Difference between a 390fe and 428fe?

[blykins]

Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's just reading that same scripted response to every thread that has "FE" in it that yanks my chain.

[patrickt]

MaSnaka, I’m generally conservative by nature and my 428's build reflects that. I took the bore out to 4.155 and chose the “medium” SCAT stroker of 4.125. That works out to 447 cubes, and on this board that’s a reasonably mild build for a 428, but it would tax most 390s. If given the choice, go with the 428. It will open up more build options for you and the increase in price is not very much; certainly not sideoiler type money.

[Don]

Mentioned by Dwight:

" buy the book "High Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange" by George Reid ISBN 1-884089-33-X $16 to $24

Big block FE (FORD ENGINE) 332 352 361 390 406 410 427 428 "

I had previously purchased the book, excellent:

http://www.cartechbooks.com/vstore/s..._ID=2933&DID=6

[HI Cobra]

Originally Posted by Don

Mentioned by Dwight:

" buy the book "High Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange" by George Reid ISBN 1-884089-33-X $16 to $24

Big block FE (FORD ENGINE) 332 352 361 390 406 410 427 428 "

I had previously purchased the book, excellent:

http://www.cartechbooks.com/vstore/s..._ID=2933&DID=6

Don - thanks for the link - I just ordered the book.

[MaSnaka]

Thanks for all the resposes...well almost all, to my question. I did see some advertised engines on ebay claiming to be 428 or 428 stroker and they were made from a seasoned 390 block. Prices seemed quite reasonable. I may be in need and wanted to know to stay clear or not. Staying clear. Thanks again for some very useful info.

Mcdoo everyone knows your story by now. Time for a new one.

John

[Fordzilla]

[quote= I did see some advertised engines on ebay claiming to be 428 or 428 stroker and they were made from a seasoned 390 block. Prices seemed quite reasonable. I may be in need and wanted to know to stay clear or not. Staying clear.

John[/QUOTE]

Hi John, I think most of the 428 strokers from a 390 block advertised on ebay are done by the length of the stroke & not by over-boreing them. Rotating assemblies (cranks) from Scat, Eagle, etc give a longer stroke, hence the increase from 390 to 428 cubes. I think the most a 390 will take is a .60 overbore. I'm not a builder of FEs but am an enthusiast who has owned many of them. They are my favorites. So yes, I would be leary of an overbored 390 advertised as a 428 but a proper stroker with a safe bore size & stroker crank is fine.
Just my .02 cents

Regards,

[pop66ltd]

fordzilla is correct,most of the 428s as advertised are strokers like the 431 and 445 versions.they have a long stroke so a small overbore to clean up the block is all thats nessesary,the overbore on these are only .030 for a total of 4.080 bore.without a sonic test on the 390 block your taking a serious chance if you intend to bore it .080,not to say it cant be done.unlike the common verity of 390 blocks ie. c6me,c7me versions,the d3te,d4te and most service or ribbed blocks will be able to handle the .080 bore and most even have room for .030 if needed down the road for a rebuild.having sonic tested hundereds of blocks,it becomes clear what type of fe blocks are capable of large over-bore,another good block for large over-bore is the C4AE-A as well as the C3AE-A blocks,most of these also have the nubs cast into the block to make cross bolting an easy task.they make a great block to build a 406 as well as a conventional 428,but should be sonic mapped just as the others before boring,also a sonic map after boring is a good idea,it will confirm the previous test and show error readings resulting from scale inside the coolant areas.week areas are common on all blocks but as long as the thrust side carries enough wall thickness,some thin areas can be forgiven as long as the area is confined to a specifc location in the cylinder wall and does not run the entire length of the wall.that being said if your looking for a budget build this would get you by,but for a good solid build on an engine that you need to last,you would be way better off buying a real 428 block or find a solid D4TE block to start the build with.

[Keithc8]

I have got to ask but did this McDoo guys mother or himself get run over by a car with a FE engine in it. I have seem him interject a negative respons to any FE question ask. I do not think I have ever seen anyone hate an engine as much as this guy hates an FE engine. Maybe a guy driving a FE powered car took his girl friend from him when he was driving his Chevy powered car.
I do not like the design or some of the engineering on a lot of engines but I do not get on a Buick, Pontiac or VW sight dogging them out. It has become a joke with this guy. I have pretty much zero problems with the FE engines I build as do other that know a few things to do to them.
It is not a Small Block Chevy that everyone can build. I guess he tried to build some and could not figure out how to do it so he is mad at the engine and not the builder. Like I said it is quite commical. This a place where people come to discuss their FEs and not have some guy interject stupid information that is not needed. Keith Craft

[427supr]

I have all Fords for toys, but own a Dodge Hemi truck. My wife drives a Mitsubishi Montero and she drives a Fiat Spider as her summer toy. I like all makes, Chevy, Mopars, Fords, imports.

[pop66ltd]

wow,a small block in place of an fe.hmm,i raced 289 hipos for years,yea they spin fast but you cant compare the torque to the fe.i think hes just mad at his ex wife and not the fe.

[MaSnaka]

I understand that 390's can be MADE into 428's by boring and or stroking. What I was trying to find out was...were the 428's that came from the factory installed in a Cobra, built from the same blocks used for 390's or are the blocks different and only used to build 428's? I'm refering to the engines that came from the Ford factory, not aftermarket buildups. In my mind a 390 cannot be made into a "stock 428", but can be modified to achieve 428ci.

The question arose from seeing 428's advertised on ebay stating that they were built from 390 blocks with 2 bolt main caps, sonic tested, etc...

Thanks for all the feed back.

John

[undy]

Different blocks, different casting..

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by MaSnaka

What I was trying to find out was...were the 428's that came from the factory installed in a Cobra, built from the same blocks used for 390's or are the blocks different and only used to build 428's?

John, the simple answer here is No. The 390 and 428 blocks are different even though they may have the same or similar casting #s. There must be 200 variants so there's no need to go into them here, but the books that you ordered will shead some light on the subject as well. I went through this vertical learning curve just a while ago as I started sourcing parts for the 428/462 that I'm building for BDR687.

Steve

[Don]

I sent an inquiry to Ford asking for the official definition of FE, reply below:

From: crcfmc@ford.com
Subject: Ford Motor Company
Date: November 14, 2008 9:19:23 AM EST


We have escalated your inquiry to our Research Department. Please be advised that FE stands for Ford Edsel and they were called Y blocks as well. If you look at the block you will notice that it was shaped like a Y.

Please feel free to contact the Ford Customer Relationship Center for additional inquiries. We can be contacted toll free at 1-800-392-3673, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, local time. Hearing impaired callers with access to a TDD may reach us by calling 1-800-232-5952.

Sincerely,
Marites
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company

For online support visit us at: www.customersaskford.com which contains answers to frequently asked questions and links to other key product and service information.

[Great Asp]

Originally Posted by Don

I sent an inquiry to Ford asking for the official definition of FE, reply below:

From: crcfmc@ford.com
Subject: Ford Motor Company
Date: November 14, 2008 9:19:23 AM EST


We have escalated your inquiry to our Research Department. Please be advised that FE stands for Ford Edsel and they were called Y blocks as well. If you look at the block you will notice that it was shaped like a Y.

Please feel free to contact the Ford Customer Relationship Center for additional inquiries. We can be contacted toll free at 1-800-392-3673, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, local time. Hearing impaired callers with access to a TDD may reach us by calling 1-800-232-5952.

Sincerely,
Marites
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company

For online support visit us at: www.customersaskford.com which contains answers to frequently asked questions and links to other key product and service information.

I thought the Y block was the small displacement block with the distributor in the back, like Thunderbirds????

FE's are FEs, and Y blocks are Y blocks....right??

E

PS I still think FE stands for Ford Engine

[Fordzilla]

Yes, They are 2 different animals. The Y block came before the FE. (Ford Edsel)

From Wikipedia: "The Y-block engine is an overhead valve V8 automobile piston engine from Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1954 to replace the side-valved Ford Flathead engine and was replaced by the Ford FE engine (on larger cars) and the Ford Windsor engine (on smaller cars) in 1962, and lasted until 1964 in Ford trucks.

Note that Lincoln introduced its own Y-block in 1952. That engine lasted until the 1958 introduction of the MEL." ("Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln")

PS- E, You got that monster tearing up roads yet?!

[lovehamr]

Guys I believe that Ford just meant that it is a Y block design. Meaning that the block's skirt extends below the centerline of the crank, this differentiates it, and what we know as the Y block, from later more modern designs.

Steve

[Don]

The reply was initially confusing to me also, but not having the technical knowledge, reason I posted the reply as received which came as noted came from the Ford Research Dept

I do recall when the first ( ? ) Ford OHV V-8 was introduced in 1954, after the last flathead V-8 in 1953, the engine was commonly referred to as a Y block.

Would be interesting if someone could quote a specific source back to Ford indicating the FE definition as Ford Engine. Do not recall the Reply and Thread, but FE had also been mentioned as meaning Ford Edsel

That said, I thought the initial contact , Ford Public Relations/Affairs Dept, was very responsive in handling the request while advising me there would be a delay as the topic needed to be researched.

[Dominik]

Just use a 390.

If you need to justify the "427/428" look of your car, or your air-cleaner sticker, try to get a stroker crank resulting in 427cui with a 390 bore. I am sure you can get those cranks, as mentioned earlier in this thread.

Either combination will probably put your driving skills to the limit. Unless you are in the game since many years.

Dom