if you had a 390 in your slick and it was time to rebuild it.
what would you do with it?
rules:
1: you must keep the 390 NO Motor swaps... strokers OK
2: budget set your own budget, but keep it reasonable, not a $10,000 motor, that will not see the road.
3: what will it look like and whats do you think its rated at?
Have fun with your build, comment on others, and wil do this with more motor sizes.
I will go down to Camreasearch here in denver, they are FE specialists and have them help me pick one of their custom grinds for the vehicle its in, throw on my 66 FE heads, which would get a nice port job at MPG head service. my alum intake and pick a carb to match the build. prob a 850 Holley Cam research grinds usually run about 140 and go up from there, the roller shafts I believe are 240 bucks for a pair. roller timing chain already in garage so there is no cost for that. high volume oil pump 80 bucks? head porting prob around 500? of course my 390 needs new rods and crank because its all worn out junk and the crank cant be machined anymore, rods are splayed out and should be replaced for safety reasons. stroker kits are nice and expensive, but I could find replacement rods n crank for quite a bit less. I bet I could get it al; lfinished for less than 2500 and run a good 400 hp mabye even more
390 block bored .030 over. 4.24" stroke crank. Diamond pistons at 10.5:1 compression. Canadian Cobra Jet heads from Blue Thunder with a port matched Victor Jr manifold converted to MPI from Hogans Racing Manifolds. A custom grind cam. Roller rockers with billet end supports. My Doug THorley headers. I have no idea the power it would make but I figure with the right cam it is north of 500 hp.
The problem with big power (upwards of 450-500 Hp) in FE engines is they are known to fracture the blocks just when you get them dialed in right. So I'd go in another direction & build for reliable performance over big miles. More or less some sort of RV Recipe type torquer engine. . . .
Then I'd build an engine that I could race which would both out perform & outlast the poor 390 FE. . . .
Pete I agree with you. Most likely I will use a genesis block to make this combo more durable. The guys over at Survival Motorsports have sugested the reverse 105 blocks due to their "higher nickol content" THey seem to be able to make that kind of power survive on those blocks. I dunno. I am wierd, I am kinda bent on the FE motor. Kind of nostalgic. My truck came with a 352 and it is the first motor I learned to work on. If my truck came with a I6 I prolly would have put a 460 in by now.
Personally the only way to fly is with a 427 stroker motor, 428 S/S valves jammed into the early 390 heads, Around 585 lift 305 duration with hyd lifters, blueprinted all the way,, oil gallies opened wider so that 125-150 lbs oil pressure can get through,, 12 quart oil capicity so we don't run out of oil with a extra quart for the oil cooler,, triple valve springs, special built roller chain,, special stands for the rockers with the adjustable rockers to run on single carb that has had all the tricks done to it so that when you punch it at 135 you feel it and hang on cause you are about ready to get a scare of your life with that old straight axle under your and to keep that 87 octane gas clean 4 fuel filters,, not a dream to me but a nitemare when sitting behind the wheel, pop the clutch and gone to all those broke down chevies or dodges that ever though they could catch one flamed 56 truck on the open road
Tom,
@ Lazy FORD Ranch
Where Ford Trucks Rest in Peace
Dakota,,, RIP will never be the same looking for 61-66 trucks again ,, Kathy
Slickstock,,, York, PA
Slickstock,,, Kansas City, MO
Slickstock,,, Altoona, IOWA
Slickstock,,, Salina, KS
Now Cooper will try his best
Cooper now has 2018 Slick Stock,, give him a fair star
Slickstock Kansas City, Mo
FORDBOYpete wrote:The problem with big power (upwards of 450-500 Hp) in FE engines is they are known to fracture the blocks just when you get them dialed in right. So I'd go in another direction & build for reliable performance over big miles. More or less some sort of RV Recipe type torquer engine. . . .
Then I'd build an engine that I could race which would both out perform & outlast the poor 390 FE. . . .
Well, you asked & then set the rules too FBp
umm yeah negative!!! and blaspamy almost ,,what the hell are you saying?? theres fe blocks that get 800+ hp mines 575 at the wheels ,, im supposed to worry it will "fracture" wtf ?
With my frugalness (stolen fron the Canuck) intact and gas at $3/gallon, my 66 has not been driven much the last 2 years. When my 390 was built, I was not worried about such things. I put a very large Crane cam in it. OMG I love the sound of that big thumping FE but I pay dearly at the gas pumps. I think I am on the Christmas card list of 2 oil companies. At my favorite cruise night of the year, the MC never fails to mention the sound of my Slick. That is all well and good but my seat time has been reduced enough that I now have Antique Vehicle plates on it which limit usage somewhat.
If I had to build my 390 today, I would take a much more conservative route.
probably about 9;1 compression
ported heads, Edelbrock if I could justify the cost
CompCams 268H cam, have that in my 56 w/351C, love it
headers
electronic ignition
about a 650 carb, either a Street Demon or a Holley Avenger
Aluminum EdelbrockPerformer intake
If you drove a Ford, you wouldn't need a good wrench!
Well, you asked & then set the rules too 
to all those broke down chevies or dodges that ever though they could catch one flamed 56 truck on the open road
Kathy 
