I was just wondering what your guys opinion is on the 390 vs 460 what is the good and bad points to them which one is better for my project. I bought a 1978 ford 3/4 4x4 that I am restoring and plan on doing alot of pulling with it has a 390 fe with 60,000 originol miles that I am currently completly rebuilding for some extra pulling power. I no now expenses are more to rebuild the 390 but was just wondering if your guys thought a 460 would be better.

 

Cowboy, the last year for a factory 390 in a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck was '76. The 390 continued in one tons till '79 IIRC, but ddon't expect to find one, I don't think this was normal by any means. They 390 was also used in some 1&1/2 ton trucks that were sold to UHaul, I think as late as 1980. But the normal stuff you see 99.99% of the time is going to end in '76. Add to that the fact that Ford didn't put the 390 into 4WDs.....the 4x4s got the 360. If your truck really is a '78, it wouldn't have come from the factory with an FE. But we are talking 30 years here.......the 78 body could have been dropped onto an older frame, or the engine could have been swapped, all kinds of this can happen over the years. A '78 should have come with a 351M or a 400.But regaurdless of what you have, the FE series is the very best. But the other engines Ford offered are also very good. Each one has its own set of issues. I would find out for certain what you have, and then we'll help you build it up. If you stay with the same engine family your truck already has, then you will have less problems with engine mounts, headers and bells. And who told you an FE 390 was more exspensive to build than a 460 ? Thats just wrong. DinosaurFan

 

You are comparing apples and oranges. 70 cubic inch advantage is pretty tough to overcome.

 

I would also stick with the current engine family, changing or taking out 4x4 drivetrains is not any fun. A cast iron np203 is a tank, and the smaller np205 is the lightest either.

Now the 460 has a lot more potential and would work with a 351m/400 bellhousing.

 

Wouldn't the 78 have been equipped with a 400? If it was a 460 would be a direct bolt up exchange.

I'm wid da bear, for towing the 460 is a much better choice, even though the 390 aint too shabby.


John

 

It is a 390 for sure that somone had put in it, when I bought it I bought my uncles old 1974 1/2 2x4 truck with only 80,000 originol miles which had the 390 in it also and was well taken care of so I pulled it out and used it to rebuild sense it was in much better shape. I am currently completly rebuilding it right now it is bored 30 over to clean everything up with forged pistons, I had the engine balanced and the crank, rods.... all refurbished at the machine shop with an emerson cam, performer intake with 750 holley carb and black jack headers but But I have a 460 that came out of a thunderbird and was wondering the good and bad points of them both and if I should of went with the 460.
Thanks

 

Don't know what the others think, but off the cuff I don't think your build will be worth a damn for towing, racing yes.

But what do I know?



John

 

The last year for the 390 was 1976.

1973/79 F350 U-Haul trucks did not come with 390's.

These trucks were built especially for U-Haul by Ford and came with the 330 FT M/D (Medium Duty) engine.

These were the only F350's to use this engine.

The F500/600 U-Haul trucks came with either the 330 FT engine or the 361 FT engine.

No F500 or larger truck was ever offered with FE engines.

1977/79 4WD: The only V8's available were the 351M or 400.

No 460 4WD's were available till 1983, and these were all F350's.

 

Well since we don't know the cam grind: Based on several posts by Bear I'll go with
#1 Over carbed for the application.
#2 Intake was a total waste of money, the weight savings in a 4x4 is $ throw at cosmetics.
#3 Forged pistons in this build/application. (see post #2)

Extra dough tossed at intake, pistons, would have been a good down payment at Earl Schibe. Or at least a valve train that will be good for the cam we know nothing about so far.

 

pulling or towing???

 

Either way, bigger is better, right?


John

 

Depends on the intended use John. When I first bought my truck it had a 390 4v, got 10 to 12 mpg on the highway.

I hooked a 4000 lb, 8 foot tall camper to it and went to visit my kids in another state, got 10 to 12 mpg on the highway.

On the way back, I was driving a little over...OK, a lot over the double nickel. I had cars bunching up on me and limiting choices for evasive action. I stuck my foot in the throttle, the secondaries opened, the pack was cutting thier own wake in two seconds. I got 10 to 12 mpg on the return trip.

A buddy bought a truck that was pretty much the same as mine for size, weight, and drive train. The only real difference was that someone installed a 460 4v. He never broke into double-digit fuel mileage. That engine sure was a stump puller!

If cowboy just wants to tow a trailer around, the 390 is good enough and worth keeping. If he wants to go to the tractor pulls, he'll be building that 460 soon enough.

JMHO

 

Back when I was boat racing, my racing partner and I went to the races with our campers on board our trucks. Mine was a 1968 F250 Camper Special with a 390 with a 250° RV cam with .500" lift and a set of 390GT heads and intake and carb (reworked by me) plus dual exhaust and 3.73 rear. I also towed the boat. My partner had a 1977 F250 with 460, stock and a 3.73 rear end. Both trucks had C6 tans. I out mpged him, (him 6 to 7.5, me 8 to 10) even towing over 2400 pounds of trailer, boat and equipment, plus I ran away from him going over the 5000 foot mountain passes. My present F250, 460, C6 and 4.10 rear, with 3" single exhaust, reworked 600 CFM 1850 Holley and recurved dist. gets 10 mpg at best and as bad as 6 mpg with camper and trailer and I never drive over 58 mph or it gets worse mpg. If the '68 body hadn't started falling I never would have gotten rid of it.

 

The biggest reason I am building this truck is for hauling hay, cattle/horses and farm equipment things like that from farm to farm and other places. So most likely every time I drive it I will prolly be pulling somthing. But I would like to keep it nice enough to make it a weekend truck but living on a farm it prolly wont stay real nice for to long. One of the guys helping me set up and build the motor orderd the cam so soon as I can I will get the cam grind.

Thanks for all your opinions

 

The old saw about towing and heavy hauling.

"THERE IS NO RELACEMENT FOR DISPLACEMENT!