I ran out of space so I had to post twice.Anyway, I didnt know that so many parts were interchanable in the fe family. I also recieved a new Jegs catalog today where I saw pertronix for the first time. Again, Thanks to everyone trying to help me. Oh yeah, Im pretty sure the timing chain hasnt jumped time.

 

i was not aware the 428 water pump was any different than the other fe water pumps. i am interested,can you give me some detail on this subject please?

 

Ok, let me see if I have this correct. You have a rebuilt 352, unknown year, running thru a C-6 and a 3.08 rear axle. You have a stock cam and intake manifold, a 600 cfm carb and hedman headers and at 60 mph you are only turning 2000 rpms. Correct? Based on this, you have a tire diameter (measured with a tape from ground to top of tire) of 32.8 inches. Correct? If not, you need to correct because maybe your speedo is off. My comments to previous posts: A 600 cfm carb is not too much as it is good up to 6900 rpm, you could go down to 500 cfm. You may want to consider replacing the stock intake with an aftermarket unit. You had a typo regarding the axle ratio; the driveshaft would turn 3.08 times for each turn of the tire. There are 3.08 units but they aren't too numerous.Please double check. What vacuum are you running at idle? I'll bet it isn't good. And don't discount a slipped timing chain, I just took apart a 302 that ran (and passed emissions) that was off some 60 degrees! My money is on a bad damper and you will need to time the engine with the vacuum guage. Please respond and let's see if we can't get you back on track mileage and performance wise.

 

i had a hard time getting the timing just right after i rebuilt my 352. i eventually found that my distributor was worn to the point of wobbling around in the housing. therefore the points were having a hard time with accuracy. there is a lubricant door on the distributor housing, and i supposed since it was never fed it that it wore out. the solution was a better distributor with the pertronix convertion. the results were remarkable! and i havent had to touch the dist since. also these 352s are still a big block engine and if you are driving to measure the performance of the engine, of course the gas mileage will be sacrificed. if i drive very conservitive, i get bad gas mileage, (by today's standards) around 10 to 12 in town 16 to 18 on the hwy. if i drive agressivley i get completely awful gas mileage (by today's standards). please keep in mind these engines are real dinosaurs, somewhat like the old flathead, they have been cast aside to make room for more efficient engines. just us old die hards are appreciative of their gracefull torque curve and their bhp at 4000 rpm. i would say keep posting, and we will get that old fe of yours running as smooth as possible.

 

I'm not totally sure what ratio I have. I only know that the driveshaft turns right at 3 times with 2 turns of the wheel. My tires are 255/70/15 or 29.1. My speedometer is off but I followed my girlfriends car and when she got to 60 mph she waved at me and the rpms were at 2000. Same thing when I followed my friends truck. Vacuum at idle is at 15. How do you time using vacuum? I'm getting about 8-10 mpg on highway.

 

the water pump I have is a fact. Hi-flow unit. It has much bigger bearings than a reg. pump & can handle twice the rpm's. It also has a cast closed back impellor that has another set of fins on the back to go with the front.

 

chris, send me the id #'s. I have a casting # book & parts interchange manual. Your motor may not be all 352. Mine came out on propane & came fact. with 390 hi-po heads.

 

is there an id tag on the third member? it will be a small tin id tag attached to one of the bolts that holds the third member to the banjo housing. if so copy down the numbers and post them.

 

There is not a tag on the rear end . Bulldog, where can I find the numbers located that you need for the intake,heads,block,etc?

 

I thought something was awry. Based on your tire diameter and rpms at 60 mph, you have a 2.75 ratio. But look for that axle tag like Frank posted. 2000 rpm is where a stock 352 peaks its torque and with your modifications, that peak should be higher; don't change your axle ratio if you are looking for a highway setup. But 15 inches of vacuum is too low and you need to search for vacuum leaks. If you are absolutely sure of none, then adjust the distributor back and forth (plug the advance) to get the highest ported vacuum and rpm reading. It will probably ping at that adjustment so just back it down as little as possible until it quits pinging on normal acceleration. I am assuming that you don't have a 15XXX lead boot on your right foot and that the carb is adjusted and the distributor is in good shape. Try this and let us know. Oh yes, if your speedo is off, so is your odometer; apply the same percent error in your speed to your mileage readings.

 

Guys you're getting a little too comfe here. If the man is running 60 at 2000 rpm with a 275 gear and is only getting 8 mpg he's got a hole in a vaccumn line as big as his head. Something else aint right here. That carb is dumping gas like crazy, I dont know how well it's working, but the numbers are too good for mpg that bad.

John

 

I'm just telling you like it is and thats how it is. I'm trying everything that I'm told with no avail. Also I was told once that I had a vacuum leak but then someone else told me if you turned down the mixture screws on the carb and the engine slows down or cuts off then you dont have a vacuum leak. If this is true then I dont. And I dont know what you are trying to say but I wouldnt be up here posting so much if I didnt have a problem.

 

I rebuilt a 360 for my truck, I'm running a 700 double pumper (just the right size) and can literally see my gas guage drop when I step on it harsh, the power is great, but also at a cost in gas I think I'm getting 8-9 city, but my driving habits aren't the best with it, I'm running a mallory unilite on it and have had no problems, I'm running a Crane cam with .533/.566 lift, it's only got like 218/224 duration at .05, I like the cam,it has just enough lope to shake the truck, I unfortunately only have 8:1 compression, I got the wrong pistons when I mail ordered them, and didn't have time or cash to get other ones, but they didn't need flycut with the cam, I have a 4 speed, but in 2nd I can easily leave 100' with smoke from the tires in my rearview mirror, (see bad gas milage comments LOL) I know I can get better milage, I talked to a guy once with a 390 and 650 double pumper in a mustang that got 18mpg, and if I was easy on my truck it would get better milage. right now my plans are to get a 390 crank and LeMans rods, with a cam change and oil passage blocking for a solid cam the engine should be good to 7500, my oil pressure is always high enough, if you have any questions about the engine feel free to E-mail me but put FE's ni the subject so I dont accidently delete it

 

>Mine came out on propane & came
>fact. with 390 hi-po heads.


Bulldog, there Are NO 390 HI PO HEADS..There Are NO 390 Hi Po Heads...

however, there are two versions of Heads for the 390, the ONLY difference is the bolt pattern on the heads. this was caused by the Mustang Shock Towers, the engineers had to re Design exhaust mAnifold to fit around the shock towers..Thus Causing the difference in the bolt pattern. However the Internals on the head are Identical.

"there are no Hi=po heads for the 390 engine." ~ Quote from Mustang Monthly.

Also bulldog there is no difference between a 428 and a 390 Water Pump. So you have a Hi Flow Water Pump. Wow That must be worth what? 50 or 60 horsepower?

 

John,
I think that there has to be something else bad but Chris is going to have to knock down each item one by one. Chris needs to block over the carb partially to see how bad the vacuum leak is. My guess will be a rotten rubber hose cut on the underside that he can't see. Or maybe that pesky carb to manifold gasket.