361 Industrial Engine/ Austin Healey Roadster

[frnkeore]

I just bought, at auction, this 361 for $260.

It has a slave cyl clutch, with a NP 4 speed and a tach drive dist.

I haven't quite figured out what I will do with it but, it will be fun to open it up and see what I have. The first thing I'll do is pull the core plugs and check the cylinder walls.

[blykins]

That's how JJ started. 

Throw it on a dyno!

[frnkeore]

It will be more fun to disassemble it.

These only have 1.75 x 1.5 valves in the heads and a lower rpm cam, than a 360. The ex manifolds, look a lot better than the FE logs.

I've been thinking of what I could do with the crank though.

[blykins]

It will be more fun to disassemble it.

These only have 1.75 x 1.5 valves in the heads and a lower rpm cam, than a 360. The ex manifolds, look a lot better than the FE logs.

I've been thinking of what I could do with the crank though.

The block will need a bushing in it if you want to run a standard car distributor. 

The crank will need a lot of work as well.  The snouts and flywheel flanges are completely different.   Otherwise, they make really good steel cranks for higher hp builds. 

[thatdarncat]

Look on the side of the block and see where it was cast. If it has the Dearborn Iron Foundry (DIF) logo there’s a chance it has the 428 cylinder cores. If it’s a Michigan Casting Center (MCC) block then it won’t have 428 cylinder cores, but will likely still be a nice block to build.

[frnkeore]

Yes, I do know about the dist and crank and rods. The oil pump is a little different, too.

I like the tach drive so, I may keep the dist.

[frnkeore]

Look on the side of the block and see where it was cast. If it has the Dearborn Iron Foundry (DIF) logo there’s a chance it has the 428 cylinder cores. If it’s a Michigan Casting Center (MCC) block then it won’t have 428 cylinder cores, but will likely still be a nice block to build.

Thanks Kevin, I'll check that first, after I pressure wash it.

[427John]

The 361HD should have 4 ring pistons if so it will have the shorter rods with the big bolts and will be the same casting number as the 427 LR rods if 67 or earlier and the same casting number as 428CJ rods if 67 or later.The oil pump will use the same housing as the 427/428CJ pumps with the long relief passage for the HP spring,the drive hex will be larger though.If 68 and later it will have the good large port car type oil filter adapter.The exhaust valves should be sodium filled and the heads exhaust crossover will be sourced from the exhaust manifold between the 2 center exhaust ports instead of the interior of the exhaust port,you should see some extra metal cast there to accommodate it.I always liked the looks of the FT exhaust manifold but they aren't a straight bolt on to FE heads.It will be interesting to see if those heads are large or small port heads.If they are large port maybe you could install large valves in them to facilitate running the FT manifolds if you were a mind to.Also keep in mind that the cranks weren't completely internal balance,maybe they would be with a lighter piston but those 4 ring slugs were really heavy.I don't know if the factory pistons had them but some of the aftermarket replacements had armored steel ring land inserts cast into them.

[frnkeore]

Thanks John, I will check for those things, as I disassemble it.

[plovett]

Does the 361 forged crank have solid crank pins?  As I am typing this I am thinking not?  Just wondering how crazy you could get with offset grinding it, if you wanted to.

pl

[thatdarncat]

Does the 361 forged crank have solid crank pins?  As I am typing this I am thinking not?  Just wondering how crazy you could get with offset grinding it, if you wanted to.

pl

This D2TE-A forged 361 crank I have sitting around has a small hole on the front & rear rod journals, no hole on the middle 2 rod journals.

If a 361/391 has been through a rebuilder they often have 3 ring pistons, the last couple I’ve taken apart had those.

[427John]

Kevin of course you're right about the rebuilder pistons I think some were 4 ring but not all,it may have been dependent on whether they were 359/389MD or 361/391HD but I'm not sure about that.I've never had an original MD engine apart they were always rebuilds.The rebuilds were seldom of the same quality as the original FT engines most fleet mechanics would agree that they were lucky to get half-2/3's the service life that the originals gave.

[wsu0702]

If it's a DIF block engine when you pull the bellhousing and transmission off check behind the flywheel for a factory scratch mark on the rear bulkhead.  Very few FT blocks were cast with 428 water jacket cores but you might get lucky.  If there is no scratch mark it probably does not have thick cylinder walls unless it was cast in late '73 or early '74.  I used to search for FT engines/blocks back in the '90s and early '00s.  Of the several dozen that I looked at a grand total of 3 had scratch marks and 428 water jacket cores.  So they are not as common as a lot of guys claim.

[FE4SPDMustang]

I have seen several late D4TE blocks that were 4.130 with .150+ left on the thrust side.  The early A scratch blocks seem to be hit and miss for thickness. Many I saw were done at .040 over. I have only seen a couple A scratch blocks with web reinforcements,. The C scratch all seem to have them. Often you have no idea what you have until you get into them. It makes it hard to purchase for particular use without a sonic check anymore.

[wsu0702]

I have seen several late D4TE blocks that were 4.130 with .150+ left on the thrust side.  The early A scratch blocks seem to be hit and miss for thickness. Many I saw were done at .040 over. I have only seen a couple A scratch blocks with web reinforcements,. The C scratch all seem to have them. Often you have no idea what you have until you get into them. It makes it hard to purchase for particular use without a sonic check anymore.

Kerry Wortman has documented some A scratch blocks that had the extra web reinforcements.  If I ever find one I am going to buy it just for talking purposes to show folks that they do exist. They seem to be pretty rare.