the large R at the bottom...Those are some good heads.. I havent had a chance to read all the replys....But I 'll get back too it in a bit!! Good score tho!!

And just for grins and giggles Dino.....You cant get a fine grinding wheel fine enough to come close to lapping in valves... i still know some major head porters that still lap in all there top dollar head work... But it wouldnt be cost effective for the average street build... JMO

RJ

 

There is something really screwy with this 360: The stroke keeps measuring out to about 3 & 3/4".

It was a 360 on sale day, how can this be?

BTW, I bought it because it had good compression and the price was right.