best cam for 390 FE????
 

i have a 1976 f150 4x4 i have had it for a while now and i have done alot to it. i bought a 390 crate engine for it but i made the mistake of having them put the comp cams mutha thumpr in it, and it is a dog, the engine is rated at 422 hp, but this cam is making it feel like the stock360 that was in the truck before. what i need to find is a cam that will be great for pulling a sled but still streetable. i want alot of torque, the truck has a rebuilt c6 with a 2500 stall the gear ratio in the axles are stock probably 3.50 or 3.70. here is the ad for the engine that i have. it was built by tuff dawg engines.

This Ford 390 turnkey crate engine by Tuff Dawg Engines would be EXCELLENT for a street/strip car, street rod, pickup, or your daily driver. Remove that old Ford 352, Ford 360, or Ford 390 and install this 422HP Ford 390 to bring your ride to life! This Ford 390 is a direct bolt-in, no modifications are needed! This Ford 390 does not just have horsepower, it also has 465 ft lbs of torque at 4000rpm to really push you back in the drivers seat! If using a A/T a 2400 stall speed torque converter works best. This engine will run on leaded or unleaded Premium fuel.

The balanced rotating assembly (typically includes crankshaft, pistons, rings, connecting rods, rod bearings, and balancer) featured in this engine:

• 3.780" stroke nodular iron crank
• 6.488" big beam forged rods with ARP rod bolts
• 9½ to 1 compression pistons

More special features of this engine include:

• Seasoned 2-bolt main block
• Deck head gasket surface on block to ensure a good seal
• New Edelbrock Aluminum Heads made from A356 aluminum that are 18lbs lighter than the cast iron heads with 2.090"Int/1.650"Exh swirl polished stainless 1-pc valves
• These Edelbrock Aluminum heads come with both 8-bolt and 16-bolt "CJ" exhaust bolt patterns. (Note: These heads DO NOT come with the 14-bolt "GT" exhaust bolt pattern)
• New Hardened exhaust seats for use with leaded or unleaded fuel
• New 1.440" high performance springs set up to match cam
• New Bronze valve guides for better oil retention
• New Perfect Circle rings
• New Double row timing set
• New Oil pump with steel drive shaft and bolt on oil pickup tube
• New Brass expansion plugs
• New Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum intake manifold. This dual plane intake constant cross-sectional area design builds low end and mid-range acceleration while optimized runner path make top-end hp
• For those of you that have the hood clearance we will include a 2" high intake to carb spacer to increase plenum volume. This spacer increases the carb-to-plenum floor distance which atomizes the fuel better and also enhances low-rpm torque and throttle response. This engine takes a square bore carb. It works best with a 750cfm carb (not included)
• All parts are painted separately before assembly for that show quality look

This engine comes completely assembled with Edelbrock aluminum heads, oil pan, timing cover, harmonic balancer, valve covers, and intake manifold.
This Is A Real Turnkey Engine

This engine has been started on gas and run. The camshaft has been broken in and the valves adjusted. Carburetor and timing has been initially set, but should be checked after installing in vehicle.

Also included and installed on engine:

• 4 barrel carb
• Mechanical fuel pump
• Chrome air cleaner
• Fuel filter
• Electronic distributor and coil
• Spark plugs and spark plug wires
• Water pump
• Crankshaft and water pump pulleys
• Alternator with bracket and alternator belt
• Starter
• Water outlet and thermostat
• Starter alignment plate for back of block
• A/T Flexplate with bolts
• This engine has been started on gas and run. Carburetor and timing has been initially set, but should be checked after installing in vehicle.

Thanks alot!!

Need to know what the gear ratio is (not a guess) and tire size height ..

well stationed in california and the truck is in ohio so i cant check the gear ratio, and the tire height is 33 inch. i would say the ratio is 3.70

Have a look here and you can see that the problem is not the cam .. Gear Ratio and Tire Size Calculator - 4x4 and Jeep Ring & Pinion you could change the gears and or go with smaller tires but for say $500 you could find a matching set of 4:10, which are pretty common or 4:53 which are not as common and would be the choice if you want to go with a little taller tire later .. and then swap the axles out ..This will make you happy:D

wow i think im gonna do that before i tear into that engine, plus ive never messed around with axles before (other then axleshafts) so itll give me a chance to learn! thaniks alot

but there has to be a better cam then the one i am using, im trying to get the best out of this engine, i was thinking the comp cams 280h would be nice

Interesting read and the 280H is mentioned about half way down the page.

332-428 Ford FE Engine Forum: 390 Cam

*EDIT* Granted, they are most likely talking about a car.

So are you saying that the 280h is a good idea? Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks Nick

It really depends on what your going to use the truck for most of the time .. What cam is in it now ? Plus you have no idea how it is going run until you get it geared right with your choice of tire height .. The specs on the power band of the motor are important .. At what RPM is it producing top power .. All those things have to be considered ..

im going to use the truck mostly just for pulling a sled or stumps in the yard, but it also needs to be streetable. the cam that is in it now is the comp cams mutha thumpr, its not making enough vaccum also. the thing needs a new cam and also higher gears. it doesnt make very much low end tourque at all, which is all i want.

which one ? COMP Cams: 352-428 c.i. 8 Cyl '63-'77
from your first post this will effect your decision in terms of $
The motor will have to be set up for your cam choice .. A kit that matches your cam will be needed

I personally do not have the experience to say yes or no. This was just something that came up on an internet search.

I would tend to agree with redroad on this one, gearing is important.

I know in the past, when I have worked any of my trucks hard, I always use 4-Low. I would think that you would need a cam that produces good low end torque in the low-mid RPM ranges.

I would also recommend to contact the mfg's and see what they recommend for your set-up

the cam i have is the 287th7 part number 33-601-5, when they built the engine they used the springs for this cam not the ones that are listed above, i will be regearing the truck before i get a new cam, but i definately am getting a new cam i just needed help on which one to go with, i called comp cams and they said to go with the 280h, but i wanted some kind of advice from someone with experience with this cam. thanks Nick

In my 76 Highboy I'm running a 390 with a 268h comp cam with a 650 cfm carb on an edelbrock performer intake .. The block is from a 68 galaxie the heads are what are called the poor mans CJ heads with hardened valve seats and the pistons are the flat top pistons with valve reliefs which ford claimed were a 10.5 CR .. I burn 92 octane fuel .. This motor with 4:10s, 33's, and a C-6 trans gives me all the torque I want .. Sorry but can't speak directly to the 280h cam ..

i was also thinking about going with the 268h too, but i wasnt sure if that would be enough. thanks again for the help.