Junkyard Ford 390 FE Teardown and Rebuild - Engine Power S7, E8
NEW 2020 Episode! Mike and Pat stroke a vintage junkyard Ford 390 but an unexpected surprise puts a delay in their progress. Then it’s full steam ahead for finding the limit for this big block stump puller.
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PARTS USED IN THIS EPISODE
ARP
Bolts and Fasteners
pntv.us/pn_pt_16141_5e948aed4...
Permatex
Permatex Right Stuff Gasket Maker
pntv.us/pn_pt_16144_5e948b849...
Summit Racing
Ford Performance Flywheel - FMS-M-6375-N427
pntv.us/pn_pt_16145_5e948c034...
Summit Racing
Meziere 100 Series Electric Water Pumps
pntv.us/pn_pt_16146_5e948c391...
Summit Racing
Scott Drake 390 FE components
pntv.us/pn_pt_16147_6155d1080...
Eagle Specialty Products
Eagle Forged Crank and Rods for Ford 390 FE
Matco Tools
MATCO Tools are the Official Tool Supplier to PowerNation
Sunnen Products Company
Sunnen Maching Equipment
The Industrial Depot
Tools, Hardware, Shop Supplies
"You know it's bad when the crank is lighter than the manifold" 😂😂😂
Yep and it's one thing to pull that intake off while the engine sits on a stand. Pull it off while leaning over a fender and you will discover muscles you didn't know you had.
That happen to me when I replaced the iron intake on my camaro
@@doughibbard8462 don't I know it Those iron manifolds are no joke, they may be stronger, but they're a pain in the arse to pull off if you've still got the engine in the vehicle when you're trying to remove the manifold from the engine block
@@doughibbard8462 I always used a cherry picker.
@@doughibbard8462 The first time I tried to lift a manifold was on an old truck 390 I was yanking to go in a racing mud buggy I was building, I strained so hard I farted and almost shit myself trying to lift it up and out. Good times.
This is a lesson for all of us engine builders, clean, then mag before machining !
Before there were software and computer nerds, there were automotive nerds. Love it.
The two overlap heavily these days.
The FE engine has its own sound and I'm a huge fan of them! You guys did an awesome job finding HP on this build!
As someone who has done machine work my whole life I have always always checked for cracks on everything after cleaning and before doing any kind of machine work. I started doing this when I was 17 and now at 65 I have never done it any other way. Every head or block or crankshaft it didn't matter. And yes I have found a few crankshafts through the years that were cracked. If they bought in intakes for cleaning I even checked them. You never know what the circumstances were as far as the history of the parts were.
It baffles me why these guys on a nationally TV show would even think about doing anything to cylinder bores or the rest of the block without magging it first... makes you wonder.
I love seeing old FE engines show their worth!
Yeah man!
@ LOL
@Dave Micolichekman fes are great engines and run forever and can make a good bit of power was also the power plant on most ford muscle cars
@ my stock bottom end NA Honda was running 12.5 1/4 mile full interior. Honda jokes are played out in 2020. We have AWD k swap turbo Hondas that will kill nearly anything on the streets from a dig.
@@TheBb6prelude a stock f250 with a 6.4 diesel and a Spartan 350 tune in 4x4 will kill you from a dig. Honda’s are slow.
That was one of your best builds. You actually looked like you were trying to build a Ford with some enthusiasm. Results were awesome. Like to see a 428 built and a 427 side oiler, with Lemans heads, and intake. Love to see a Shelby spec 427 used in the GT-40.
You guys are really putting those sell-outs at Engine Masters to shame. Good job 👍 and thanks!
Are you referring to the MotorTrend show Engine Masters?
Yes they are , but steve at west tech is a super nice guy.
Stupid comment
Idk man, papi freiburger is pretty lit
Someone is upset they can’t afford the 5 bucks a month MT.
Not only is it fun to watch these two, but, I love the passion in Pat. You can honestly see the "little kid" in him when he builds... TRUE GOAT show hosts.. Theses guys and Tommy are the only thing keeping me watching.
Mom drove a 1964 Tbird convertable as a daily driver, and Mom did not drive slow. I reminded her that I almost died of fever in 1980 from the measles. Mom threw me into the Tbird, drove 100 mph on gravel, to the hospital, threw me into alcohol bath. 390 all the way baby.
@@bigboreracing356 No, we would have to stop because of cracked heads from overheating. Ford heads do not crack.
It’s nice to see an old Ford FE getting the treatment and putting out big numbers.
The wild one all the
up and down U.S 89
Moral of the story: When the block is washed, you might want to magna flux it right afterwards. ;) Great stuff as always.
390 Fords are an awesome engine, one of my favorites...and I am a MoPar guy.
FE is the chemical symbol for iron... and this motor has a lot of it!
Actually the FE is lighter than Chevy's and Chrysler big blocks of the same time frame.
@@johnkendall6962 And a Caddy 500 is about 100 lbs lighter than the FE. about the same as a 350 Chevy with iron heads and intake. The FE is crying out for a Aluminum intake for sure! - Sandy
Actually an FE 390 with an aluminum intake and aluminum water pump weighs nearly the same as a 350 chevy...within 5 lbs... and I Remember losing money on that when I first started at the machine shop the old timers got me!
Go tigers
I was a Tech for 40 years.Those old fords Looked Like that inside when i was 19 LOL
When I took auto mechanics at a tech college, someone brought in an old F100 with a 302 for us to rebuild the motor. It had a piston being held together only by the cylinder. He drove it to the shop.
My mothers Pontiac firebird looked like that on inside of motor. It had an oil leak and she put dollar store brand oil in it. LOCKED it UP !
Quaker State
An engines an engine. No builder is a brand purist, ever. Any engine can be built to make power, and every engine can be neglected
@@heavylead1961 FTF = For The Fail!!
5:00 zinc bolt in the water port, to help slow down corrosion/rusting inside the block.
@Michael Madden Funny you can place zinc anodes on ships, bridges and steel docks it works just fine. So why wouldn't it work in this application.
@@danielemmons3513 It would probably need to be attached firmly to the block to make a good electrical connection rather than just sitting there...If it was even made of zinc. Zinc bolts aren't made of zinc. They are zinc plated, so there isn't very much zinc in them.
Nothing beats the sound of an FE block exhaust note. This video didn't do it justice.
idk, 440 mopars sound pretty evil too.
@@frigglebiscuit7484 My first car was a Charger with a 440 in it. Loved that car and that motor. Drove it for a few years and sold it to my boss who eventually killed himself in it by driving off the side of a mountain in the Ozarks.
I've always like the 390 (or in this case a stroked 390) and the entire FE family. Underrated and undervalued unless it's a 427 or 428 which need no intro.
Expensive to get it stroked out. Other than that, they have great torque and sound mean even stock. I have a cammed 390, and I absolutely love it. Out of commission at the moment though. FE’s are very stout.
@@VeryOddTimes Drop in a 428 crank to bump it up to the old 410 spec, man what a TQ monster those were, to bad they only made em for a couple years.
@@BrockGrimes - Yup, 1966 and 1967. Had one of each. One went into my '68 Torino GT Sportsroof where a 390 once lived. Worked really well with the wide-ratio toploader. Man, I miss that one!
I'm new in the Automotive wold, now retired .I purchased a 1956 F-100 with a 351c .It runs hot with the original Radio when in traffic. Living on lift case, is there a recommended radio ? Cross flow electric fan combination .
@@BrockGrimes I want to put a 410 in a 65-56 Galaxie. Would be so much fun
I've always loved Ford FE V8's great engines and very durable .
Great job! I love to see those old FE come to life!
The fierce look of Ford firepower in Pat's eyes 🤪🔥🙃
This is the most informative auto channel, thank you!
Great build! The Trick flow heads and intake are legit!
Gotta love the Ford FE engines.
If you like junk. Why clowns would put all that money and time into it is beyond me. 2 bolt mains cast crank pulling 600 hp that piece of junk should last about 20 minutes.
@@Tsalinger yeah man, "Just LS swap it!" Why would anyone want a built 390 in their galaxy 500... 🙄
Love them. Rebuilt a 360 into a 390 when I bought my F100. Thing could haul butt.
@@trythinking6676 A KZheadr Krankie V has a 66 F100 with a Cammed 390 FE and man it almost sounds like a NASCAR. Here's the Link below to see the videokzhead.info/sun/id1xprGlr2aNg6s/bejne.html
Agreed. Probably hit the nail on the head. If for no other reason, there is a special sound that only an FE can make... No idea who these clowns are but THIS sound... lol kzhead.info/sun/iriGipmmZHd9doE/bejne.html
Well done, you geniuses! I love watching you.
One of your best episodes yet!
I can smell the Quaker state varnish from here in that old girl 🤣
and now Quaker State and Penzoil are 2 of the best engine oils you can buy.
@@zuestoots5176 Quaker State / Pennzoil is now owned by Shell which has always made good products.
How do you know it's a girl 🤔?
ROFLMAO 🤣
No valvoline vr-1 is the best.
You fellows put on a good show! Love watching you work
Thanks for showing the problems. Makes for real-world experience.
I think Pat is the perfect fit for this show much more enjoyable to watch with him and man those are some great numbers for an ole FE
I love these old Ford rebuilds. Naturally aspirated. My dad had a 390 in his F250 that was stollen from us. Broke his heart.
May be a logging chain Too the slab ....my friend. Kept his 289. Sprint _& S & W ...close NO drama just fact Ford guy ..s Fla..
I think Pat needs more pens and screwdrivers in his shirt pocket 😂
the sheer volume of bullshit in his pocket makes me wonder if it's just scripted in there, a pen and a screwdriver in single digits would suffice.
Now, does he have a pocket protector?
@@indyrock8148 That's known as a "nerd pack"!
TV repairman
Hands down the best show KZhead. And the fact you build a 390 well that is near and dear to my heart. Was the first engine I ever built, and it was a ripper in my 70 torino👍
You swapped a 390 into a '70?
Love the FE content. Very cool !
So cool seeing y'all break down that engine and show us all the wear!! Most shows just skip this part, but true gear heads love this stuff! Too bad the block was no good.
It would've made sense to me to check for cracks before anything else after cleaning.
Definitely.
they even said lesson learned about that
They should have known that from all the other engines they sent off to the machine shop and have dealt with.
you work in a machine shop and do that you get your ass eat out
Standard procedure, and most definitely if it was siitin on the ground with no air breather and probably no pcv valve or oil breathers on the valve covers, come on boys!!?!🤭😆
I found all the timing sprocket teeth in my oil pan when I tore my 390 down. . Fun to watch thank you!
Man, I wish I had a shop full of high-tech machinery like you guys, and the know-how to use it!!!
This was so pleasing to see. Thanks guys
My brother and I rebuilt a 390 many moons ago in his 68 fastback to which we encountered cracks in the valve galley in the same spot as well as more cracks in the lower crank case using magna flux and a special light to see the cracks better. We didn't need the light the cracks were relatively large and yet did not leak. Strange thing was that when we used torque plates on both decks and torqued the main caps, the cracks closed up and were barely visible. moving forward I always magna flux first before any machine work begins. That clock became an anchor somewhere in the Hudson River LOL. We found a true replacement engine complete on City Island's junk yard in the Bronx and after a check with the block number and head casting numbers it was out of a 69 Mustang and was a true 428 SCJ engine! We paid $500 for the engine. We had the heads rebuilt to stock and then I realized that the motor may be valuable so i rebuilt it back to stock with all stock parts. I did balance the reciprocating assemble and blue print it. Then we went back to the Bronx and found another one still in the car, which was a wrecked 68 Shelby GT500KR with a 428 SCJ!!! The car was completely destroyed so all we could get was the engine tranny, and rear. Keep in mind this was 1984. I rebuilt the motor, replacing most of the parts like in this video. The only difference, was we went full MSD ignition. My brother took some of the body parts we saved from the wreck and after visiting many swap meets we we converted his car into a 68 Shelby replica. He wanted the dual carb package which i didn't like because they are a pain in the but to synch and jet correctly even on a dyno, but i did it. The Holley 850DP made more torque and slightly less HP. I like the torque better for off the line power and a much better idle on the single carb. Compromise. The engine made similar numbers on the dyno albeit slightly higher. LOL I am a Corvette guy and love them and when I raced that car at the track with my small block 75 Corvette, it destroyed me and my car ran a respectable 13.7et at 105 in the traps. His car ran L88 Corvette numbers in the low 11s. 11.2 at 122 in the traps and redlined he told me. We changed the rear gearing from 456:1 to 411:1 and it made negligible difference. The car still screamed to the redline with a higher trap speed, but slightly slower time. We then changed the 4spd top loader tranny's gearing because it was ridiculous and that was the secret sauce to getting that car to be a beast at the track, stop light, and making it very streetable. That 428 makes an amazing roar down the track. Not many big block V8's sound as good. (392/ 426 Hemi Chrysler sounds the best imo) One other note, with the 456:1 rear and original top loader, traction bars, and Mickey Thompson slicks, when launching the front wheels lifted slightly off the ground. After sitting in his garage for almost 10 years due to my brother being unable to drive because of a serious injury, he sold that car to his friend and told him to check everything especially the fuel lines before driving it. He didn't and while driving it home a fuel line ruptured on the NJ Turnpike burning the car to the ground. It was completely destroyed. He junked it and I tried to get that drive train, but someone else beat me too it. All good, had a great time and after that, have great respect for Ford power, back to my Corvettes. LOL
So basically the Original Engine was completely replaced lol!
Every Junk Yard LS Build Ever. Its a junk yard ls making 900hp.......After a block from Texas Speed and 2 big ass turbo's
the 445 is a great engine we are building one now for our drag car
+Zues Toots The stock iron block LM7 5.3 can handle 900hp.
I believe they reused the lifter valley pan and the distributor hold down clamp. LOL
With another old fe block
Man, I remember growing up watching the 1 guy on TV. Those shows started my path into becoming a specialized Fire Truck mechanic.
I get all tingly too over ford motors. Welcome to the club chevy guy
FE's are under appreciated. I would love this thing in a 70's F100/150 or a big boat Lincoln/Mercury.
Doing the same build for 64 Mercury Breezeway right now lol.
I just did a complete 390 ground up rebuild for my 1975 f100. I.m about 6k into the rebuild. Love it though.
@@jasonpoore7361 I have a 250 I want to rebuild a motor for and that price is what scares me. I feel like the same power could be had for a lot less with a Chevy :-(
@@stevenmyers2252 i had my block, line bored, punched .030 over, decked and rotating assembly balanced and it cost $1960. And i put the block together, with new rods, high compression flat top pistons, high vol oil pump, comp cam double roller chain, voodoo cam and lifters, edelbrock rpm alumn heads and intake, HEI distributer, 1 wire alt, Headman comp series headers, high torque starter, and block is studded. Running a 3core alumn radiator, two 12in electric fans, a trans cooler with 10in electric fan. And than i rebuilt the c6 with TCI master rebuild, red alto clutches and steels, hughes converter. I.m pretty sure i.m.missing some stuff. Lol but thats a big chunk of whats done.
@@jasonpoore7361 sounds like a great build. Sadly my truck will likely need other love and if it cost me 6k for the motor the other work would be years before it got done.
Just got a 390 from my dealership for free! super excited to see this video :D
Thanks for this episode. 390's are cheap and need more love.
Cheap? Most blocks in my area are like 500-900 bucks and they cost a lot to rebuild.
I just had one built with a roller cam and the bill was over 10k, ain’t nothing cheap about getting good power outta these motors lol
"They're the engineers"............I'm crying cause I finally heard a technician say it!
I understand your feelings.
I mean, I'll trust an engineer on torque figures. Just don't let him design anything without adult supervision...
@@lukecoomer9349 LOL!
We trust race engineers more than factory engineers. To many times having to remove six parts because one bolt is partially covered to trust the factory guys anymore.
Favorite anytime program thanks 👍🔧
Love the 390 fe!! Great motors!!
Great build. Would love to do similar build for an 68 xl 390. Do you have a parts list breakdown and total cost for the build. I am guessing past the $10k area. Also what fuel were you running on the Dyno? Would like to see numbers on 93 pump fuel.... Thanks
I've had a few of these in trucks. I built mine back in 2000 and I don't remember having all those choices for stroker cranks and heads. I ended up with a 428 crank in a 360 60 over block, so it's .020 under a 428. They make unreal torque right out of the box. One thing about the FE and that heavy intake is that most people hate that, but it's actually an excellent design. The reason is that when you do an FE intake swap, you're changing more of the intake runner than with the BBC design. You look at the weight of the heads on a BBC, you see how nice it is to just change an intake and make that much difference.
I love the FE's. They have a sound all their own. They never seem to make huge numbers but they must average better overall than other engines because always perform at the track.
That's a cool build for an old FE. it would look great in my 66 mercury M250
Love the vids guys, keep em coming
When you said 445 my first thought was Godzilla! But you beat that with the power you got. I believe new 7.3 is 430hp and round 475 in torque. Nicely done
No latex gloves for the old school guy 😄. I love your videos and content. Thumbs way up!!
Dolan Duck yes she is
Another great vid for our entertainment!!. Cheers power nation.
Awesome 👍🏾👍🏾 next time clean and crack teste the block before machining, looking forward to seeing more projects the same 👍🏾👍🏾
This was a great informative vid. I would of liked to see the torque and power curve though. Those old FE's had tremendous potential for a low and broad torque curve!
Nothing but FE's in all our trucks growing up. Nice to see them pull some good numbers. Expensive to build though... love them ol' iron FE's
Just got a Ford Ranger from 68. Supposedly it's a 390. It was a 360 originally. Got this truck from family was my grandpa's then dads then uncles then dads once more now mine. Still in damn good shape and runs. But 40 years ago I blew that original up. Now before I'm dead I am going to fix it up for my son's baby. Thanks for the vid
That's a bummer about the original block. But I loved this episode. I hope yall use this motor in a future early 70's ford truck build. Good job !
That engine is a dream. I love it.
Love it how Pat is doing all the work lol
The advances made in automotive machining is impressive. Never would I have thought that you could do all the overboring with just a hone.
They knew that blocked was cracked already. They did that on purpose to be a teaching moment. I can't believe anyone on here would fall for that!
love the FE engine
Had the same problem once with a 428 fe build, absolutely a devastating blow to your rebuild expectations
It's possible that that engine hasn't run since the '70s. I remember my grandfather telling me about engines using the old oils back in the '50s and early '60s after about 60k miles, he would tear them down and the entire valve cover would be just packed with material. It was impossible for any oil to really flow through it, which is why they would fail at such short mileage. He even remembered when he was young going to races way back in the day and the race cars would smell like a deep fryer because they used castor oil as lubricant. That's actually where the brand name Castrol comes from apparently. Oil tech has come a long way since then and it has just gotten better and better. You won't see sludge like that unless someone doesn't change the oil for 30k+ miles these days.
Let's be honest, that is now a completely different engine and not a rebuild but still enjoyed watching it.
There's more HP in it. See nosedive at 6000? Valve float?
In the late 70's I had a '64 Merc with a 390. I worked that poor thing into a grave. The valve would float around 6400 and make a "blort" sound. Some of my buddies had engines with 2" strokes, so the big V8 with a 4" stroke was moving the pistons the same distance as if their engines were turning 12,800. That engine made it to 180,ooo on the clock before it burned so much oil that I had to replace it. Hey, at least it cured the mosquito issue!
Sometimes that valve float is like a limiter to keep the rods from coming off.
My mom gave me a 1965 Mercury Montclair with a 390 in it when I was 14 yrs old. That old car kept me outta trouble for atleast 3 yrs that I had it.
Please do more rebuilds of the old FE's. It's much more interesting than just crate engines.
Good to see Pat still at it. He was my instructor at SAM
I'd like to see this in my 68 galaxie!!!
I been a Chevy guy for ever....... that’s a great build for 4 door sled sleeper to street race with. hmmm fun ride for sure
Nice machine, like the built in sensors
When I was working in a machine/engine shop I called that.....strip,boil,mill square,bore, hone,wash,plug and cam bearing.......AND THROW OUT !!! Happened more than once.....freeze cracks usually. After one time when it took 3 engines just to get a usable block (Pontiac) I checked every block very carefully before any machine work.....and always tried to get a used but running engine that did not have water in the oil.....I rebuilt the 390 in my old Ford pickup......they were good engines....but the intake is a tank and the exhaust manifold bolts always broke trying to get them apart....rust.....For drag racing it was common to bolt a torque plate to the iron head. The end chamber valve seats could move when torqued on the engine.....428 CJ's.....same basic engine.....FE....
You guys are masters.
If anyone is in need of a great boat anchor, then an old cast iron FE intake will do the job! 😂
FORD the ONLY AMERICAN car company !!! It’s nice to see a carbureted engine .
My grandpa had a 390 in his '73 F100. I wanted to do something with that truck, but my cousin totaled it. Broke my heart.
Nice job gentleman 👍
Love this show
12:10 yessss the probe lens!!
Love you guys
Sad too see the original block had cracks in it. But great to see a upgraded Ford FE in action and those big inlet valves, wow.
The First Pull is Good Enough for Me
Sometimes you dont see cracks until you have cleaned it thoroughly, we had this happen on a ford tractor from the 40s
That is the exact thing I wanna do for my 67 Thunderbird
Beautiful FE. It would look look great in my 67 Galaxie 500 :)
shed make a damb good sled puller. nice to see a ford fe get those big rpms. enjoyed dis one,,
Love your show
And useful guys so I respect ya teaching me
nice work
question.. what do you guys recommend for headers on my 2wd 1979 f150 with edelbrock heads on my FE? no one seems to make headers to fit the cobra jet sized exhaust ports on the edelbrock heads
Nothing is as cool as Pat putting his elbow on the throttle after a dyno pull
The first engine I took apart and rebuilt was a 352 block FE 360 in the 73 F100 farm truck I got for $500. 3 on the tree, manual steering, manual brakes. A real Armstrong truck. I rebuilt it in the apartment parking lot. Note every single compression ring was cracked bu it ran fine, I just dug into the engine because of oil coming out the straight dual exhaust (two black cicles on the brick of the apartment where I started it every morning). These FE engines were really hard to kill, but also.. it was hard to rebuild imo. Oh, it it always got 10 mpg no matter what. Lol. Sounded amazing with the straight duals though. I couldn't find an affordable aftermarket intake back then (early 90s), so I reused the stock one. Big mistake. The emissions stuff in the 73 intake was a problem..
"Now why the hell would that be in the water jacket, it's a bumper bolt" 😄😄 This is giving me ideas for my 390 powered 69 Monterey 😊
This needs to go in my 68 4x4