Ive been lurking here for over a year now and am in appreciation of the vast knowledge I have seen regarding the project I have had on hold for many years now.....and now I humbly ask the FE gurus to guide me on my next step.....
I have recently acquired a 67 T-bird Q code 428 that wasnt running...the body was totally shot, and so I extracted the engine and trans for future residence in my 68 Torino GT(390 car). Seems the 428 has everything one could ask for, reinforced webs, standard bore and crank surfaces, good magnaflux results, although my machinist said it would need a .020 to clean up the scratched cylinder walls. There was several bent pushrods, probable cause of the Bird being parked. My next step is in some parts selection.... Id like to run this as a hot street, limited strip duty type cruiser....
I currently have the stock heads which have larger ports than the 14 bolt GT heads off my 390, are these better? Id obviously install good undercut valves and exhaust seats and blend the bowls a bit.
Probe flattops or dished? Or anyone here have some nice 4.150 pistons around?
I have my Comp solid roller lifters still in great shape. Cam recommendations?
I have a complete Harland-Sharp rocker setup with endstands and studs
Still have my Holley Street Dominator intake, Mallory dual point, Carter fuel pump,
Hooker Super-Comps,
forgot what stall I did have with the 390 but think it was in the 2600-2800 range, ran 3.70 gearing, trac-lock diff.
Im a Cleveland guy mostly, and know these FE's are quirky, so along with previously researched info your opinions weigh heavily on my next steps. This car ran last about 15 years ago....the old 390 would do John Force type burnouts and ran hard until the bottom popped.....now I have a little cash and a father/son project...and alot more sense(LOL)
Again, thanks for sharing your knowledge and any further info.

428 IMO. I believe Probe makes a 4.145 shelving piston for your application this would be only .015 over. You could contact Barry R of Survival Motorsports (Forum Member) for those. I would be looking at getting a dished set if you want to run pump gas and iron heads, if race gas only then get the flat tops. If your not going to get real crazy with the rpms or power level and it is gonna stay N/A, the stock rods will survive, I would just have them resized and new ARP bolts installed. I wouldn't run the stock rods much over 6000 rpm.

My definition of streetable is what most consider towards the wild side. I wouldn't bother with the roller cam if you want to keep the streetability and have a maintenance program that only happens by accident. Plus, without the roller cam you will be able to save money on valve springs, pushrods, lifters, and the cam itself will cost about 1/3 to 1/2 as much. Sounds like you already have a good rocker setup so I left that out of the recipe. Depending on what heads you actually have, I would suggest a cam in the mid or high 240's @ 0.050 duration on the intake and low 250's @ 0.050 on the exhaust, 110 LSA installed @ 106 ICL and around 0.600 lift. I would call Ken @ Oregon Cam grinders and he can get you a custom solid flat tappet cam ground for about half the price of what comp cams will do for you and he has raced FE's most of his life. This cam should defiantly have a rumpty, rumpty idle and pull real hard to 6000 rpm or so which IMO you don't have any business running a stock bottom end any higher than that unless you spend the money and get the block crossbolted and a set aftermarket rods. I also tend to error on the side of overkill because it just isn't worth it to me (and my checkbook) to push things to far and then the engine pukes its guts out and you have to start over.

Use the Intake you got, it will work great, Headers you got are good, I would ditch the Dual point for a Recurved stock Ford Duraspark and a MSD 6AL box personally, but you can obviously make the dizzy you got work. I would be looking for a Holley 950 HP or if you want to go old school get a tried and true 735 or 780 cfm holley that ford used on the CJ/GT cars back in the late 60's early 70's. I would also get a little looser converter or see if you can have the one you got loosened up some.This should get you started, and you will have to stock up on tires I guarantee you. Good luck and have fun.

1976 F-100 stepside
390/C6/9 inch
12.73 @ 104 mph
3900 lbs. of pump
gas burnin' pickup

they most probably have the vertical only bolt pattern...not friendly with your shock towers...by the math 16 guides / 8 intake / 8 exhaust valves / surface 3 sides / cut for PC seals and spring seats / 16 springs /retainers / locks / grind 16 seats ....= Edelbrock..food for thought..JMHO

...is like say'n catsup tastes like tomato's. How dare you!LOL!!

Those are fun memory times and the parts swapping can be good experience too. So if were me:

1.
I'd kinda build with what you have - lap the valves on the 390gt heads and use good springs but dont put any money into them except a Ford Blue spray can.

I'd even use the GT/CJ cam if you still have it with the lifters in order.

See how that runs - timeslips - and how the headers fit with the lower exhaust ports to plan for other heads.

2.
Then I'd swap for a more serious cam, in the 240's like Cody said might be on the edge:
245-245-114 solid is streetable (Ford 427 option cam)
236-236-108 hyd is pretty wild (Edel Perf RPM cam)
Somewhere in there is what I'd do.

Then probably the Edel heads like John said, his logic is hard to argue with as usual. The ex port bolts are higher on the Ebrocks or 428cj heads than your 390gts so check the header fit and plan for that.

Go back to the strip and see what you gain at each step, that is fun too.

The last 428cj torino I remember from the good old days belonged to a neighbor/friend, he blew by our big 64 Gal with it one night, then we saw orange out the bottom and it got quiet. The rear cam plug came out at full throttle and that was that. Those doggone details. It cost him $1500 for a brand new 428cj short block. (Sounds like a bargain now....)

at least 6 or more quarts of oil, EVEN in a stock or CJ pan, that is about the ONLY reason your bottom popped, you drained the oil pan and shoved it all in t he heads and ran the crank dry.




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1966 F100 410, 3-speed (Sold... ).
ENGINE on stand: 416, cid Solid Lifter w/ 4spd
1968 GT/CS Mustang. (Stock for now)
1995 Mercedes e320 I6 DOHC, 216 HP wagon.
2003 Tundra SR5, 4.7 DOHC, 4x4.
Looking for the 'right' Galaxie.

Oh and a Bicycle - daily driver to save gas for the 'F'un 'E'xcursions.

I was scoping out the Crower street roller or Comp's roller....It seems appearing that the previous owner did a good number on this engine before I got it, as the GT heads have hardened seats already, some mild porting marks evident and stainless undercut valves with double springs. It had a roller in it already but the cam was destroyed with the rotating debris. Never knew what cam it was either. Ill try the Oregon Cam guy and see what he says.