Thanks to all for your replies and info!!  I'm old, but never too old to learn something new from others!

I'll have to check out the Speed Pro pistons quality.  I can also get an opinion and input from the machine shop I use, he builds a lot of engines too.  He even does some engine work for the Oklahoma 405 Street Outlaws, or whatever that show is called.

I need to check out the Le Mans rods, see if they look old or have been reconditioned, etc.  If I change rods to a stock 390 rod, they'll need to be checked out and resized, and new bolts, or just buy new rods.  I read a lot of stuff on other forums about the dowels on the Le Mans rods getting loose, not so much the cap screws.

If I deck this block, or determine that has already been decked, I'll be happy if the new pistons are .010", .013", or .017" below deck at TDC.  I can always make more compression with Cometic gaskets &/or mill the heads a little.  If I have the heads milled, I'll take them down to whatever level we can get away with without having to mill the intake bottom & sides.  If they wind up 73cc or 71cc, etc, that's what it'll be, the rest will be with Cometic gaskets.

frnkeore, yes, I knew the torque on the heads was 110 & 100, thank you!

Rory, I agree with you about the single 4 bbl performance and mileage.  I have a couple of other FE's, and a SBC project, I just like multiple carbs.  I have a 428 that's .030"+ and stroked to 462 cu in., running four 48 IDA Weber's.  This 63 1/2 Gal project, I drove it for a while with the 3x2 setup (before blow by and low oil psig made me park it).  With the carbs and linkage set up correctly, it did pretty good on mileage and performance, considering what it is.  None of my project cars (4) are every day drivers, just local cruise-ins and short trips to other towns for the same.

Thanks again for everyone's comments, keep 'em coming!  I'm leaving Okla later this afternoon, we'll be in CO for spring break & skiing, but I'll try to keep up with y'all on my phone.

As far as the PRW parts, y'all have already convinced me to not use them, I'll use the 406 adjustable rocker arms. 

My Galaxie 500 XL was a 390 Z code from the factory.  When I bought it partially done, it was badged as a 406, and I was told it was a 406, even tho' I knew the VIN was a Z.   After driving it a while, then pulling the "406", I discovered it's a standard b&s 390 short block, with all the 406 stuff added to it; badges (fenders & valve cover decals), 3x2 intake/carbs, dual point dizzy, 406 heads, cam/lifters/adj rockers, cast iron shorty headers, etc.

Y'all take care!

A fellow FE fan, asking for help on pistons and CR based on parts I'll describe below.  I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

I recently purchased a newly rebuilt FE, never installed into a vehicle or fired up on a dyno, at an estate auction.  The gentleman that built it unfortunately passed from a sudden heart attack before he could install it into his project.  I had an acquaintance that I trusted bid for me over the phone because I could not get to the auction due to weather.

I purchased it based on external bolt on parts that I could see in pictures, which included new Edel heads, an older design but NOS Edelbrock F 427 intake, Edel alum water pump, Canton 8 qt road race pan, C7ME-A block, Cobra Le Mans valve covers, an electronic dizzy of unknown brand (MSD look alike), and a Pro Performance Plus dampener and double aluminum pulleys.  I bought it for less than the cost of the  external parts I could see.

After getting it home to OK from CO, I started exploring the internals.
*The heads are Edel 6008 castings, which are 76cc chambers per Edelbrock, which I wished were 72cc, but I didn't have the casting #'s when I bid.
*PRW roller rocker arms, shafts and stands, 1.76 ratio.
*Crane Cams pushrods .080", #34621 9.065"
*Comp Cams mechanical roller 33-781-11 Magnum 243/243 w/Comp Cams solid mech roller lifters.
*C7ME A block is 4.08", so it's a .030" over 390, w/stock stroke of 3.78 (both B&S measured by me). The executor of the estate wasn't a car guy, he told me he thought it was a 390, he was correct, but that's about all he knew.  A son in law, also not a car guy, told me all he remembered was that it supposedly had Le Mans rods.

My dilemma is the pistons.  They are flat top w/double valve relief notches.  With the heads off, the pistons sit .070" below the deck at TDC w/the Fel Pro .040" head gaskets removed.  With the .070" below deck and .040" head gaskets and 76cc chambers, my rough calculations are a CR in the 8.xx range.

I haven't removed the pan yet to check the rods; stock 390 or Le Mans?

Q 1. Assuming I replace the pistons, what distance below deck at TDC should I be aiming for, still using the Fel Pro .040" head gaskets, and the 76cc Edel alum heads?  .010"? .015"?  I want the engine to be able to run on 91 octane pump gas, as 93 isn't readily available in my neck of the woods. Still hoping for upper 9's/lower 10's for compression ratio.

The only reason I can guess he built it this way, he was putting it into a mid-70's F250 4x4, with auto trans.  The truck originally had a 360, some 360's (maybe all?) had pistons way below the deck at TDC.  Maybe that's what he was thinking?

This is going in a 63 1/2 Galaxie 500 XL, along with a C6 tranny.  Induction will be a 406 3x2 intake w/Holleys and 406 shorty cast iron headers on the exhaust side. The 9" rear currently has either 3.89 or 3.91 rear gears with an open diff.  I will be changing to a Trac Loc unit with the 3.9 gears, but also set up another center section with 3.25 gears for cross country cruisin' since tranny doesn't have OD.

Q 2. Le Mans rods (IF they really are in there)??  I've never had a set before, even tho' I've had lots of FE's since the 60's.  I know they're heavy, do I keep them, or switch back to stock or aftermarket 390 rods?  From everything I've read, all FE rods are 6.488" (including Le Mans?) other than some 352 rods.  I've read about problems with the cap screws and pins/dowels getting loose.

OK, that's enough!  Thanks in advance for any advice &/or info!  Again, sorry for being so long winded!

Joe

I've recently picked up a 63 1/2 Gal XL 500 w/406 tri-power.  The dual point distr is mech adv only, I'd like to be able to pull the dual point distr, put it on a shelf, and run a MSD 8595 vac adv distr.  The 3 Holley carbs don't have a ported vacuum connection available, it only has manifold vacuum available going to the tranny vacuum modulator.  Does anyone know of an adjustable vacuum adv canister that will fit a MSD 8595 distr?  I called MSD, they said that Moroso did.  I called Moroso, they only make one for the GM HEI distr.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!
Joe