Engine ID 390 or 428
 

I have found an engine in an earily 60's Galaxie 500 (I know this is a truck site but there is alot of engine info here). Anyway I am trying to find out what size engine is in it. I have narrowed it down to the FE engine family but is there any way to tell the difference or do all the FE's look the same from the outside? I would be very happy if it was a 428 Any help is appreciated.

Nitro

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

One dead giveaway for telling a 428 from a 390 would be the presence of external balance on the 428 at the flywheel or flexplate. 428SCJ would also have balance on the harmonic balancer (because of LeMans rods). 390's and most other FE's are internally balanced. If you care to measure the stroke using a dowel through the spark plug hole, the stroke of a 390 is 3.784" the stroke of a 428 is 3.984". After perusing a list of block casting numbers it appears that the 428 didn't exist until 66. It's easier for me to list the 428 block castings (much shorter list)
C6AE-A C6AE-B C6AE-F C6ME C6ME-A C7ME C7ME-A C8ME

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

Where on the engine block do I find these casting numbers??

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

I'd be looking above the starter on the rear of the 1-4 cylinderbank. BTW, I see that C6ME appears on the 390 list as well as the 428 list. If you have the heads off, the stock bore of a 390 is 4.05" the bore of a 428 is 4.13". Of coarse previous bore enlargement can cloud the issue. Do you have a view of the flexplate/flywheel? Is it counterweigted? BTW a 428 crank in a 390 block makes a 410 (use 428 balance). I recently saw a 73 F100 Ranger w/ a 410 in it (very nice).

BBT

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

Nitro, I checked the fomoco, site and 1966 was the first year listed for the 428, so you most likely you have a 352, but if it was a fast back is could be a 390.


John
jowilker

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

I dont have access to the flywheel or the ability to pull the heads. The guy that owns the car probably isnt going to let me pull the engine just to see what it is. The car has been setting for a long time. Probably for 10-12 years. I did find out thought that the car is a 66 model. I asked and as far as the owner can remember it is a 66. Im going to try looking at the casting numbers on the block for a definate ID Thanks for the help

Nitro

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

Nitro, if the Galaxie has the original VIN, you can find out the model year and original engine by looking at the 1st and 5th digits. The first digit is the model year so a "6" would be a '66, "7" a '67 and so on. The fifth digit is the engine code and here are the '66 Galaxie codes.

X - 352 4V
Y - 390 2V
Z - 390 4V
W - 427 4V
R - 427 8V
Q - 428 4V
P - 428 4V Police Interceptor

If it were me, I would definitely perform the dowel method that BigBrownTruck described to positively identify the stroke.

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

this is the best way, if the engine still is in the car. Otherwise, there is no sure way to tell with any markings. The same casting numbers were used for 390 and 428s. 428s are very rare, and that alone would lead to a 390 in the car. The 428 cars were very special!! To tell the difference without any disassembly, you need to remove a spark plug. You then want to set a pencil or similar object on the piston and slowly rotate the engine. This will cause the piston and pencil to move up and down. The 428 have approx a 4" stroke whereas the 390 is closer to 3.75". No other markings will tell you for sure, trust me. I have a 428CJ Mustang and a 428 in my 69F100. I also have another 428CJ MUstang in my shop right now. They all have different markings, I have played this marking game for over 20 years with FEs, its fun.

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

>this is the best way, if
>the engine still is
>in the car. Otherwise, there
>is no sure way to
>tell with any markings. The
>same casting numbers were used
>for 390 and 428s. 428s
>are very rare, and that
>alone would lead to a
>390 in the car. The
>428 cars were very special!!
>To tell the difference without
>any disassembly, you need to
>remove a spark plug. You
>then want to set a
>pencil or similar object on
>the piston and slowly rotate
>the engine. This will
>cause the piston and pencil
>to move up and down.
>The 428 have approx a
>4" stroke whereas the 390
>is closer to 3.75". No
>other markings will tell you
>for sure, trust me. I
>have a 428CJ Mustang and
>a 428 in my 69F100.
>I also have another 428CJ
>MUstang in my shop right
>now. They all have different
>markings, I have played this
>marking game for over 20
>years with FEs, its fun.
>

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

i am looking for 428 and 427 motor parts, i want to put a motor together, any hot rod fe parts , thanks jim

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

Hi Jim and welcome to the FTE site. I don't know whats up with the double post. If you want to reply with quotes, it is editable and you can add text.

John
jowilker

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

Doesn't the 428 have a different harmonic balancer?

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

No, the later 360s and 390s used the same harmonic balancer as a 428CJ. THe flywheel would be a give away, but not easy to see.

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

360 and 390 are the same with the exeption of the crank stroke and the 428 is the same as the 360/390 with the exeption of the bore and stroke but if you use a 360/390 balancer on a 428 crank be expexting things to fly apart the 428 is externally balanced more than the 360/390 are the flex plates and fly wheels are also different so beware of mixing these parts up

i am also looking for info on when the 428 firts came out and when was the last year a 428 CJ came out

Thanks Erin

Engine ID 390 or 428
 

I have a 428 CJ block for sale this is a no Sh** CJ block no problems to ID this one it has the C on the back of the block no casting # and the date code is 9K14 withe the heavy duty main webbing the only problem is this blck will need to go to 60 over or be sleeved it has been maged decked and line bored the place i took it to to do the bore on the cylinders is not my usual place and they messed it up at 40 over so it needs 60.

kness@fidalgo.net