I am lookin to build the 73 390 motor in my truck up. I am shooting for 300 hp and 375ft lbs of torque at the flywheel. I am thinking this will be plenty to melt the 35s on it. Basically just want to build a nice healthy motor. The block is already bored .30 over. I will be using full length headers and a holley 600cfm vaccuum secondary carb. I would like it to run on 89 octane if possible. Also needs to run off stock fuel pump and electronic ignition. I need to get to around 9.5 to 1 compression and I wouldn't like to mill anything to get there. I was wondering what you guys thought of running a car 66 C8AE-H 4 barrel intake and the same year heads on this motor as compared to the 73 smog stuff. I have the heads and intake. I will be port matching and bowl blending the heads to the intake. I would like to stay with stock size valves. So what do you guys think I need to get there and if I am way out in left field please let me know. Thanks.

 

with 300/375 as a goal and all you have planned. I don't think there will be an issue, "provided the work is complimentary of the concept" Should be a walk in the park.

 

If you have the D2TE-6090-AA heads on the truck now they are about the same as the C8AE-H's. The main difference is the D2 heads have induction hardened seats on the exhaust side. I was reading on the other forum recently where either Bill Ballinger or Tom Cherry was saying the D2 chambers were changed slightly to improve on the design. I never knew that. So do compare the 2 heads side by side. And see if there are any obvious differences. It would be good to know if you can look at them. Better if you can take pics. Off hand I can't remember exactly what it was. And after a few valve jobs the hardning on the D2's is moot anyway. So the heads are more or less a wash. Pick the best looking set between the 2. 4bbl intake will be an improvement. Keep in mind the stock valvetrain when picking a cam and springs. And it's limitations. Redmanbob got some nice slugs from EGGE. Ask him what they were. HP and TQ your looking for is well within reason. Should not hit the wallet to bad either.

 

If anyone has any pictures of the D2 heads, I'd love to compare to the C8's I have in the garage.

 

I have a set of D2's from the 74' 390 (501) at home, but they're filthy!! LOL.. could take picts sometime this week if no one chimes in. I do see the difference in the early heads easily. But the d2 / c8 must be an internal port thing ? I had a set of C8 but ran across a nice set of C4's and exchanged them. The C8's seats were gone so it was a good trade up.

 

The heads will be rebuilt and I will be buying a Comp cams kit that comes with new springs keepers lifters cam the whole nine yards all matched also timeing gear and chain. Do you think a stock 4 barrel non S intake matched to the heads will flow enough to reach 300 hp? I would like to buy a complete rebuild kit minus the cam components anyone know where could find a good quality kit not so much cheap but good quality. Also the exhaust will be Headers into true dual 2 1/4 with flowmaster 40 series dumped in front of rear axle. Anyone got a recommendation on the cam or a desktop dyno with different cams? I have been looking for destop dyno to buy but nobody local has it that I have found. Thanks everyone!!! One last thing do you guys think this will be able to melt the tires I have 3.50 gears four speed 35x12.5 mud terrains with a hurst roll control on the front brakes also detroit locked rear so do you think it will??

 

Thats alot of rubber to turn with them gears. Maybe once ya get movin and stomp on it it might but with a line lock ya might break somethin in your drivetrain. Before the 428 in my truck blew to hell it would spin em with 35s and 4.10s I dont know what kind of cam or anything was in it but it was .060 over already and when it blew it cracked the block and threw two rods. I could spin em around corners no problem and didnt have a chance to really see what it would do.

 

The 1961-62 390 H.P. was rated at the flywheel with a single 4 barrel at 375hp @ 6000 and 427 ft/lbs @ 3400 with a 10.6 to 1 compression ratio. With todays cam technology this should be a walk in the park even with a 9.0 compression ratio.

 

If one were to step back and look at the money being involved to rebuild a FE, wouldn't it be accurate to say that it would roughly the same to build something that you have suggested vs a build that bear mentioned give or take a several hundred? Between the two builds, what would be the difference parts wise? Cam, Pistons, maybe intake? Everything else could utilize stock, off the shelf (or good salvagable junkyard) parts. The point that I'm trying to make here is that you should try to go for the most bang for your buck without going over the line and sacrificing bottom end power.

 

I ran your specs on comps camquest. Engine details are:
truck, 5000 lb (4x4), want high torque. Hydraulic cam, 390 CID, stock heads/ports/valves, with valve dia 2.02 and 1.55 inches. 9.5:1 compression. Intake manifold dual plane standard flow. 600 cfm carb. Small tube headers with mufflers.
RESULTS: Peaks are 297 HP at 4000 rpm, and 439 TQ at 2000 rpm.
These results included using comp cam XE256H cam which has lift under 0.500 so stock 390GT spec valve springs will work if you don't high rev the engine. I have one of these cams with lifters and valve springs if your interested I could list it in the for sale part of this website. let me know.
...
Crane cam 343901 is also a good truck cam, should be similar to the comp cam I listed.
If you do only ONE change, and switch intake manifolds to Edelbrock performer RPM the numbers jump to 316 HP at 4000, and 458 TQ at 2500. Thats a gain of about 20 HP and 20 ft lb TQ.
I have used the RPM intake, it gives great performance from above idle speed to max rpm. The low speed torque will kick the pants off any stock car type intake, including the 428CJ C8OE-H intake, which has great mid-upper torque but not the low-mid torque of the RPM intake. I can say this from personal experience. All these engine and performance magazines build all these engines, and the Edel rpm intake is the best for any engine type if maximum rpm is below 6500.
Sorry to ramble.
I would suggest having your cylinder head builder unshroud the valves, both intake and exhaust, out to near the edge of the cylinder head gasket (felpro blue head gaskets work great).
I would suggest you buy a carbide cutter for $25, then using an electric drill, completely remove the thermactor bump on the roof of the exhaust ports. Then, find an old junk head to practice on blending and smoothing the short turn radius on both the intake and exhaust ports. Then do your heads short side radius blending.
Port and combustion chamber work within 1 inch of the valve seats has the most benefit to improving port flow for both intake and exhaust, so that is why I have suggested the above details.
Some excellent reading includes: How to rebuild big block ford engines by Steve Christ, and How to build and modify chevrolet small block cylinder heads by David Vizard (has great info for do it yourself port work).
I would also suggest pertronix or other electronic ignition for a hotter spark.
You would do your engine a favor by decking the block so the piston tops are flush with the final deck surface...this sets the piston to cylinder head quench clearance to about 0.041 inches which is the head gasket thickness. Doing this helps avoid detonation, helps promote more complete burn of the fuel/air mixture, and makes horsepower.
Doing all this and more is how Bob and his team at Performance Unlimited built a 351 windsor that makes 536 HP at 6500 rpm and 488 ft lb TQ at 4900 rpm, and it runs on pump gas, no nitrous.

 

[quote=FEmtnmax;6579779]I ran your specs on comps camquest. Engine details are:
truck, 5000 lb (4x4), want high torque. Hydraulic cam, 390 CID, stock heads/ports/valves, with valve dia 2.02 and 1.55 inches. 9.5:1 compression. Intake manifold dual plane standard flow. 600 cfm carb. Small tube headers with mufflers.
RESULTS: Peaks are 297 HP at 4000 rpm, and 439 TQ at 2000 rpm.
These results included using comp cam XE256H cam which has lift under 0.500 so stock 390GT spec valve springs will work if you don't high rev the engine. I have one of these cams with lifters and valve springs if your interested I could list it in the for sale part of this website. let me know.
...
Crane cam 343901 is also a good truck cam, should be similar to the comp cam I listed.
If you do only ONE change, and switch intake manifolds to Edelbrock performer RPM the numbers jump to 316 HP at 4000, and 458 TQ at 2500. Thats a gain of about 20 HP and 20 ft lb TQ.
I have used the RPM intake, it gives great performance from above idle speed to max rpm. The low speed torque will kick the pants off any stock car type intake, including the 428CJ C8OE-H intake, which has great mid-upper torque but not the low-mid torque of the RPM intake. I can say this from personal experience. All these engine and performance magazines build all these engines, and the Edel rpm intake is the best for any engine type if maximum rpm is below 6500.
Sorry to ramble.
I would suggest having your cylinder head builder unshroud the valves, both intake and exhaust, out to near the edge of the cylinder head gasket (felpro blue head gaskets work great).
I would suggest you buy a carbide cutter for $25, then using an electric drill, completely remove the thermactor bump on the roof of the exhaust ports. Then, find an old junk head to practice on blending and smoothing the short turn radius on both the intake and exhaust ports. Then do your heads short side radius blending.
Port and combustion chamber work within 1 inch of the valve seats has the most benefit to improving port flow for both intake and exhaust, so that is why I have suggested the above details.

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Thank you for running that and how do you like that program? I am not staying with any stock valve train I will be using the entire comp cams kit like I said above so I should be fine there. I already have the electronic ignition that why I said it has to run with it. I Don't want to have to machine anything to get to the 9.5 mark I was wondering if anybody knew of a piston that could get me there with the stock 390 rods. I said I will do a bowl job and gasket match the heads so they should flow better than what you put in the for specs. Sounds like this should get me there all I need is some piston reccomendations. I have to ford book already.

 

1985 Ford F150 Any kind of idea what torque that motor made I cant imagine that an honest 375ft lb torque motor wouldn't spin them with the line lock. I have a complete centerforce clutch setup in it. I was hoping a simple pop of the clutch in second 2 high would just melt them with the line lock on.

 

I have been trying to find the answer to my piston question in the forum threads. I was wondering if I could just order a rebuild kit for a 360 that comes with the pistons that aren't full skirt so they won't hit the rods. Then use a steel shim head gasket. This should give me about 9.5 to one correct? Also there wouldn't be anything different in the rebuild kit would there it just comes with pistons rings all bearings and gasket I will get the rest somewhere else. THanks guys

 

Im not sure what it was makin at the time cause I didnt build the thing, but in your case you should probly swap gears and go to 4.10s so it will get up and go. You can have all the power in the world but it dont mean squat if ya cant use it. The gears ya have now and the tires are goin to knock your rpms down quite a bit when your on the highway. What do intend to do with the truck anyways are ya lookin for an all purpose, a street strip deal or a tower. Every motor i have has a good 12inch clutch on. I would gear it down to 4.10s then ya should be able to melt em and youll get the good seat of your pants feel to boot. 4.10s will throw ya back in the seat while them 3.50s wont. You wont change much for gas mileage between the two but youll find the lower gears will be better for a daily driver.

 

THe truck had a 4.10 pumpkin in the back when I got it. It did have more of a seat of the pants feel but only till about 25 these motors just don't rev fast. I timed the truck before and after with the same tires the truck is quick to 65 with the taller gears it revs a little slower but the tires are spinning alot more. I drive the truck on the pavement alot and it wont go higher than it is. Also In 4 low third gear it is the perfect tire speed for cleaning them out with the 3.50 rearend. I can brake one loose from a stop sign just by dropping the clutch the last inch of the pedal as the motor is right now. Im looking to build a torque motor which is what will decide if the tires are going to spin or not I dont expect to rev high.