390 with pistons .013 below deck

[winr1]

Street mill .... 5,500 max rpm

Forged TRW pistons

3500 lb vehicle, 3.70 rear, 2.64 low gear, 1 3/4" full length headers
..................................
1. Deck block

2. Use .030 Cometic head gasket

3. Leave alone and run a .041 or whatever they smush to


As too # 3, is the .054 or so quench gonna give problems on pump gas ??



Ricky.

[plovett]

Is the motor already assembled?  If not, I would say deck it.  Cometics require a specific deck finish anyway, as I understand it.

What is the compression ratio with the .054" quench distance?

pl

[My427stang]

Ricky, are they L2291s?

If so, they should be 1.776 CH so the stack would end up at 10.154 or 10.155 depending what you use for rod length value and assuming a 73 cc chamber

- If you deck the block to 10.155 and assume a 73cc chamber, use a Felpro 1020, for .041 quench and 9.68:1.

- If you cut it to 10.150, use the Felpro 8554 at .053 for .048 quench and 9.53:1. 

- If you didn't want to go proud on the pistons, then live with the .053 quench, that isn't horrible quench distance and 9.43:1

That combo usually works really well for a mild/budget 390. If they are something else, I would shoot for .055 max quench, but in the .040s preferred, quench won't give you problems but need to look at compression ratio too. Also 73 cc is an assumption

With all that, any of the combos will run a 268H cam on 106 ICL, not smaller or earlier, although I wouldn't pick that particular cam, it gives you a reference point. 

[427John]

Aren't steel shim gaskets still readily available for FE's,maybe not the .015's but I thought the .030's were still available.

[winr1]

Thanks guys

Not assembled yet, will cc the heads and valve reliefs and yes, they are L2291s ... 6.49 rod

Cometics show to be around $100.00 each on their site

Gonna have the block honed for piston size and new cam bearings

Decking will probably be best if I want a .040 something quench as to the cost of 2 cosmetics
...

On another note, I have an after market set of .040 over 352 pistons that are almost top dead center

4 valve reliefs, the skirts are modern looking and not flat at the bottom all the way around



Ricky

[My427stang]

Deck it, they are likely not flat or square on all 4 corners.  The cost savings is double, no cometics, then no Felpro 1020s if you go to 10.150 deck, just kit 8554s at 13/piece or less.   Gets you to .046 and the gasket shape is nice for a stock style head.

Now, to counter that, I hate runway behind me, or cutting a deck more than I have to, so if you want to save the deck a little, and the deck is straight and square enough, you could go as much as .005 below (10.160) with the 1020s and be in almost the same place.  However, about 50% of my builds square up at 10.155, the others usually want 10.150, so you might not have a choice

[gt350hr]

    +1 sound advice from Ross.

[wayne]

Mr gasket still lists steel shim .040 thick.

[TomP]

I'm pretty sure the steel shims i have are more like .015 to .018" compressed. They may start at .040" before you put them on.

[wayne]

https://www.holley.com/brands/mr_gasket/products/gaskets/head_gaskets/parts/1132G
Mr Gasket site

[frnkeore]

There are these:

Head Gaskets Set For Ford 390-428 FE
Brandname: EDELBROCK INC.

Part Number: 7337

Head Gaskets, 4.330 in. Bore, .038 in. Compressed Thickness, Ford, Big Block FE, Pair

Product Specification:

    Part Type: Head Gaskets
    Product Line: Edelbrock Cylinder Head Gaskets
    UPC: 085347073375
    Bore (in): 4.330 in.
    Bore (mm): 109.982mm
    Gasket Material: Steel core laminate
    Compressed Volume (cc): 9.900cc
    Lock Wire: No
    Quantity: Sold as a pair.
    Notes: Manufactured thickness 0.0468 in. - 0.572 in.

And these @ .020:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SCE-534402-FORD-FE-390-428-4-400-X-020-S-HIM-STEEL-HG/164509796305?epid=14021409304&hash=item264d8c47d1:i:164509796305

[frnkeore]

If you look hard enough, you can almost, always find these on Ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-A-NOS-VINTAGE-VICTOR-ENGINE-HEAD-GASKET-V-1154-BS-FORD-V8-1961-1964/232030243858?hash=item3606148c12:g:PzIAAOSwIgNXmf6x

As I remember, they are .015-.017

[My427stang]

There are these:

Head Gaskets Set For Ford 390-428 FE
Brandname: EDELBROCK INC.

Part Number: 7337

Head Gaskets, 4.330 in. Bore, .038 in. Compressed Thickness, Ford, Big Block FE, Pair

Product Specification:

    Part Type: Head Gaskets
    Product Line: Edelbrock Cylinder Head Gaskets
    UPC: 085347073375
    Bore (in): 4.330 in.
    Bore (mm): 109.982mm
    Gasket Material: Steel core laminate
    Compressed Volume (cc): 9.900cc
    Lock Wire: No
    Quantity: Sold as a pair.
    Notes: Manufactured thickness 0.0468 in. - 0.572 in.

And these @ .020:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SCE-534402-FORD-FE-390-428-4-400-X-020-S-HIM-STEEL-HG/164509796305?epid=14021409304&hash=item264d8c47d1:i:164509796305

Those don't really measure up there, a few of us have tried them.  I'd call them at least a .046 gasket

[427John]

If you look hard enough, you can almost, always find these on Ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-A-NOS-VINTAGE-VICTOR-ENGINE-HEAD-GASKET-V-1154-BS-FORD-V8-1961-1964/232030243858?hash=item3606148c12:g:PzIAAOSwIgNXmf6x

As I remember, they are .015-.017

If the vintage victors are a replacement for the stock B9AE's they should be .030 and were supposed to be used with bore sizes up to I think 4.13,a replacement for the C3AE thin 427 gaskets should be .015 they made some thin ones for the 406's that had a C2AE part number but they got replaced right away with the 427 gaskets.2 C3AE numbered gaskets with different suffixes were made for 4.23 bores one .030 and another the thin .015.I think the assembly line installed gaskets were the .030 and the .015 was an over the counter thing.I would be inclined to stick with the .030's and if you can find some Fitzgeralds even better,I think they were the OEM supplier for both Ford and GM,and some of the aftermarkets to boot I've found some steel shims that were in another brand packaging that were clearly stamped Fitzgerald.