Depends on how original you want it.

If you intend to drive it alot, and want to, go with the CJ until you can find the right stuff to make it original.

My .02 worth.

The CJs a better engine, but it's a Shelby! Go with a 428PI and build it. In a Shelby the #s matter more than a little.

Tim B

The Cj engine is a better unit in many ways but, asstated before, being correct is very important in Shelby circles and you should try to get the correct engine for your car. You should have no problem trading your CJ for a standard 428. T-Birds, Galaxies and police cars used a lot of them so they are a lot more plentiful than the CJ engine.

Jt how much do you want for 428cj? e-mail me the price. Thanks dj.

Well, nobody is reponding so maybe I can raise some different opinions than mine. My first choice would be a 66/67 390 out of a GT. rated a 330 HP with the factory chrome valve covers. Not likely available unless you luck onto one. Next choice would be any 4 barrel version and of course condition will have to play a roll. You could always get a short block and use aftermarket stuff on the top end, but that about 3 grand extra. If you can find a good block with a standand bore and the mains are ok on the crank, I budget at least $1200-$1700 for a stock rebuild, but that would depend on how much of the work you could do yourself and how much you would have to farm out.

There were some pretty hairy 390s in the early 60s. Solid lifters, mutiple carbs, etc. They became sort of watered down as the decade passed.

Tim B

Unless specified by Crane you can usually use the stock push rods. With non-adjustable rocker arms you might want to try a .100 shorter push rod as this would help to prevent lifter pump-up at high rpm.

If you truly are leaning more to strip than street, then why are you ruling out the Tunnel Port and SOHC?

Your question is really, what is the quickest budget FE? For that, we need to know your budget, how much work you're can do or are willing to do yourself, how long do you want the motor to last...a season? a race?

The cheapest, fastest FE you could build would be something with forged pistons, cement in the block and nitrous under the intake.

I would try to get a 427 block and use a 428 crank with all the forged pieces. AL. heads are a must, with a nice tunnel ram intake. You also would have some aftermarket valve train pieces and a dry sump oil system would be nice. No strip engine is cheap, so if you are on a budget, I'd just get a 460 stroked out to 514, price would probably be about the same with alot more aftermarket preformance parts, in case 800HP isn't enough. I seen a strip 390 back in 71 bored stroked 390 to 421 cubes running in low 11's. It was over 2K then. At least that what my buddy said.

Years ago I built what I consider to be the ultimate "Street" FE engine for my '68 GT500KR. I did basically everythin wrong according to Ford and the car was unbelievably smooth, easy to drive and a real animal when you floored it. I would have liked to put one of my SOHCs in it but, I didn't want to alter the shock/spring towers. This is a budget engine.:)

Engine;
427 service block
428 PI crankshaft
428 SCJ rods
427 pistons from a 300 hp marine engine wih .100 milled from the tops. These are dished about .080.
Internally balanced
C8AX 6250 C Hydraulic camshaft
Stock hydraulic lifters
.100 shorter push rods
non adjustable rockerarms
Tunel Port heads, NASCAR units from HM
8V intake, 360 deg. design, matched at HM to the heads
dual 780 cfm Holleys, BU & BV (?)
Donovan S.S. valves
Hooker 2.125 headers
Dual point ignition, oem
C-6 transmission, stock with the original T.C.
3.90 gears with Detroit locker

This combination was just about unbelievable as it did everything right. As an aside the suspension was modified per Ford's Boss 302 chassis mods and was unbeaten by any street car at that time.
I hope this encourages you to build your dream engine. Good luck with it.

Have a look at the vacuum modulator.Check the lines to it from the engine.Lack of vacuum or a faulty modulator will cause your prob.

The Arias pistons probably weigh a little less than stock pistons. Still, a hatchet would help simplify the balance job.

Since you've clearly got a couple bucks tied into this build, I'd spring for the Mallory metal (which incidentally weighs roughly twice as much as iron) instead of the hatchet to reduce the stress on the snout. The hatchet is just a bob-weight hanging way out on the crank. It's best to consolidate the counterweights to the inside of the shortblock, however the flywheel counterweight doesn't try to flex the crank as much as the hatchet because it's not offset as far from the rear main bearing.

Since you didn't mention a flywheel, I assume you're gonna buy a steel one. Just buy a 390 "zero balance" flywheel and drill it to fully offset-balance the rear half of the motor. Stamp it near the part number so you remember it's not a standard balance flywheel. This way you'll only have to add the tungsten alloy to the front half of the engine.

JMO,
Shoe.

If you want it to spin, use C3AE C or C7AE B rods that are resized and have ARP bolts. It will accelarate faster.

If you want it to live, use a set of Eagle or Crower rods.
Rusty

As long as you are having the assembly balanced you should get rid of the cookie cutter and the added weight on the flywheel. Have them both zero balanced. Vibration dampners have been known to come apart or explode at high rpm, flex plates have been known to develope cracks or break and people have been known to change from manual to automatic transmissions. If it is properly balanced your engine could be used either way and be repaired easily should you have a problem with either end of it.

blue smoke = oil....white smoke = coolant
Intake manifold is #1 culprit..head gaskets are # 2, cracked block, or head(s) is # 3

If it don't over heat, mark you coolant level so you know exactly where the level is and run if a while and see if the coolant level goes down. I agree white smoke is for sure water. Just got to find out where it's coming from, maybe it was something allready in your exhaust that just needs burnt out, like condensation or tranny fluid?

The deal with the ribs on the block skirts, Earl, is indicative of nothing other than it is a later FE casting. It's somewhat ambiguous, but everything I've read (real research, not the Internet) and that seems logical is that the ribs are a sign that the molds for the casting were wearing out and the ribs were added to strengthen the mold pattern. The ribs occur on all later FE castings...427 side-oilers and truck 390s included. Otherwise, your casting date is 1971, but that doesn't tell you much specifically about your engine.

I have one of these too with no casting number and a '70 date code. Best I've been able to figure is that it came out of a pickup as I got it after it had already been built as a +.030. It soniced as too thin to take further, but rebuilt fine with a little hone for cleanup as the walls had no taper to contend with.

I always considered those blocks service blocks like the 68 side oiler. Some of the tooling was used on other FE blocks.