Well I came across a 390 or 360 powered T-18 4x4 was a 74 F100 i believe,
and i stripped all the bellhousing, clutch linkage, motor mounts, etc... And i
already got a strong 410 (baby 428 cj) and my trucks currently a 302 T18 so
a T18 and an FE will be pretty much bulletproof right
If it's factory 4 barrel then it'd be a 390 but either way---> measure its stroke!
BTW, Ford didn't put 390's in their 4wd trucks!
(I've read that over and over)
Was looking for one for quite a while and only one guy lied to me about his
being a 390 ...three others didn't know their beloved 390 was a 360! :/
It was as if their puppy got ran over when I measured it and it was a 360FE.
I believe many times the lie started at the stealership!
BTDT being lied to by those guys (back then) and -they-did-things- to the
vehicles to make 'em come back for repairs too! I shit you not.
Anyway yeah, you got the stuff and wondered if that wasn't the case from
the start.
This what a 390FE crankshaft-end looks like, it's got that U notch in it and
I figure it's part of the "balancing act", but don't know it for a fact...
See that big ol' sloppy oil-lite clutch pilot bearing there? :/
Don't do that, put a 6303 sealed ball bearing in there like Ford did in their
FT's.
BTDT and works great!
Alvin in AZ
ps- For the rest of y'all notice how the top of the oil pan is -flat- that's a
simple thing to spot on an FE or FT. The clincher is the intake manifold
going under the valve cover...
pps- The water pump's lower hole there, is not blind!
But I fiNgured
out a way to seal it, ran a stud into it and nut it from the back. It took
me having to heat and bend two 9/16" open-end wrenches about 45* to
get 'er done one-day but it's done for good on my old 360FE.
Use the old brown Permatex (shellac) for sealer (or epoxy).
Another shot showing both water pump holes...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/fe390cover.jpg
Showing off what you can do with a flat topped oil pan...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/fe390+55.jpg
That picture's before I pulled the freeze plugs. The PO had used some
sort of stop leak in it and it was a big jellied mass that was not rinsing
out with a full garden hose. No kidding had to pull the freeze plugs and
-dig- that jellied crap out of there. You know if it can't circulate it can't
carry heat all that good, so don't use that stuff.
Typical FE exhaust ports and the odd spark plug angles...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/fe390plugs.jpg
Someday I'd like to trade this outta production StreetMaster 390 intake
manifold for one that ain't got such big runners and open plenum...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/fe390intake.jpg
------------------------------