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 |  Exhaust manifolds to fit 63 galaxie -- Rick, 10/21/2003
We are putting a 428 with 390 GT heads in a 63 galaxie with power stering. Would like to know if anybody has any idea what exhaust manifolds will work in the car. The GT heads have the 14 bolt pattern where the up and down exhaust pattern won't work. Any GT manifolds will bolt to the head as bolt holes have been modified but need to know if they will work on the galaxie with the power steering. |
|  | I think plain ol' Galaxie manifolds are an Ok choice. [n/m] -- Mr F, 10/22/2003
n/m |
| | Frankly, the small/intermediate 'GT' manifolds are awful. [n/m] -- Mr F, 10/22/2003
n/m |
|  | RE: Exhaust manifolds to fit 63 galaxie -- jake, 10/22/2003
I don't know if they will fit a '63, but those GT manifolds are regarded as junk for a stock 390, they will really choke off the 428. I would invest in headers since you will be buying an all new exhaust system anyway. Contact FPA, they may be able to help with headers for a '63 that have the GT bolt pattern. |
| |  | RE: Exhaust manifolds to fit 63 galaxie -- Rick, 10/22/2003
Thanks it looks like headers are the only way to go. This is my brothers car and he built the motor before checking into what would work for exhaust. He put to much money in the heads to not use them now. |
|  | RE: Exhaust manifolds to fit 63 galaxie -- giacamo, 10/22/2003
rick stock manifolds will work just fine i cant belive the heads are not driled and taped for vert bolt paterans if your interested getting rid of thouse unibody gt manifoldes e mail me.i have a ranchero i need to toss the headers and go back to stock...... |
| | | RE: Exhaust manifolds to fit 63 galaxie -- Rick, 10/22/2003
This is my brothers car. he doesn't have a set of manifolds yet but was looking to buy a set. It looks like he is going to have to go with headers. |
| | | | | RE: Exhaust manifolds to fit 63 galaxie -- Rick, 10/23/2003
They won't work. have the up and down pattern. |
| | | | | | look for headers for galaxies...... -- hawkrod, 10/23/2003
see if you can find a set that has a flange plate instead of 4 seperate ports where they bolt to the heads. i have a set of these but i don't know what brand they are. if you have the ones that have the plate you can simply drill the needed pattern into them. the ones i have will fit any head as they have 16 holes and the outer top two are elongated to match the standard or GT upper outer bolt holes which are different. hawkrod |
| | | | | | | RE: look for headers for galaxies...... -- Rick, 10/23/2003
Thanks I'll look around for them. |
| 1969 Mustang FE Motor Mounts -- Wade, 10/20/2003
I would like to replace my 1969 Mustang 428 cj motor mounts with a polyurethane unit. Does anyone know they are available? |
| | RE: 1969 Mustang FE Motor Mounts -- Dale Cecil, 10/24/2003
I'm not aware that they are available, but the import scene kids make poly mounts for their cars by just filling the gaps in the mounts with polyurethane. Just check the web for info.
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| Power Curves and Overdrive -- allan, 10/20/2003
I read and article somewhere about overdrive not always helping with gas milage if the engine power curve does not fall in the RPM range that the engine is operating in when in overdrive. Can someone shed some light on this and does anyone know where a stock 390 engine (rated at 300HP) starts developing its power? This is in a 65 Tbird with Cruise-O-Matic and a 3.00 rearend. |
| | Not a good article -- Lou, 10/20/2003
In theory this is true, but in practice the slower you turn a gasoline engine at a given speed the less gas it uses. A gasoline engine has such a large power band that overdrive is very effective as long as you are producing enough power at the rear wheels to move the car. On the other hand a Diesel has a very narrow power band and runs it’s best only in that narrow band.
As long as a engine is running it produces power, only the amount of that power varies with RPM. |
| | | RE: Not a good article -- allan, 10/20/2003
The reasoning they used was when running the engine a too low an RPM in any gear, you are lugging the motor. If the overdrive caused the engine to turn too slow you would be running at too low an RPM and would be constantly lugging the motor when you went into overdrive. It sounded logical at the time. |
| | | | Sounds good on paper, but you are lugging -- Lou, 10/20/2003
only if you are trying to accelerate or clime a hill. But wouldn't you be lugging if you were in 3rd gear at 30 mph and you accelerated. The idea behind O/D is you accelerate to your chosen speed and then you engage the o/d and let the engine loaf.
I had a 390 63 Galaxie from Texas that came from the factory with a 3.25 rear and overdrive. I wouldn't have wanted to drive that car in the mountains but it must have been something on the flat open road.
I think whoever wrote the article confused a gasoline engine with a Diesel. A Diesel will not lug, and must run in a very narrow rpm range.
Before I get jumped on, I'm referring to large Diesels such as Cummings and Cats. Some of the newer car Diesels have a much broader power range but still not close to the power band of a gas engine. |
| | | | Yes that is true........ -- Ed Jenkins, 10/21/2003
Yes, that is true to an extent....
In gernal small gasoline engines make their power at high RPM's. So for the fuel consumption numbers and the effecency to be at their peak on the highway a higher
(RPM wise) final drive must be utilized.....
But larger gas engines have a more broad power band.... fuel injection has helped immensly with this even on small engines...
It also depends on the areodynamics and intened use of the vehicle, As poor areodynamics and a heavy load will require the engine to work harder (less milage) and in some cases the lower gears will help the engine.
I'm done..........
.................... |
| | | | | RE: Yes that is true........ -- allan, 10/22/2003
I agree with what you say. Its been shown in the EPA milage ratings that bigger and heavier vehicles get less milage than smaller ones. That has been a driver in the widespread use of overdrive transmissions. But the design of the drive train....engine, transmission, & rear end usually all go into the tradeoffs of what we wind up with in the end.
When we look at just adding overdrive to a drivetrain that wasn't originally designed to operate with it, I think there may be some downsides to consider. That's part of my original question in that the power band of a stock 390 4V may be fine for a three speed tranny with a 3.00 rear end. But what happens when you reduce the rpm by 27% at the cruise speed you normally have? Do you see a 27% increase in milage? Or, does the rest of that original engine design struggle to maintain some semblance of efficient operation at cruise speed now that rpm is lower at the same load conditions. Would it be like driving up an incline all the time at the lower RPM since you have shifted the load to a lower point in the power band without changing anything else? |
| | | | | | RE: Yes that is true........ -- ED, 10/22/2003
Well......
The final drive ratio would be the same as if you reduced the diff gear ratio by 27% and did not have the overdrive.
The real advantage to overdrive is that you can run a lower rear end gear for acceleration and torque and end up with a higher final drive for cruising....
Using your 27% overdrive and adding a 27% lower rear end gear, you will basicly have a 27% lower final drive for for 1,2,3 and a 27% higher gear for highway or cruising.
(Most factory overdrive systems do not kick in until 4th or 5th....) But for most aftermarket add on over drives your final drive ratio can be reduced at almost any time.
Most people compensate for the over drive by adding lower gears to the diff.
So in answer to your question: Yes, When the over drive is on you will have a lower engine RPM.
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| | RE: Power Curves and Overdrive -- giacamo, 10/22/2003
allen myself in a 65 t bird the hell with gas miliage.i,d run 3.50 or 3.25 gears i feal a heavy car neads a littel deaper gear set 3.00,s are to slugish for my likeing |
| | | RE: Power Curves and Overdrive -- allan, 10/22/2003
I can agree with that to a certain extent. However, I use the tbird as a cruiser and don't expect it to be a high performance car. Its got a nice feel to it with the acceleration it has but I realize its over 4000 pounds and just has enough power to be comfortable on the road. At 65 or 70 where it gets a lot of use, I can feel the engine RPM is rather high in high gear (though it doesn't have a tach). Compared to modern cars that shift into a higher gear and cruise at about 2000 RPM, the tbird is using itself up at a higher RPM to no advantage. Since I intend to keep the car as long as I can, I'd like to do what I can to improve its life. Overdrive seems like a good idea in theory, but since the car was not designed with that originally, I'm trying to figure out if its worth the investment or just going to be an expensive folly. Since I don't know what the torque curve looks like, its hard to predict the outcome. My theory is that if the 300 HP is rated at say 5500 RPM, then it may not be getting up into the power curve until over 2000 RPM. To me that means the engine will be operating inefficiently at that low of an RPM with the overdrive. |
| | | | Math time !! -- Lou, 10/23/2003
With a 3.00 rear you should be turning 2200 at 60 mph + about 100 rpm slippage in the converter. So at 70 (2300 : 6 = 370 x 7 = 2590 rpms at 70mph. my 57 Ford (3.70 w/OD) turns about 2300 at 70.
Another words I don't think you will gain anything , or very little, going with O/D.
You can not run a 3.00 rear with O/D as I don't beleve you will have enought power at the rear wheels to move the car.
Gas engines in boats are set up to turn 3000 to 3200 RPMs under load all day long so you are well within you safety range with the 3.00 gears. |
| | | | | RE: Math time !! -- allan, 10/23/2003
That's the kind of data I'm looking for. How did you arrive at 2200 RPM at 60 MPH? Do you have any idea where the torque curve is, & how much HP is being developed at that point? |
| | | | | | RE: Math time #2 -- Lou, 10/23/2003
740 axle rpm is a costant at 60 mph. Gear ratio times 740 will give you engine RPM at 60mph. 2220 for a 3.00 gear, with a auto/trans add a little for slippage in the converter. This get you close enought for what you are looking for.
lets try a 2.69 rear (very common in 58/59 Fords) 1990 at 60 + 100 rpm slippage so lets say 2100 at 60. So 2100 : 6 =350, times 7 = 2450 at 70 mph.
My 57 Ford with a 292 / 2 barrel turns 2300 to 2400 at 70 and still has passing power when needed and the the engine is a lot smaller than the one in your bird, the car is a convertible so the weight is close to your T-bird.
Changing the rear is a lot cheaper and easyer than installing OD and it will get you to the same place.
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| | | | | | | RE: Math time #2 -- allan, 10/23/2003
That's real good info to know. Thanks Lou. It puts what I was saying earlier about the whole drivetrain being designed together for overdrive transmissions in a much better perspective since I knew the rear end ratio was a big consideration in how it would run. Now that I know this, if I wanted to go with the O/D, I could calculate where I wanted the engine to run at 60 to 70 MPH then put the right gear in the rear end to make that happen with the O/D engaged. That would probably give me better low end performance too since the rear end would have to go a bit lower....say 3.70 or so. This really helps. |
| Thunderbird 390 motor -- king, 10/19/2003
I have a 1966 Thunderbird and it misses under power. Any suggestions? |
| | RE: Thunderbird 390 motor -- james, 10/20/2003
It could be several things but an underpower miss usually leads me to firing problems. Start with the basics. Change the spark plugs, then the cap and rotor and finally the wires. Basically give it a major tune-up. That will cure most of them. |
| | RE: Thunderbird 390 motor -- giacamo, 10/22/2003
do a compreson test i have sean a lot of exaust valves seats go bad on 390,s and give you a slight miss .if a good tune up don,t work.............. |
| | | 67Tbd 390 -- 67T-birdMaN!, 09/13/2004
I had the joy to aquire a 1967 T-bird for free. It sat in storage in a old wood shed for 3 years un-run... I changed the voltage regulator, cylinoid, and sparkplugs to be safe... the fella put a new fuel filter on before I was given it... that's right given.. I did a day's hard work and was given the car in return. Im the 3rd owner.. it has less than 80,000mi and runs like a true champ! |
| | | | Re Missing under power -- Martin Micheelsen, 09/15/2004
Since you have done all the basic things - and assuming you have compression, you should move on to check the carb and timing.
There could be crud or leaking gaskets a number of places in the carb, timing may be set wrong and the vacum advance may no longer work. Anyone of these issues could cause your problem.
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| | | | | RE: Re Missing under power -- 63 galaxie man, 10/06/2004
Change your Carb or have her rebulit go with stock 4100 or 4150 motorcraft or upgrade to Holley or Edelbrock 1406 600 cfm and double check and make sure you have your fireing order right 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 turn distributor clockwise to advance timing stock timing should be set at 8 degrees before top dead center. also have noticed that 8mm wires from msd work great and cure alot of spark and backfire issues on 390 thunderbird motors. also check and see if your valve seats are worn out this will also cause a missfire by 1 percent enough for back fire. if that is not the case have new seats installed and get heads rebuilt will notice massive improvement, also have your points changed to new electronic or just change points and have them gapped to 14 is usually a great set up for a vacum advance distributor with points also would be a great time for new plugs and also a new coil also if you have the pcv valve setup on your motor change that will help alot with idle and exhast mixture. |
| 390 ? -- Jay, 10/19/2003
WE just tore down a 71 390 out of a 1/2 ton p/u and to our excitement..... .060 was stamped on the top of the pistons. If the cylinder walls will not clean up from a hone job can it go 80 or be sleeved? Any help would be great.. |
| | I s'pose a sonic-check can't hurt, but I wouldn't bother. [n/m] -- Mr F, 10/20/2003
n/m |
| | Re: 390 ? -- giacamo, 10/22/2003
jay pull the frease plugs out and see if the cilinders are simised together as in no gap then have the walles gaged you might beabel to bor to 406?or 427?spects dont hold your breth i have onley found two 391 truck blocks that i was abel to bor to 427 spects no cross bolts or side oil system every buddy told me thay would not last 60000 miles laterthay seam to be doing just fine........ |
| | Re: 390 ? -- giacamo, 10/22/2003
jay wear wear i live 360 moters are a very cheap maybe you can find one thear blocks are great doners for 390 progects....... |
| How much is this stuff worth, what about the heads -- Nash, 10/18/2003
For right now, I need to get rid of some FE parts to expand the pocket book. Im looking into selling 3 items at the moment:
2x Cast Iron Exhaust manifolds. Good condition. Bolted on my 390. on the right manifold, I broke both screws in half to remove it! Darn rusted screws.
1x 360 Crank. Journals are EXCELLANT!
2x Heads. Here is the question. I'm preety sure these heads are a mismatch, because when I took apart the block, 3 adjacent cylinders had broken rings. anyways the casting: C6AE-H, and C8AE-U. What do you think? Could I sell these, and how much for? If not together, is it worth selling them serperatly? |
| Is this a respectible e.t.? -- Gary Adam, 10/17/2003
Finally got to the track this summer with my 68 Cougar XR-7,390 GT, C-6 2.75 open rear. Basically stock, has Edelbrock Performer RPM
intake manifold,stock exhaust manifolds, stock points, a windage tray. Elevation here
is 2500 ft. above sea level. Temperature was
around 75 degrees. My time was 14.60 at 100
mph. Just wanted a baseline reference before
I do some stuff to it. (Edel heads, cam, FPA
ceramic headers, 3.70 trac-loc, and shift kit) |
| | RE: Is this a respectible e.t.? -- giacamo, 10/17/2003
real decent with 2.75,s you problie never got out of #2......... |
| | | RE: Is this a respectible e.t.? -- ed cougar, 10/17/2003
428 ram air scj, 3.91, 4 speed,235x60x15 Dunlop GT Qualifiers. 14.40's @ 97 MPH- Yes I think your ET is very impressive! |
| | RE: Is this a respectible e.t.? -- McQ, 10/18/2003
Yes indeed, 14.60/100 mph is outstanding for a '68 390GT! If your 390GT is an original/stock engine it should have the C8AE-H heads which are of the short intake ports(velocity). And then you consider the extremely restrictive unibody exhaust manifolds; 2.75 gearing......all in all I'm flat out amazed!
The best I could ever muster from my '66 Fairlane GT/A, stock except C7AE PI intake, was mid 14's/98-99 mph. That was with 3.25 limited slip.
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| | RE: Is this a respectible e.t.? -- Gary Adam, 10/20/2003
Thanks guys. Actually I was expecting mid to
low 15's, so I thought these were pretty good
numbers. Once again, FE power comes thru
like an old friend. Now, I'm really curious to
see what happens with my planned
improvements. Thanks again for your responses; from the north country - western
Canada!
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| Value of a running 428? -- dennie, 10/16/2003
I found an old car hauler with a 428/c-6 guy wants 1500 for whole thing. I run a 390 now and am almost satisfied with it ,bigger is always better right? |
| Troubleshooting 69 Heater/Fan -- Mike Paschke, 10/16/2003
Hi all!
I'm trying to figure out how to troubleshoot my blower fan. I pulled apart the dash and can't find any obvious disconnects/shorts. I did see an ugly thing, one of the previous owners had blown the SFE4amp fuse for the heater/instr lights and 'fixed' it by wrapping aluminum foil around it. Now I really hope that didn't blow something out, but I'm not sure how to go about checking that out. I am replacing the Instrument cluster voltage regulator and printed circuit board, but they aren't connected yet. Do these have to be hooked up and working before the fan will operate? Any ideas on how to see if the fan motor itself is blown out? Can I hook it up to a 12V source to check it? Thanks In Advance!
Mike |
| What is this lime green wire coming out of volt re -- Steve M, 10/16/2003
Does anybody know what the lime green wire with a pink stripe coming out of the voltage regulator is for on a 390? Here is my situation: I transplanted a 1970 390 from a galaxie to a 67 galaxie and there is a lime green wire extra on the clip that plugs into the voltage regulator from the alternator and the original from the 67 doesnt have this wire. I dont want to hook up the battery and short something out. A link to a wiring diagram would be great too if anybody knows of one online. Thanks |
| | RE: What is this lime green wire coming out of volt re -- giacamo, 10/16/2003
dont worrie some had condensers pluged intothem altnater noise i gess? some have some dont..... |
| | | RE: What is this lime green wire coming out of volt re -- Steve M, 10/16/2003
Thanks. I didnt know what this wire was for. |
| | RE: What is this lime green wire coming out of volt re -- jake, 10/17/2003
This is a link to '57-'65 wiring diagrams. The '65 galaxie should be very close to your '67. Hope it helps. |
| | | | RE: here's the link -- Steve, 10/17/2003
Thanks Jake. |
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