Thread: FE questions

Tweet

Hi my name is dave you could probably tell bye the screen name. I am new to the fe big block too I just got a 390 mach 1, I have a few questions about the fe and other things.Is there any way you could take a 352 or 390 anything lower than a 428 fe and turn it in to a 427 side oiler that everybody talks about or is them vain things in the engine that gets the oil to where it needs to go different I know that is not the name but I have been told that there is such a thing like that, or is the hole engine machined different from the factory. I know a littel bit about motors, I understand a littel how it works I have tore down a 351 cleveland but still learning a lot. I no this is a big block thread but could you turn a reguler 351 cleveland with 4 bolt main in to a boss 351 or are they machined different too, and is the 312 in the fe family, I know it is a Y block but is all fe,s a Y block. I also have read that ford did not put many of the 427 engines in the mustang and fairlanes because they where expensive to make but I always wonder why did they put them in the big galaxies or was there only a few of them too and also why didn't the 428 cobra jet come with 14 bolt holes like the 390 for the shock towers. I have always wonder about these question I know I am like a littel kid asking all kinds of questions but I would apprectate if any body could answer them for me . Thanks Dave

Lots of questions! Well, that's how to learn stuff.
The 427 side oiler had a lot of differences in the basic casting, a conversion would be ...well, impractical.( I've learned never to say impossible with the gang on this forum. )
A"Y-block" (239,256,272,292, and 312) is a different engine family than an FE.

"......I've learned never to say impossible with the gang on this forum......"

Well you could bore and sleeve any FE to get more cubes. But it wont ever be a side oiler. Theres some combo of 428 and 427 internals that comes out to 454 CID with stock parts. And I think u could make a crossbolted FE with some machine shop work. Mostly depends on what you will expect the engine to do .

"Well you could bore and sleeve any FE to get more cubes."

You could bore the block larger and use larger diameter pistons or you could use a crankshaft with a longer stroke or do both to gain more cubic inches. You wouldn't necessarily sleeve any of the cylinders unless you had a bad cylinder wall that wouldn't clean up by boring. A sleeve is just a piece of tubing that is inserted into the block to act as a new cylinder.

"Theres some combo of 428 and 427 internals that comes out to 454 CID with stock parts."

A 427 block bored 0.030" and using a 428 crank will yield 454 cubic inches. (4.260" x 3.980")

"and I think u could make a crossbolted FE with some machine shop work."

You could, but I doubt the expense and effort would be worth it for anything other than a dedicated race motor.

PSE at one time made a conversion kit to convert a std FE topoiler block to a sideoiler. Basically three tubes fed oil through hollowed crossbolts to supply oil to the mains. Of cource the block needed to be machined for crossbolt caps plus the kit. I see them on ebay from time to time but they go for big bucks. I'm not sure how well they worked but it was an interesting concept none the less.

G.

Everybody thanks for answering my question about the Y blocks and sideoiler. I understand now that the side oiler is called that because it oils the mains and the other fe,s oile's the top and a sideoiler is crossbolted and the other one's isn,t at least I think if I am understanding right. I did not know that about a fe.But I understand the difference now. I know they make the power my friend has a cousin that has a sideoiler that he has in his monster truck, and it is pretty mean,it is beefed up to like 1500 hundred horse power and it really moves the truck when you see it in action.But I understand now to make one into a side oiler you would probably have more money in it than what it is worth to buy one and it would probably be better to bore a old fe that is not a sideoiler,a good bit and get a big crank and bigger pistons some edelbrock heads and have just as much fun.

All 427's have crossbolts mains be it top or sideoiler. A few exceptions are some industrial blocks that have been found used in irrigation and such. Other than that all production and service 427 blocks are crossbolted. As far as crossbolting goes you can crossbolt any FE block. You can use original or aftermarket caps. Both are selling in the $300 range today. For that money the billet steel caps are the better bet. To machine and install the caps figure $300-400 plus the price of the caps themselves. Some 64 and some later FE/FT blocks have the crossbolt bosses making it pretty easy to do. Blocks without the bosses just use a longer spacer with OEM caps. The billet aftermarket caps use no spacers and require a little more work from the shop to install because of the exact tolorance fitting needed.

G.

Okay thanks FFR428 I understand about the 427 now,do you know how much a C6 could handle I am wanting at least 420 or 425 horsepower out of my 390 do you know if the C6 can handle that or will I have to beef it up.

Does anybody know about the C6 question?

IM NEW TO THE SITE HERE. SO HELLO. I JUST ASKED THAT QUESTION OF A TRANSMISSION SHOP A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TRANNY COULD TAKE IT BUT........HOW HARD YOU WORK IT WITH HAMMERING IT WILL DEPEND ON THE LIFE SPAND OF A USE TRANNY.

ALSO THIS IS WHAT I HAVE DONE WITH MY FE MOTOR. I TOOK A MID TO LATE 60'S 390 TRUCK BLOCK (SONIC CHECKED IT) I HAD IT BORED .080 OVER. I PUT STANDERD 428 PISTIONS AND CRANK IN IT (MUST HAVE EXTERNAL BALLANCED DAMPNER AND OR FLYWHEEL,FLEX PLATE)(428 CRANK ONLY!!!) DUAL 4 BARREL OFFENHAUSER MANIFOLD WITH TWO EDELBROCK 500CFM CARBORATERS. I LOVE IT. BUT I DID HAVE TO UPGRADE MY RADIATOR TO A 460 4 CORE FOR ADDED COOLING IN THE SUMMER WHEN STUCK IN TRAFFIC.

Hi SCSTRANSPORT thanks, I better put a shift kit in it cause I would like for it to last a littel while and have some fun with it.Your engine sounds pretty mean I was thinking about doing something like a double 4 barrel or trying to find one of dose old manifolds that the 390 had in the early sixties that was 3 2 barrel carbs but I would probably have a time to find one.But I am foresure that I am getting some edelbrock heads and ain't decided how to build it yet, but want at least 420 horsepower I heard if you get everything edelbrock I could get that easily but don,t know if that is true.

my motor is all cast iron except for the intake manifold (alum.)for what i could but the alum heads for i could put 428 valves and springs in the cast iron ones and have the machine work done. the 3 2's would be cool. i bought my manifold new it cost me $470.00 plus shipping.

I should just do that with my heads but one of the main reason I wanted to get aluminum was take off some of the wait but it probably would not make that much difference if I would go with the 3 2 barrel carb manifold.I heard every hundred pounds you take off would give you a tenth of a second quicker in the quarter mile so it might take some off.