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Original Message
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| RE:You want the truth?! |
| By Mike McQuesten - 01/04/2002 3:54:35 PM; IP 206.193.0.122 |
I can't handle the truth so here is what I'll tellya.....
The 1963, 406 tri power/405 horsepower engine was factory equipped with a head casting of C3AE-C. This head was built with a standard size 390 intake valve, and a new size, 1.66, exhaust valve. This head was factory machined for valve spring support cups. The combustion chamber was a new & unique to C3AE-C casting that is approximately 62cc.
The 1963, 406, single 4-V, 385 horsepower engine retained the C2SE head from '62 that continued with the standard size 390 intake & exhaust valves.
Note: horsepower rating of the '63 3-2V 406 did not change. But actual real world performance of this engine did.
Now, what gives with a C3AE-C casting being on '63 390 4-Vs? My answer on this remains, as always so far, pure speculation. What I have seen and heard is that when you find a '63 390-4V 300 horse standard grocery getter, T-bird haulin', Galaxie cruisin' engine, you will find the C3AE-C head without the spring cups; with standard size 390 intake & exhaust valves and the same combustion chamber as the factory prepped 406 tri power head. Why? I think because the engineers wanted more compression for the '63 390. The same pistons from '61 & '62 were carried over, these are the dished ones. The '61/'62 390 had a rated compression ratio of 9.6:1(?maybe 9.8:1, going from memory) but the '63 compression ratio is rated as 10.5:1. This would seem to make sense with the much smaller combustion chamber of the C3AE-C head vs. the much larger cc chamber of the C1AE head.
So they made a whole bunch of C3AE-C heads and used 'em for '63. Again, I've never had this specifically explained or justified.
For '64, the 390-4V was still rated with a compression ratio of 10.5:1 but you'd find either C1AE or C4AE-G heads in place of the C3AE-C units. The pistons were new though - the flat top that became the staple of the 390-4V for many years.
And I should make this a normal sign off on all my posts and e-mails:
I think the C3AE-C head has excellent potential as a high performer meaning HIGH compression head. The standard C3AE-C with standard valves cc's out to 64. That's a serious compression making chamber with the right piston. |
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