I saw them too. What they have probably done is welded up the rod journals and offset ground them out to 3.98". This is a fairly common practice among the Generic Motors crowd where steel cranks are more plentiful. This can only be done on a steel crank.

Just kidding, of course.

Hey, this does look like the real deal.

I suspected, after hearing Ross and others talk about problems with 428s in industrial settings, that Ford would eventually come around and see that it's cheaper (and better PR) to make a forged steel 428 crank than repair blown motors under warrantee.

Chrysler 413 industrial motors no doubt had forged cranks (the cars did, as I recall) and were pumping irrigation water with good reliability. Apparently, Ford eventually saw the light.

Thanks for the ebay info. Now I'm a 95% believer that they exist.

Shoe.

They call them C4AE-G cranks, and this number is seen in the picture. They are obviously not originally any type of 428 crank and have been modified/machined to the current stroke.

Ed

Andy,if you're gonna invest in a new aluminum radiator,get one that is a cross-flow design with the tanks on the sides. These are more efficient than the older style down-flow units. Also,you may want to drill about 8 small holes around the outer flange of the thermostat to let a little more coolant go thru. Your current radiator may just be too small. It does not sound like the coolant is circulating too fast. Also,make sure your motor is not running lean,or that the timing is not retarded too far.

I use the Milodon high flow 160 in my setup, seems to work well. How hot is this thing getting?

I did several things to help keep my setup cool. I live in CA and it can reach 113 in the summer and this is a 428 with heavy mods and factory AC.
I got the Edelbrock alum water pump, High flow 160 stat, ported the water passage in the heads to match intake, blocked exhaust crossover passage with ColdSteel, use alum intake, large fan shroud, smaller fan pully and larger crank pully, 4 row factory desert cooling rad, 9qt deep sump oil pan, 25% antifreeze 75% water, headers.

I haven't had a problem yet, but I did notice that this engine warms up REAL fast. I run 205# in the standard compression check so I'm guessing 10.25CR. This tells me that this engine needs all the help it can get to keep it cool. I have the ProBlend products ready for summer if things get over heated.

Suggestion:
Griffin makes stock replacements that are a fair price, mine would have been about $100 more that stock replacement, and they are exact matches to stock.
http://www.griffinrad.com/

Use WaterWetter, and ProBlends stuff for both oil and water.
ProBlend: 1-800-331-9520

Block the exhaust cross over in the intake. change pullies to the stock AC type for a faster spinning water pump. Get the Edelbrock alum water pump OR get the add on rear plate for the impeller for a stock water pump (increases flow up to 30%)
Flush the engine to insure nothing is blocking the flow. Engine oil cooler.

I too have a confusing engine code: C7ME-A. I have been told by the person I bought the block from that it is a 390GT block. It currently is operating with 390 pistons (.060 over)and crank so I am assuming that it is a GT motor. I have not seen the inside so I cannot check for additional webbing on the mains or check the bore myself. Anyone out there know the GT's?

Erik

Here's a page that talks about IDing a 428cj or 428scj hope this helps.
http://www.geocities.com/jon_huntley/428cj.html

Nothing much wrong with the under-rated 360. I have a 360 2v dual exh, headers, stock intake. It runs great, pulls trailers, moves fast, sounds good.

The other truck is a f250 4X4 with a 428 with heavy mods. It has much more power, but it also cost 4 times as much to build! The 428 puts out about 400~450 HP and the 360 puts out about 250~275.
Like I said, nothing much wrong with the 360, but the 390 conversion is a great upgrade. Most truck 360s got the low compression setup and this really hurt the power.

KarlJay is right, there's nothing really wrong with the 360, but when going through the expense of rebuilding, why not toss in a new (used) crank and rods? The 390 rods are a little shorter which adds to bottom end strength. Plus the stock 390 puts out 40 more HP and 50 more ft/lbs than the stock 360. In other words, it is very inexpensive/no hassle added performance.

I guess its all up to what you like. Ive got a 65 mustang and Im goin for a 5.0 crate engine with mild mods, an AOD, beefed up rear end, disc brakes, and upgraded electrical system.In the 69 Ranger I want it to stay as stock as possiable except for the upgraded ignition and disc brakes on the front in the future. The truck is to cool and unique in its stock form and I dont want to change it much.It may not have the most power in the FE class but the 360 is great for me and my truck, I just wondered why it was being so put down on.

Are your pistons true flat tops or are they dished flat tops? Do you know what your compression is now? It depends on how far you plan to angle mill them. Remember you'll have to have the intake milled also,then the valve covers may not fit properly since they also cover a portion of the intake manifold as well. This will cause oil leaks. Also,this could affect the required pushrod length,too. FE's are notoriously thin in the cylinder head decks,so angle milling them may damage them (i.e. hit water). Its not really recomended,its just too costly (a traditional FE trait). Your best bet would be to get the correct pistons for the compression you want to run.

If the pistons are zero decked, I would either change the pistons or look elsewhere for more power. Unless you've already done that. Sounds like you have other perf parts, headers, intake, carb... If you've covered all the other bases, go ahead and mill the heads, a good speed shop should know just how far you can mill the heads.

If they go too far, C8AE-H heads are cheap, just make sure you do a clay test first. Thicker head gaskets are another option, but with the price of those heads, I'd just grab another set.

They are good if they are still running. Almost nobody has a 427,they just think they do! If your 352 is a good running motor,then just cruise it!

I did find some numers on the motors. the 65 is: 5B22
C5 AE9425C

The little tag is: 352 65 5
5B 289J

The 66 is: 6A10
C5 AE9425C

tag is: 352 66 6
6B 289S
Are these anything speacial?

I plan on tryin my damndest to get a crank from a 428 and turn my 352, or maybe an old 360 I found, into a 410. It's a bit more work but I think I'm gonna have fun with it.

Here's the proper link:
http://www.dscmotorsport.com/

The best FE is the one that 99.9% of the public cannot afford! What are you trying to build,something for street/strip? If you are cost conscious,then the FE will be a REAL BIG challenge,as they are the most expensive engines to build. If you already have some performance parts for a 390, then you may be able to put together something for a "moderate" price.

The best engine is the one that pleases its owner the most.

If you want the cheapest, easiest Ford horsepower, that's either a 5.0, 5.8, or 460. But then, you'd be just like everyone else. That's why they're the cheapest and easiest.

FE's are different. Once you understand them, they're not any harder than any other engine. Some parts cost more, but not a lot more. Other parts cost a lot more, but they aren't absolutely necessary. Other parts are simply unavailable. For example, nobody makes a "kit" to put a Vortech on an FE.

it doesn't make sense to say that a 351C is a better performance engine than a 428 (or vice versa). Either can be made to run hard. I would never replace a 351C in a Pantera with a 428, nor would I put a 351C in a Shelby.

I guess, if you define the type of race, you could compare different engines. For example, a 428 in a 68 Mustang will probably be a better performance engine for heads-up, non-bracket-style drag racing than a 351C in the same Mustang. I say "probably" because you've got to look at all the rules. For example, the 351C would be better if smaller displacement engines were allowed to run blowers.

As far as your experience with FE's, they're mostly the same - 390's and 428's that is. If I could choose between the two, I'd pick the 428, but that's just because of the extra displacement. If I could have any FE, it'd be a 427 SOHC, followed by a Shelby alum block 427.

Will summed it up pretty well. I myself am very partial to the 428. I have raced them for years and they make excellent hp/ci and are very dependable. If you are on a budget, a good all around combo would be to drop a 428 crank into your 390. You can get pistons that will work (410) and at 0.030 over you'll end up with 416 inches without spending the extra bucks on a 428 block. Heads and intake are a complete different discussion fort the 410 combo.
Rusty

Perhaps a factory grind 428 CJ cam or maybe the "LeMans" solid lifter cam from a 427 will fit the bill nicely. If you get too wild with the cam (spring pressures) you will start breaking stuff like the rocker arms and shafts,etc.

I'm real happy with my Lunati pn 40510. 559/572 lift, 237/247 duration @.050, 300/310 advertised duration.

It's a solid cam. It has a fair-rough idle and makes great power. It's in a Mustang, so I'm around 3200 lbs. If I had to replace it right now, I'd probably go with a little more lift or maybe a roller.

I wouldn't use a 30-year-old design (i.e. Original Ford). They may have been good cams, but the cam makers have had 30 years to improve on the design. If you already have one, fine, otherwise, get a new design.

You might try the other forum. There are guys considering camshafts right now. It's at http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/74182