i know car vs truck aint quite the same, but i got a 67 Fairlane GTA which had a 390 in it originally.

i was talking to a co-worker who had a 390 when he was younger, he commented that it had a notorious problem of bending / breaking push rods? anyone know if this a widespread problem?

 

Hmmm, I really only know the 352 and it's querks, but havn't read anything like that over on www.fordification.com where lot's of guys have em no problems.

Adrianspeeder

 

The 360 and 390 motors were total pigs. VERY weak motors considering how much fuel they guzzled. But they were solid fairly reliable motors.

 

Now that I know is a little off... Shoot even the 352 spins the tires, and i've driven two 390 trucks that got quite a kick to em.

Adrianspeeder

 

i can agree on the guzzling part!! my first truck(still got it stashed away in a barn waiting for a frame off and air bags!!)is a 65 f1 witha 352 and it broke my walet in high school makin min. wage and feedin its very thirsty habit... and as for the spinning of the tires... it would do it but it prefered to do some nasty wheel hop ahh those were the days

 

I wouldn't consider the 390 a weak engine by any means. They had plently of torque which was what they needed in the heavy cars and trucks they mostly went it.

I had a friend with a 390 in an old T-Bird and it ran good and never gave him any problems. It was a fairly strong engine, but not quite as strong as the 429 my T-Bird had. Then again the 429 was rated at 480 lb ft of torque bone stock.

 

They 390 is a member of what Ford called the FE motors. They include the 352, 390, 428 and the famous 427. It is one big heavy motor that is very durable. Those old Fairlanes with the 390s were neat cars. I restored/customized a 65 Galaxy 2 door hardtop. I rebuilt a 390 for it, it came with a 352. The 390 will never be a super fast engine compared to the 428 and 427, or the later designed 429 and 460, but it can be perky with a good cam and a big carburator. Yep, they do use some gas.

 

I had a '75 f100 when I was in high school. It was a 390 with a granny low 4 speed. I'm not sure what gears it had in it but it would only top in at 82 mph.

It got 7 miles to the gallon on the highway or with a stock trailer full of cattle.

 

The 390 and 360 fe engines were notorious for bending pushrods and spitting the lifters into the lifter galley. Especially the 360, I am a fleet mech. for our local electric company and at one time we had a fleet full of Fords with both the 360 and the 390 and they gave us a fit but we got real good at fishing the lifters back into place without pulling the intakes They will also pull the valve seats up into the head just a little and this cause a whole 'nother set of problems. I have seen a few very fast Mustangs and Fairlanes with the 390 in them.

 

I wish i could get my hands on a running 390... now that would be an offroad engine.. tons of jam..

 

yea stuff like thats gettin rare.... if you were down here in colarado i could point you to a couple of places ...but idk bout canada

 

haha im trying to convince my old man to let me take the 390 out of his old grain truck.. runs like a top.. but i know its not going to happen.. worth a try! ahaha

 

Fun startin' the '66...



Try 2

 

adrainspeeder>>>>> was your truck an original manual trans?? i was under the impression that the autos were the ones that had the long sweeping spedometer?because all the manuals i have seen had the round spedo with the gas and temp on either side at the bottom (same cluster that was in the early broncos), mine has a three on the tree and has the round gauge. --just wondering

 

As far as we know over on www.slick60s.org the sweeping cluster came with the custom cab, and not to do with the tranny.

Two manuals I've parted out, but were custom cabs had the sweep too. You can see all the parts in my sig link.

What truck do you have? Join up over on slick60s!

Adrianspeeder