Found a consumer reports test that used metropolitan cabs for 2 years and 60,000 miles. They found that no measureable difference in wear based on any major brand of oil exist. This was the only oil test I could find surfing for 20 minutes not sponsored by an oil company.

The tests I remember put a lot of emphasis on breakdown due to heat and used a test involving either 3 or 5 steel balls. I believe they had the balls in a tube and rolled them for and extended period of time and either measured the oil retention, heat or perhaps the metal
particles in the oil. The first test with new oil had all brands closely grouped, but subsequent test with used oil exposed to high heat (as
in air cooled motorcycle) showed Mobil 1 with a clear advantage. I wished I had saved the articles in favorites but didn't. I think I surfed onto the site from "Nightrider" a Harley semi technical site. After posting this I am going to try to find it. Net result was that I changed oil pump and chain tensioners on an older twin cam Harley to a later style and started using Mobil 1 excluseively. Both the test and the method were interesting

compare your compression ratio and cam to ones listed on a "Ford FE specs" site on line will get you pretty close

How would a fluid damper figure into this debate? Built 2 small BBC's before I got the FE bug and used fluid dampers on them and was pleased, but really didn't have a reference point.

thanks Joe, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear

I am building a daily driver with a 390, performer plus cam which reads like an RV grind. Will be put in front of a t85 overdrive in my 56 ranchwagon. I am tentatively planning to use a quadrajet because of the tiny primaries. I got some gasket matched cast iron heads
and a streetmaster intake also gasket matched in a trade. Maybe someone can tell me if the streetmaster intake can work under 2500rpm because of the strong signal to the quadrajet primaries? FE dual planes seem expensive and I already have the streetmaster.