I'm not bashing or promoting any engine. Quite frankly, all Ford engines have pluses and minuses. My only points are that the 390, even though it made it's way into alot of trucks, was not designed as a "truck" motor, and that it's not a "very long stroke" motor. I'm sure there are alot of folks out there with a 360 in their truck that think it's a 390. The 360 was designed as a truck motor and is physically identical to a 390.

Regarding my car and engine combination. I didn't by it for convenience, gas milage, it's ability to spin the tires, or ease of maintenance. For me at least, that's not what classic car ownership is all about. I bought it because I wanted a big block. If I decide to change the motor some day it will only be for a 428 truck motor. Enough...

289, 350 HP?? Pretty good numbers. Even Shelby only got 306 HP out of the non race 289. Why dont you share your dyno charts with the group? I'm sure there are other small block owners that would be interested in learning about your build.


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hehe I don't know what it is about the 390, but it can spark more debate than any other FE motor ever made. I get tickled. There are people that swear they're boat anchors and guys that swear they will tear most any other motor a new one. I wonder why that is? Most people agree that the 302 and 289 are both good motors, and will argue which is better. But for the most part they will agree to disagree at some point. The 390, however, seems to really divide folks. Go figure.

Either way, like it or leave it. The 390 has it's fans, though I'd prefer a 351 Cleveland anyday. I tend to ride on the "the 390 is a good truck motor" side of the fence. <grin> It is one heck of a torque monster, there is no denying that.

 

FINALLY a voice of reason crying in the wilderness! All I can say is "bravo! well said"!

 

Good reply pinchinco. You are entitled to your opinion . I just hope it's based on real world experience, not hearsay. Horseshoeing, I'd still like to see some backup to your horsepower statements. It might be a good idea for you to jump over to the FE forum to get an education on 390's and the rest of the FE truck engine family.

 

Personally, i feel that a lot of the folks on here who claim x horsepower are actually buying into the claims that this windage tray will add 15 HP and these heads are a bolt on 40 HP. Thats like golfers believing x golf ball will add 15 yards and x driver is 10 yards longer. If this were the case everyone would have 450 HP and be able to drive a golf ball 350 yards.

Even the HP ratings on the vintage mustangs at 225 HP were pretty hyped up. When the magazines do a dyno test, most of them fall into about 150 rear wheel HP. The HP claims made are all pretty self-grandiose claims anyway. If youre a drag racer, it doesnt matter jack what your HP is, your ET is what's important. If youre a track guy, HP doesnt matter, what matters is crossing the line first as second place is just the first loser.

My dos centavos.

 

With a 289 ford rated the motor Hp not the Hp at the back wheels. So, that where you need to get a Hp rating from on a 289. I did not build the motor myself. I had it done by someone who raced a 67 Boss back in the 60's. In his shop was all can of cars. He worked on mustangs to old vettes to new road racing vettes to old racing cars I never heard of. Sadly he has Quit working on cars because he flipped out when his wife took his kids and left. Anyway, he said that what It was, not me. All I know is I never be beat on the road. That don't mean I'm the fastest, but that I am fast. My car is not setup to drag but more so to road race. About 10 years ago or more , I spend about $3,500 just in parts. Every thing was the best. If a shelby 289 had what 291hp, I think 60hp more would be easy to get. If you can......... Thats bad.

The bad thing about a 390 is Its to slow. You can have lots of power but if it is slow, its still slow. A 12.7 liter diesel has about 500hp and 1700 pond of torque. Thats a lot of power!!!! Is it fast? No....No....No. It's to slow. Long stroke= torque...Big bore=Hp Long stoke=slow power....short stroke=fast rev. I'm not saying you can't make a 390 fast but it takes alot more money, and know how. Out of the hole a small block is faster. In a 1/4 mile a fast big block will beat it. A big block is NOT a road racer. The are only good for trucks and drag racing (if you built the **** out of them). A 390 is just about a big block, but it just to small. It needs a bigger bore. Better heads. Lighter crank and flywheel. Thats just to start. Its like a 265. It just needs more.

 

Your comparisons are absolutely great. I really like the diesel/gas comparison. And what is your definition of "slow"?? Is it revs, speed, what? Anyhow, I'm done. But I learned alot. I learned that I should not have been spinning my 390 to 6 grand because it's a long stroke truck motor and it can't do that. Oh, yea, and I really should be using it as a boat anchor.

Sprint 200, I know you've gone with the 390 truck motor, see the kind of $hit you have to put up with when you have one? As I said before, if you want some real world information about your FE motor, stop by the FE forum. You won't get generalizations or unsubstansiated feedback.

Later....

PS the Shelby 289 made 306 BHP and going up to 350 or so is not that easy.

 

hi my name is david and i work a lot with fes . here some 390 info for YOU
352 to 532 .fes you can do a lot with a 390. the lowest hp made by a 390 was a 2v 250 @4400.and lb-ft/rpm 378@2400 ,,the most hp with a 4v 375 @6000and.. lb-ft/rpm 427@3400. the 390 6v made over 401 hp@6000 lb-ft/rpm430@3200..with a littel work like fixing the oling and and better intake and carbs you can make a runing 390.you can make a 390 in to a 410 cid by put in a 428 crank and get over 400 hp.and you can get 422 ci with a 390 bord 60 over and a 428 crank you can get 80 over have it checked ,to see if you can ..now 390 with aulm heads and intake 30 to 40 lb liter then the 351 w.and 100lb liter then the 460.now the 352 is like the 351 w, the 352 has a 3.50 strock 4.00 bore.the lowest hp for the 352 2v220hp@4400 tq is 336@2400 the most hp for the 352 4v hp 360 @6000 TQ IS 395@2800. i like the 289-351,and 460s -fes if you do them right they run alsome. david hoyt

 

here you go heres a 462 fe storcker for $1995. it come with cast scat 4. 250 crank. 4340 scat i beam rods 7/16 caps screws.
custom pistions dish dom flat top, rings rod and main bearings .. and i can find 390 blocks all day long i have 5 of them..

 

here you go heres a 462 fe storcker for $1995. it come with cast scat 4. 250 crank. 4340 scat i beam rods 7/16 caps screws.
custom pistions dish dom flat top, rings rod and main bearings .. and i can find 390 blocks all day long i have 5 of them..go to www.storker kits-dragracing parts.com