hey guys.Got a 360 thats pretty tired.My plans are as followed..Complete tear down,hot bath,complete rebuild,deep sump oil pan,new paint(of cource),long tube headers,Pertronix points conversion,MSD coil,8.5mm plug wires,autolite hot plugs,a adjustable timeing set,rebuilt 600cfm Holley,high volume oil pump,and new fuel pump.Let me know what you guys think or if theres anything you would do.I know alot of you would sugest 390 or bore it but the piston walls are still good.And im trying to keep it cheap and simple.Not looking for high HP just low end.

The bore of the 360 and 390 are the same, so I'd still suggest swapping rotating assemblies (might just have to clean up the walls)...get the same mpg's, and a better engine overall. Beyond that, your list sounds rather standard. Might I also suggest a little head work.

I was going to clean the heads a lil my self and rebuild them as well.I was think about haveing them decked .020 to raise the comression.I would need shorter pushrods then.As far as the 390 swap iv been trying to locate a crank and some rods for a good price but cant seem to find anything.Not looking to spend a whole lot,just the things it needs.

You will want to get the valve seats replaced with hardened seats. Takes a few bucks, but you will be doing them sooner or later anyway. FE's did not come with hardened seats from he factory, so you need to get them done if they haven't already been done. They will wear down on unleaded gas.

For the 360-390 change, I believe the rods are the same, it is the pistons that changed the wrist pin location. Could be wrong on that, but seem to recall that was the change, crank and pistons.

For the 360 to 390 swap all you need is crank and rods.The pistons are identical.Its the stroke that makes it a 390.

Ok, couldn't remember for sure, been a long time since I even looked at such to worry about it... Sad thing is, i walked away from a shortblock that could have given a good crank and rods... I moved and couldn't take everything with me, and had no use for it, plus block was junk after two wrist pins got into the cylinder walls.

360F100 said:

For the 360 to 390 swap all you need is crank and rods. The pistons are identical. It's the stroke that makes it a 390.

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The 360 pistons are not the same as a 390 (neither are the rods or the crankshaft).
.
C8TZ-6108-A .. 1968/76 360 Piston.

C8TZ-6108-RB .. 1968/76 390 Piston.

If the casting number on the head is: D2TE-AA hardened valve seats are present. First year for these heads: 1972.

The 360 and 390 share the same engine block, the bore is the same: 4.05" / Only the stroke is different.

IIRC you take the crank from the 390 and stick it in the 360 with the 360 rods and pistons, gives you ~9:1 compression ratio depending on what heads you have.

That's what I would do. IMHO there is no point in a stock rebuild...

Well thank you for the adive about just the crank.Those are pretty easy to find.I will have to look into that.But i didnt think you could do that becouse the rod lengths where so far off?And the only difference im seeing in the pistons is the highth.The 390 has longer stroke crank and shorter rods and pistons where as the 360 has shorter crank and longer rods and pistons.Im new to ford.Im going off of what i have read on other forums and websites.

But then agine i could always just punch it out .060 and call it a day.

SuperCab said:

IMHO there is no point in a stock rebuild...

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I completely agree with you.But in this case its what im going to have to do for now.There are other things that need to get down to the truck ie..power brakes,fuel tank relocate,frame off restore.Its a 40+year old truck.Its needs some work.Im already going to be replaceing the trans with a new one and rebuilding the rear with 4.11s.

^^^I don't mean to sound like a dick or anything, but if you're laying out the coin for a full frame off...what's an extra few hundred in bottom end parts???

Figure $20,000-$25,000 EZ for a full frame off resto. And these figures are based on the owner doing as much work as possible, to keep the labor costs down.

If you think you can do it for less, you're kidding yourself, because...

The $$$ figures add up quickly. NOS Gen-U-ine Ford Parts can be expensive, difficult to locate. Repro parts aren't cheap, either.

I've been done this road many times before. Over the past 55 years, I've spent...at least $750,000 restoring vehicles.

And since 1956, I've owned 335 cars/trucks, so I know how quickly the $$$ figures can add up.

360F100 said:

Well thank you for the adive about just the crank.Those are pretty easy to find.I will have to look into that.But i didnt think you could do that becouse the rod lengths where so far off?And the only difference im seeing in the pistons is the highth.The 390 has longer stroke crank and shorter rods and pistons where as the 360 has shorter crank and longer rods and pistons.Im new to ford.Im going off of what i have read on other forums and websites.

But then agine i could always just punch it out .060 and call it a day.

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That's the idea.
By using the longer rods an taller pistons of the 360 with the long stroke crank of the 390 you increase your static compression ratio from ~8.2:1 to 9:1 giving more horsepower and depending on the rest of your setup, possibly an increase in gas milage.

Well BKW(Bill) you must be bulidng some pretty nice rigs for 20k.Im certain i want spend a fraction of that..ecspecially on a 40+year old truck.
However i did happen to find a 390 for 200 bucks today.And just got word back that the crank and rods are good.But will need new pistons.So this now also give me the chance to buy higher compression pistons.Along with everything else.I also did some swaping and got my self a brand new TCI C6 with oversized cooler and a 2500rpm stall converter.

360F100 said:

Well BKW(Bill) you must be bulidng some pretty nice rigs for 20k.Im certain i want spend a fraction of that..ecspecially on a 40+year old truck.
However i did happen to find a 390 for 200 bucks today.And just got word back that the crank and rods are good.But will need new pistons.So this now also give me the chance to buy higher compression pistons.Along with everything else.I also did some swaping and got my self a brand new TCI C6 with oversized cooler and a 2500rpm stall converter.

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better make sure that C6 will fit your 360/390..... most C6's with a 2500 RPM converter that people build are behind small blocks... if so they wont fit..

Don't worry about Bill, he's cranky but he knows his stuff. And in this hobby, some words and definitions mean different things to different people. I would have agreed with Bill in this instance, but it doesn't matter as long as you're happy.


As for the 390...awesome score man, I think you'll be alot happier with the outcome.

Yes the C6 is for a 352/360 FE big block.Anybody got anything good for a choice of piston?I heard the Silv-O-Lite was the best.

360F100 said:

Well BKW(Bill) you must be bulidng some pretty nice rigs for 20k.Im certain i want spend a fraction of that..ecspecially on a 40+year old truck.

However i did happen to find a 390 for 200 bucks today.

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If you think you can do a frame of resto for a fraction of 20 grand, you're kidding yourself...it cannot be done in today's world. I may be a cranky old SOB, but I know the score.

In my 5 years on Ford truck sites (typing over 34,000 posts), I've read hundreds of threads where people are gonna do frame off resto's.

They type one post after another sayin' what their plans are for the engine and etc., but...

Within a short time, reality ($$$ figure) sets in, and they disappear like a phart in the wind.

btw: Measure the stroke before you buy that engine, because...on sale day...360 engines magically become 390's!

Or 410s and 428s

LOL...i see what your saying about how fast a 360 can trun into a 390.And i have already been re assurred by the man who pick the block up that it is in fact a 390.