CRAZY 360 Backyard Build~

[blykins]

I have had them made.  There are a couple sets floating around.

They are forged pistons, with modern ring pack dimensions.

[FElony]

I have had them made.  There are a couple sets floating around.

They are forged pistons, with modern ring pack dimensions.

Start with 250 sets of cast pistons with "typical" FE ring packs, keep them exclusive, and sell other stuff in behind them to your new customers. Trick forged later.

[blykins]

How many sets do *you* want?

I would never sell 250 sets....

[My427stang]

LOL, I wouldn't put 250 sets of 390 cast pistons on the shelf....never mind short stroke pistons

Looking forward to the short stroke rocker, I personally don't think it'll have a lot of torque, at least not in the levels most of us are used to nowadays, but 350 Chebbys don't either and they are fun.

Wes, get the compression up, run the cam straight up or on 108 and let it rev

[Joe-JDC]

Not calling out---well, maybe.  I just thought it might be interesting to see who could build a comparative engine on the cheap, and then dyno test them for comparison.  Cheap EMC challenge--- FE vs SBFW.  Joe-JDC

[blykins]

LOL....

Obviously you can get a few ponies out of a 352.  The HP engines weren't too shabby.  However, when I think of a competition of barnstormer engines, I don't think about who can get to 375 hp first....LOL

[FElony]

How many sets do *you* want?

I would never sell 250 sets....

That's because you actually have to spend time marketing. Get it, son? The money is in the stuff you sell it with. Get it yet? Do I need to explain that I was involved with a corporation that sold product globally at levels that absolutely dwarfs the whole FE hobby by an exponential factor?

BBM will have spent money engineering and producing the Tunnel Wedge intake. How many of those do you think they are going to move? Now, how much bigger is the market for the thousands of 360 engines that are still out there? When BBM sells an intake, they just sell the intake. When you are the only game for 352/360 slugs, you sell associated merchandise. It's so simple a 348 owner could understand.

[FElony]

LOL, I wouldn't put 250 sets of 390 cast pistons on the shelf....never mind short stroke pistons

That's because other people sell 390 pistons. Think for a bit.

[My427stang]

LOL, I wouldn't put 250 sets of 390 cast pistons on the shelf....never mind short stroke pistons

That's because other people sell 390 pistons. Think for a bit.

When I pause to think, I see a market that went away 40 years ago...I bet it'd be just as cheap to buy custom forged if someone wants it.

I agree it'd be nice to have them available for the small niche crowd building 3.5 stroke engines, but custom forged stuff is just so cheap and easy now, I don't think it'd be profitable

[Ford428CJ]

Ross.... Been thinking and heading in a slight different direction here. SOLID ROLLER! I got from Jim W years ago. About a 640lift on a 108. Duration at .050 is 258 & 264! Comp cam with Crower Roller lifters. Yes custom Pistons are gonna happen with a 1.5/ 1.5 / 3.0mm ring pack now. At least 11to1 CR. Depending if I end up with the 406 heads here. Mind you I got the cam for free because I help Jim  retrieve his stolen FE stuff. The Crower Roller lifters I got years ago and  traded some car work for. So I'm really in this for cheap still.....

 Now I'm  deciding on rods for this. Been thinking about Molnar 6.7 rods. Lighter then a lot of them out there. Not badly priced.

 Also, this engine will be going in my 64 Falcon.

[My427stang]

I have never seen a set of Molnars, but if the price is right, I say go for it. The piston should be light enough to not be too fussy regardless of which you choose. 

I'd say crank that cam forward to 102 ICL and run a flat top, my hunch is depending on the heads, you'd be at around 10.25 static and it'd be a rowdy little street machine in a light car with some gear.

Sounds fun!

[blykins]

They are lighter than the normal Scat/Eagle rod.



However, I don't know if I'd worry about 50-60g for $250. 

[bluef100fe]

Hey Wes,

I got a deal for you if you are not afraid of used rods? I have two broken sets of Eagle 6.8 H-Beam rods that are collecting dust here.  If you want I can pick out 8 or 10 and ship them out to you? Not free but damn cheap, lol.

Side note back when my 390 in my F100 ate a flat tappet cam, I had old scrappy laying in the corner resting peacefully. All stock 360 I had thrown rings and bearing in back in school. So I needed a engine to keep the truck running/racing and that was what I had to get me by for a while. So I took the heads/valve train off my 450 hp 390 and screwed them on the 360 along with a 428cj intake and slid a smallish solid flat tappet cam 230 @ 0.050/ 0.550ish lift/ 110 LCA I had on the shelf that came from a pulling truck in it and crossed my fingers. Pistons were 0.120 below deck so quench was non existent but the damn thing ran hard for what it was. Made quiet a few passes with my truck in the 14.0 area with it. Keep in mind the truck was only running very high 12's with the 390 before it ate the cam. Anyway I was pretty happy with the old 360 and I never did grenade it shifting at 6000 rpm, with the stock little rods and stock bolts. That engine was put through hell over the years I did retire it after that though as the blow by was getting ridiculously bad and it was starting to foul plugs. Anyway I always wondered what that combo would have done if built correctly and fresh. Anyway let me know on the rods.

[Ford428CJ]

Cody, I sent you a PM on Facebook. Whenever you have a min or 2 to spare!

[bluef100fe]

Back at ya Wes... Sent a few pics also..