360,351 or 302?

[averagef250]

Stock non-egr 360 under 150K miles craigslist $100

VR gasket set $65

Summit roller FE timing chain installed straight up $33

2 cans Ford blue spray paint $8

U-pullit FE duraspark $10

Motorcraft 2150 rebuild kit $21

Voila! You now have a 200 HP 360 that will tow anything, stomp the pi$$ out of any 302/351 in a truck and get 12-14 MPG in a 6000 pound truck. It costs about $2000 less than a stroker 302 and can be replaced any day of the week for the same price if there's ever an issue with it.

Of all the engines mentioned, The 300 is by far and away the best truck engine to just drop in and enjoy. They go forever and a day and do anything you ask one to. If you're OK going a little slower up hills with a trailer the 300 kicks butt. I don't think the 300 is a wise engine to dump loads of money into suping up, but to each their own. Like WB said, I couldn't tolerate listening to a loud six, but a heavily loaded mild built FE at 1/2 throttle and 2500 RPM up a grade is a beautiful thing.

[FLATBEDFORD]

... a heavily loaded mild built FE at 1/2 throttle and 2500 RPM up a grade is a beautiful thing.

[willowbilly3]

... a heavily loaded mild built FE at 1/2 throttle and 2500 RPM up a grade is a beautiful thing.

But a heavily loaded Fe struggling over Dillon and Vale pass in low gear will wear on you.
My 96 302 F150 towed really well, 16 foot trailer with car. But I knew it wouldn't tow the crewcab home to east texas from Yakima so I jumped the F150 on the trailer and hooked it behind a tired 390 for a 2300 mile trip over the rockies. Other than the mountains I cruised at 70-75 and never knew it was back there, made 10-10 1/2 all the way home and never really did any better with no load.

[Alvin in AZ]

But a heavily loaded Fe struggling over Dillon and Vale pass in low gear will wear on you.

BTDT :) with my '75 360FE with a smog cam and the sorryass original Ford Y pipe. :/

But I defeated the full power circuit in the 2100 carburetor and it flew over Pinal Pass (measly 5000 ft)
in 4th gear where before it was 3rd and sometimes 2nd gear and a pain in the neck. That was with a
camper shell full of stuff and a VW dune buggy in tow too.

It was about the mixture in the carburetor when it was wide open, see? :)

There's also a big difference in the way they run if you've got crappy emulsion tubes...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/booster.jpg
(yeah it's a fuzzy picture, I'll redo it using the scanner someday;)

The good type of emulsion tubes (installed) have 8 holes in them each, so does the crappy emulsion tube
laying loose.The trick is to solder most of the holes shut on the crummy kind and drill new holes down the
side in two rows. A local dyno shop does the same thing. I discovered this and talked to them about it and
they told me I "figured out their secret". :)

I haven't worked out all the details because I've got a bunch of booster assemblies to experiment with and
not done. Anybody else been doing any 2100 tinkering? :)

Alvin in AZ @ 3580ft
ps- IMO... 300 or 390 or 460 take your pick! ;)

[texrodder]

I agree with the windsor guy's,(351),easy to work on,parts are readily available,more trans options,mild built motor could give great performance and with an aod trans you could get way better milage than any fe motor could ever get.Bottom line do tons of research,buy the best parts you can afford and drive/enjoy it!

[Fordlorn]

Well, the heads are already at the machine shop so it's gonna be the 360. Looks like about $500.00 maybe less to do the heads. Gotta have all new exhaust valves, guides, springs, keepers and a set of hardened exhaust valve seat inserts. Maybe a mill job on them too. He's gonna do a seat to rocker shaft tower flat to stem tip adjustment if needed as well. Kinda wondering if I should just go ahead and pull the block and freshen it while I'm at it. Anyone do a 360 block in stock configuration lately? How much did you spend? Just kicking it around.

[Brokenarrow]

I'm sure you believe it. I don't think it's realistic for anyone else to expect it though.

From an early 70s truck engine with 3.50 (or lower) gears, No one should expect over 14mpg. But when you say, "no 390 can get 20mpg",I know for a fact that you're wrong. The 360 is a low compression truck engine, a workhorse, and tough as a rock I might add. A 390 from a late 60s Ford/Mercury car is a whole different animal. With the car's road gears,(1:1 final drive & 2.75 rear gear.) the truck's taller tires, and the low-end torque of a 9:6/1 big-block Ford, you've got one long-legged truck that's effortlessly turning about 1800rpm @ 60mph. You add a properly jetted and well-tuned Quadrajet (a thing of beauty )and trust me, 18-20mpg is possible from a 390.

[DuckRyder]

[Ranchero50]

Uhg, I just can't stomach putting money in iron heads anymore... You should be able to do a rering job for under $100. You almost need to do that as a minimum since the heads are sealed now.

Depends on how long you plan on running this shortblock before a complete rebuild.

Jamie

[Brokenarrow]

I guess we kinda did get off topic. My point was not to rule out the FE just because of it's reputation as a gas-hog. Because not all of them are.
Fordlorn, I don't know where you're located or your plans for the 360 short-block, but I have an extra 390 crank and rods I'd let you have worth the money if you wanted to go that route.

[Fordlorn]

Yeah, I been thinking about that. Maybe just run the dingleballs through the jugs and put fresh rings in it huh? I'd be willing to do at least that. Maybe a fresh set of bearings without turning the crank? Although that might be the wrong thing to do. I dunno! Suggestions? If the engine only lasts for two or three years I'm ok with that. But five would be better!

[papabug71]

Uhg, I just can't stomach putting money in iron heads anymore... You should be able to do a rering job for under $100. You almost need to do that as a minimum since the heads are sealed now.

Depends on how long you plan on running this shortblock before a complete rebuild.

Jamie

I ran into the same thing with my 340 Duster. The stock "J" heads were pushing 40 years old, & the eddy heads were looking mighty tempting.

If I ever build another motor as a street/strip powerplant, im going aluminum fo' sho'....





This thread makes me want to go out to the shop & tell my little 302 "I still love you".

[mad2smile]

I've never had a 351 that got any decent mileage. Nice thing is with one is the 5 speed will bolt on. Get that 360 breathing decent and it can get 15 pretty easy (if driven sensibly)
But, FE engines can survive in the throes of death for a really long time. My 390 was tired when I got it with a rear main leak and real weak oil pressure. I have driven it 30,000 miles and it is still the same.

werd. FE engines are extremely durable. my old 360 ran for over a year with horrible piston ring issues and leaks. how bad? if the truck was left running for the majority of a day, i would need to add 6 quarts of oil throughout the time it was running.

[FORD428CJ]

Hands down.....Do the 360! Very tuff and tows really good! Its not a power house but its a real work horse of an engine! JMHO

[Fordlorn]

Well, it's time for an update. I finally called the machinist last Thursday to find out what was going on with my 360 heads. Well, he said come on down and see him. I knew right then and there that the heads were a goner. Yup I was right! All but one of the 8 chambers had at least one and some as many as three cracks between the intake and exhaust valves. Bummer! But wait, there's more! He just "happened" to have a set of 1/2 finished 360 heads "laying around"!? Go figure huh? My guess is someone had him start them and couldn't come up with the money to finish them. All new hardened exhaust seats and all new valves, surfaced and ready for final fit of the valve seats and assembly. $200! Yup $200! All I have to pay for after that is the finishing up of the heads and some gaskets etc.. I'm stoked now! Still kinda thinking about doing a shade tree freshen up on the block now. You know, pull it apart and if nothing is seriously messed up I'll put fresh bearings, a new oil pump, dingle ball the cylinders and some fresh rings. Maybe an RV cam and some new lifters? Whattya think? Couldn't cost too much more for that now could it?