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 | 390 build up -- Mo Diesel, 05/05/2004
Long time reader, second time posting....Getting ready to build up a 66 390 from a Cyclone 4 spd car. Thinking of putting in a solid lifter cam, good or bad idea? I love the sound of the tick, tick, tick on a big block ford. Also, FPA, best place to get headers? |
|  | RE: 390 build up -- giacamo, 05/05/2004
it,s hard to beat solids in a preformance aspect. more agreses cams to chouse from in a 4 speed car wy not just make shure you use rockers with adjuster lock nuts so thay stay set and steel rocker stands i run solids in my 69 cyclone the alu stands craped out on me but the steel no problems..... |
| |  | RE: 390 build up -- Mo Diesel, 05/10/2004
When you say "hard to beat in a performance aspect" are you speaking strickly for the track or ok to use on the street? BTW, thanks for the reply |
|  | RE: 390 build up -- giacamo, 05/10/2004
eather most solid lifter cams make a engin rev quiker.more responseive. |
 | Oil Pump Knock? -- Tony, 05/04/2004
Has anyone ever heard of an oil pump knocking? I have just finished a complete rebuild on my 428 engine and it knocks off idle on acceleration. I have done many engine rebuilds and cannot understand this. The only place that I can hear the knock with a stethescope is on the distributor or vaccum advance. I have a new distributor and oil pump drive but the knock is still there. I have listened to every other part of the engine and that is the only place I can hear it. The knock has the same sound as moving a distributor shaft up and down inside of a distributor housing while out of the engine. Does anyone have any suggestions? |
|  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- giacamo, 05/04/2004
maybe fuel pump ? |
|  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- giacamo, 05/05/2004
take the dist out and look down the hole at the hole the dist end go,s in to is it the same sise as the dist end? or a lot bigger. as in a truck block wich has a larger hole for a loger shaft.? |
| |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- Tony, 05/05/2004
The block came out of a 1967 T-Bird |
| | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- giacamo, 05/05/2004
thay bushed truck blocks for car dist. rare but worth a look? |
| | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- David, 05/08/2004
Tony I don't think this is it because you didn't hear any sound when you listened to the fuel pump but may be worth a look anyway. My '68 S code 390 GT engine had the wrong fuel pump in it what I got my Torino. A previous owner had put a small block fuel pump in it and the pump arm is shaped diferent than the FE fuel pump arm. This made a lot of noise. I replaced the pump with a correct Carter pump from NAPA, same pump Ford installed from the factory. Also check to see that your new dist. shaft is shimed correctly & doesn't have a lot of up & down end play. Good luck. |
| | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- Tony, 05/09/2004
Thanks David. The fuel pump is new and has the same style (long) arm as the pump I removed. I am not familier with shimming the distributor shaft? The distributor is new. Shouldn't they have adjusted that when they rebuilt it? What are the specs. for the up and down play? |
| | | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- David, 05/11/2004
No problem Tony. They should have checked that when they rebuilt it, but I wouldn't trust that. I will have to look to see if I can find a spec for that & get back to you with what I find. |
| | | | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- Tony, 05/11/2004
Thanks David. |
| | | | | | | | ![Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=21476&Reply=21332><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a> <b>RE: Oil Pump Knock?</b> -- <font color=#0000ff>David, <i>05/15/2004</i></font><br /><blockquote>Tony sorry I did't get back to you sooner. Here is what I was able to find. Had to do some digging to find it.<br>In the reprint of Fords O.H.O. Parts Newsletter. Sept of '72 vol. 1, # 6<br>they list .022 - .032". The distributor gear location (distance from bottom of mounting flange [the part where the dist. hold-down bracket hits] to bottom of gear) listed as<br>3.071 - 3.078".<br> I also looked in the reprint I have of the <br>1968 Cougar, Fairlane, Falcon, Montego, <br>Mustang Shop Manual. The only thing I saw<br>different was the max end play of .033".<br>Which is nothing. I hope this helps.<br> Personaly I think that endplay is a bit on the high side for performance. But I think with<br>this end play you shouldn't get that noise.<br>These specs were listed for FE's. <br> Also maybe check the oil pump drive shaft &<br>the drive opening in the distributor shaft.<br>Let me know what you find. </blockquote>](/WebResource.axd?d=5j1V7IJBhc-qdmzmrXlobsxFe9EhqTJfz2gxX49MdMX16kno90_BFEILsce-cZd4_AQJmgJiqVb_6sMckVIFw7awJkeKBUrKhyKEn-Oes6T4B3MXOuGQbgDfrZfN0U_R0&t=637814653746327080) | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- David, 05/15/2004
Tony sorry I did't get back to you sooner. Here is what I was able to find. Had to do some digging to find it. In the reprint of Fords O.H.O. Parts Newsletter. Sept of '72 vol. 1, # 6 they list .022 - .032". The distributor gear location (distance from bottom of mounting flange [the part where the dist. hold-down bracket hits] to bottom of gear) listed as 3.071 - 3.078". I also looked in the reprint I have of the 1968 Cougar, Fairlane, Falcon, Montego, Mustang Shop Manual. The only thing I saw different was the max end play of .033". Which is nothing. I hope this helps. Personaly I think that endplay is a bit on the high side for performance. But I think with this end play you shouldn't get that noise. These specs were listed for FE's. Also maybe check the oil pump drive shaft & the drive opening in the distributor shaft. Let me know what you find. |
| | | | | | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- John, 05/15/2004
I would drop the oil pan and look for a loose oil pump or loose pick-up. THe pick-up may even be hitting the pan, so look for contact marks. It is quite difficult to isolate internal engine noises, but I doubt the pump itself could make any noise. If the block had the wrong size distributor hole, somthing like the distributor shaft, would probably break vs making a knock. Anyway, while you have the pan off, wiggle al the connecting rods to see if they are abnormally loose and remove #4 main bearing to check bearing conditions on the crank. #5 is too difficult, but #4 also gets weaker oil pressure. Also, remove the valve covers and look for excessive rocker to valve clearance (collapsed lifter or misadjusment). |
| | | | | | | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- Tony, 05/16/2004
Well guys, check this out! I pulled the oil pan and guess what I found. ALL of my cam bearings are wiped out!, along with my C8AX-C cam!! Pulled a couple of main bearings and they looked fine. I can only guess that there is a pluged oil passage, but the block was hot tanked and I made sure that all of the oil passages were clear in the block and crank when I put it together. That was the reason I could only hear it through the distributor. Does the front cam bearing feed oil to all of the cam bearings? |
| | | | | | | | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- Tony, 05/16/2004
Well guys, check this out! I pulled the oil pan and guess what I found. ALL of my cam bearings are wiped out!, along with my C8AX-C cam!! Pulled a couple of main bearings and they looked fine. I can only guess that there is a pluged oil passage, but the block was hot tanked and I made sure that all of the oil passages were clear in the block and crank when I put it together. That was the reason that I could only hear it through the distributor. Does the front cam bearing feed oil to all of the cam bearings? |
| | | | | | | | | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- Lucas, 05/16/2004
Misalignment of the oil passages in the new cam bearings when they were installed? If you hot tanked the block and didn't replace the cam bearings afterwards, you don't have cam bearings anymore! |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- Tony, 05/16/2004
I had the block hot tanked and brand new cam bearings installed when all of the other machine work was done. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | RE: Oil Pump Knock? -- David, 05/19/2004
Tony sorry to hear about your cam. Check to make sure that your cam bearings were/are installed properly so that the openings in the bearings align with the oil passages in the block. Also make sure the front (#1) cam bearing has the 2 holes aligned with the oil passages in the block & the passage from the one opening on the berring is running to the front of the block to lube the thrust plate or needle bearing setup if you installed one. If you have that oil passage on the brearing faceing the back of the block you will have a oil pressure drop/leak. Which could cause oil starvation. Good luck & keep us posted. |
 | 390 with cj heads- dual quad- RPM cam? -- joe, 05/04/2004
66 two door galaxie with 390 recent rebuilt .030 forged pistons C-6 automatic 428 cj heads crates headers It has a recent edelbrock performer cam and intake now but now I am putting a blue thunder dual quad intake with edelbrock 600's on it. While I have the intake off I am wondering if the cam should be changed. I know the quad set up only will give me marginal power gains but the car is just for cruising and showing with the occaisional burn-outs. Although I want it to be quick off the line. I wasn't all that happy with the performer set up and I always wondered if I should have gone with the RPM. But my research was telling me that a bigger car should go with the regular performer because it had lower torque. But now with the duel quad intake, Should I go for a different cam? (RMP, CRANE)? Thanks |
|  | RE: 390 with cj heads- dual quad- RPM cam? -- Robert, 05/04/2004
IMHO.
Performer is too mild, RPM is too hot. (at least for a "cruiser")
Crane 343941 and 343801 are both popular in the F-Series trucks. I personally like the 801 in my F-100.
Crane also blueprints the 425/427 cam, which would be totally appropriate, but again probably a bit wilder than it sounds like you want.
BTW, do you have adjustable rockers and what is the rear gear? |
| |  | RE: 390 dual quad- Crane cam? -- joe, 05/04/2004
They are non-adjustable rockers. I'm not sure of the gears. It's a factory (9 inch?) rear end. I am considering a crane cam I saw on summit's, it's specs are: duration at .050 - 216/216 lift; .533/.533 lobe sep.: 110* This sounds like it's inbetween the edel. performer and the RPM. Would anyone recommend this or anything else? Thanks |
| | |  | RE: 390 dual quad- Crane cam? -- Robert, 05/04/2004
There are 2 schools of thought, but I like the "Dual Pattern" cams, meaning that the exhaust has more lift and duration that the intake.
The crane you are talking about sounds real mild, and keep in mind crane specs their FE cams with 1.76 ratio adjustable rockers vs standard rockers which ar 1.73 (IIRC)
I think the 941 (or even 801) would be a much better choice, particularly with so much carburation...
My $.02
|
| | | |  | comp cams look good also -- joe, 05/05/2004
That crane 941 look nice but I was reading that once you get over .500 lift range you start "beating the daylights out of your valve train". But there are so many different opinions on this subject. I've been leaning towards some of the comp cams (255- 260 - 265 - 268) they all are in the 200-220 exh. range and stay just under .500. I guess the choice now is to opt for a dual pattern cam or a regualar one. From what I've learned you can gain more power from a dual pattern but might lose some low end torque? My goal is too be able to "take a camaro at the light" but normal cruising otherwise. No high speed stuff. Is a dual pattern a better choice considering my 2X4 intake? Thanks |
| | | | |  | RE: comp cams look good also -- giacamo, 05/05/2004
i,d use the 270 comp cam and springs back the carbs down two 600.s may be a littel much and a 2600 stall converter.and play with some deaper gears and tires. my 2 cents..... |
| | | | | |  | Giacamo, Just thought I'd let you know!! -- Jay, 05/05/2004
I spoke with comp the other day on the phone about a cam and the tech said they don't recomend the DEH cams to anyone anymore. I asked about the 265 DEH and he said "we don't recomend those cams at all"! Says the new extreme puts them to shame as welll as the high energy stuff. I knew you recomended this cam to some on the board and just thought I'd let you know their response. |
| | | | | | |  | Thanks, I'll give the comp techs a call. -- joe, 05/05/2004
THanks for all your advise. I'll call the guys at comp cams and have them recommend something based on all my factors. I have posted another question about which carbs to use on my blue thunder dual quad intake. any one familiar with dual carb set ups, please let me know your opinions, joe |
| | | | | | |  | RE: Giacamo, Just thought I'd let you know!! -- giacamo, 05/06/2004
i,v used 265,s 270 and thay give me great service i might haft to find a new cam picking ground if comp is going to stop making them............ |
 | 1978 Mustang Ghia -- Kurt, 05/04/2004
I have a friend who wants to sell his 78 mustang and would like to find out what it is worth. Here are some of the particulars: 78 Ghia w/63000 original miles. 2nd owner. has had it since 1980. garage every winter. overal good shape 4cyl. 5speed no air ps pb aftermarket am/fm cass. radio. it has a landau top. 1 tear in the drivers seat. The car has been wrecked once and repainted the orig color. body panel alignment is good, but I can tell that it isn't right and I'm no expert. any ideas please let me know |
|  | Under $1,500.........n/m -- Lou, 05/04/2004
n/m |
|  | In general, Mustang II sellers take what they can get. [n/m] -- Mr F, 05/04/2004
n/m |
 | Hyd. Roller Cam -- John C, 05/04/2004
I purchased a Crane hydraulic roller cam and lifters for my 390 fe. I have read that I will need a roller thrust plate should I go to this application. Can anyone give me some help on this? Help FE Boys! Thanks, John |
 | Hood clearance on a '65 T-Bird -- Bob Sprowl, 05/03/2004
Will a 2X4 MR manifold fit under a stock '65 T-Bird hood? |
|  | I'm told that's a big negatory, sir...without mods, anyway. [n/m] -- Mr F, 05/04/2004
n/m |
|  | under the hood? -- hawkrod, 05/05/2004
not by a longshot! LOL a PI intake barely makes it with a single four barrel and if you have a carb spacer forget it. on the multicarb setups the air cleaner will hit on any setup other than an original tbird tri-power (the manifold is machined flat for a tbird). hawkrod |
 | Disc Brake Conversions for Birds -- Boidman Of ATL, 05/03/2004
Ive been contemplating getting a disc brake conversion the the bird but the price from MP brakes hurst my feelings at $1200 when others are only half that much.Anyone know of another soure that would be more reasonable? Ive also got a 49 Cheiftain that id want to convert as well but the price was even higher at $2000 :0( |
|  | What year? -- Lou, 05/04/2004
n/m |
| |  | RE: What year? -- Boidman Of ATL, 05/04/2004
62 |
| | | |  | RE: look through these pics..... -- Boidman Of ATL, 05/05/2004
Hawkrod,just a few more questions.In re doing the front end,did you use 62 or 66 bird replacment parts since you are using 66 front disc,are the valve covers regular 390s with the emblem added and lastly,is that a 66 bird master cylinder.After i know the answers I can proceed with my bargan set up instead of $1200 just for a front set up. |
| | | | |  | RE: look through these pics..... -- hawkrod, 05/05/2004
you will need to click on each picture to read the full captions but it tells each step. i did use 66 steering linkage as it is a slightly better design but all of the rest is still 62, control arms balljoints etc... and the 66 spindles and discs will bolt right on the 61-63 chassis. the master cylinder is a 69 F100 on the stock 62 booster and works great. the valve covers are custom made using cobra lemans valve covers with the logo's milled out and birds added to match the NOS tbird tripower air cleaner i got from rob mcq! hawkrod |
| | | |  | RE: look through these pics..... -- Gary XL, 10/22/2004
Hawk, Will this set of parts mods work for a 64 Galaxie also? I want to upgrade the brakes when I rebuild the suspension. |
| | | | |  | The rears will work.... -- Hawkrod, 10/22/2004
But for fronts you can use any 74-79 fullsize Ford like an LTD Elite Cougar Ranchero etc... except cars with rear disc brakes (they have a different wheel bolt pattern. Hawkrod |
| | | | | |  | about the fronts? -- Gary XL, 10/23/2004
What parts will I need for the front? Spindle out, or is the spindle the same? |
 | Ford Mustang Engine problem -- Joe, 05/03/2004
Hi, I have 71 Fastback 302 engine, (not the boss) engine will be running fine and all of a sudden stop. Runs fine when it is in high idle with the choke on, but as soon as it comes down it will stall. Have put in all new tune up items, have dropped gas tank, new fuel filter, new fuel pump, cleaned gas tank, new coil. Have put on fuel regulator, problem still persists. Running out of patience, can someone maybe lead to the cause of this problem. Thanx, Joe |
 | Another Oil restrictor question. -- Jay, 05/03/2004
Should all Fe's run oil restrictors? I did the search on this and didn't really find out what I was looking for. I am running Harland Sharp rockers on my 390 with drip pans and am using a HV oil pump and a hyd cam. Truck is a 4x4 so I am running a rear sump pan. Should I be running restrictors? I hear mention of using aholley jet but what do you secure the jet with. I hear of orifices running from .060-.090. Does it vary on what you need wether you run a solid or hyd cam or roller rockers or not? Motor is begining to puff a little smoke on start up and has about 20,000 miles. |
|  | RE: Another Oil restrictor question. -- John, 05/03/2004
Typically it's the 0.090" figure. Yes, you should use them on all FEs. Forget the lolley jets. Even a loose piece of solid steel or aluminum rod (dowel) will work as sufficient oil will seep up around the outside clearance of the dowel. A little smoke on start-up is normal, particularly with old oil seals (positive type) or valve stem and guides which have small wear. Not a worry until your plugs start fowling. Rocker shafts with single oil holes on the underneath help quite a bit. HS sells them by the way. HV pump is a good idea. HP pump isn't. I'd say you are worrying about nothing. |
| |  | RE: Another Oil restrictor question. -- David, 05/08/2004
Jay have you preformed the other oil passage mods by drilling out the oil passages in your block? I agree with the HV pump. I got the HV pump & preformed all the oil passage mods to my '68 S code 390 block. I also have the Harland Sharp rockers & shafts. But I am not going to run that much restriction on mine. Probably half that as my engine is going to be run hard. This is just my reasioning. I am running the teflon positive valve stem seals. |
| | |  | It's all drilled. -- Jay, 05/09/2004
I have enlarged all the oiling passages in the block and tapped and plugged the ones in the front. I also have the oil fitler adapter with the large hole. |
| | | |  | RE: It's all drilled. -- David, 05/11/2004
Sounds like you should be all set. I just cringe at the thought of possibly restricting too much oil to the rockers causing premature ware. This is why I am not going to run the .090" restrictor, and another friend of mine doing a 428CJ motor is also not liking that much restriction, he figures maybe if one was running a full out race/drag only motor then run the restrictor. Also my thinking is if you go with less restriction & feel you need more it isn't to hard to change it and add more but it is kind of hard to find out that you had too much & have to relpace worn parts because of it. But this is just my opinion. Let me know what you decide. |
 | Is a tranny swap inevitable? -- Boidman Of ATL, 05/03/2004
Whith the performance mods than I have in mind for my 62 bird,is a tranny swap to a C6 from a cruise-o -matic absolutly necessary.The mods are as followed:Edelbrock idle-5000rpm intake,matching heads,headers,block machined to handel 63 and later cam(smooth idle) but nothing to make it a street terror. I have been told that the swap can be done ,but there are issues with diffrent linkages,a bolt acessable by contortionist movements,diffrent yoke and to avoid the 66 bird C6.Someone clarify please before I make the plunge. |
|  | a guy in my club has a pretty mean -- dennie, 05/03/2004
63 1/2 galaxie xl and he recently redid his fmx with a quality rebuild. he loves it says it's the best money he's spent. he thought about going c-6 also but he seems very pleased with the fmx, says it will burn them thru second. i'd stay with it as the swap was going to be a pain, they all are...... |
| |  | RE: a guy in my club has a pretty mean -- Boidman Of ATL, 05/03/2004
That settles it then.No tranny swap for me,just a quality rebuild and no Majik Market brand tranny fluid |
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