390FE (406ci) for #50, built by Tom Lucas at FE Specialties.

[OldRedFord]

Sexy!

I like the "Yellow Jacket" name.

[robroy]

Good evening Tim!

Sexy!

Yeah it's looking healthy this time around isn't it! I have a hunch that the flash in Tom's camera may have significant distorted the color, making it look lighter than it really is--we'll see! I'll be very happy with it either way. It's nice to know that this paint isn't going to fall off like the old stuff!

I like the "Yellow Jacket" name.

Excellent!

Thanks for your great reply Tim!
Robroy

[Alvin in AZ]

FRAM filter??!

Yeah, good for throwing away after an hour or two! LOL :)

Alvin in AZ

[hazelnut]

robroy im glad to see your motor is back together and getting ready for a test run. when i looked at the picture of your head i noticed that tom ported&polished the ports but not the combustion chambers, was there a reason for not polishing the chambers ?

[DuckRyder]

when i looked at the picture of your head i noticed that tom ported&polished the ports but not the combustion chambers, was there a reason for not polishing the chambers ?

That's an excellent observation--I wouldn't have known to look for that. I'll have to ask Tom for his thoughts on chamber polishing!

I'm guessing that his answer is going to be something along the lines of "for this application the expense outweighs the benefit".

It does appear that he did some work on the bowls.

Also keep in mind that the engine dies not have a big cam and is designed to produce good torque, with that in mind keeping velocity up would be a consideration.

I can't wait to see it running in #50!

[robroy]

Good day Robert, thanks for your great reply!

I'll have to ask Tom for his thoughts on chamber polishing!

I'm guessing that his answer is going to be something along the lines of "for this application the expense outweighs the benefit".

Indeed! We'll see.

It does appear that he did some work on the bowls.

That's a good eye you have! That photo isn't the best. I suspect that he "cherry picked" those photos from a large collection, and that he may have some clear photos of the porting work. That's some of the work I'm most interested in, since it was done by hand and no two are exactly alike! I'll find out.

Also keep in mind that the engine dies not have a big cam and is designed to produce good torque, with that in mind keeping velocity up would be a consideration.

Indeed. Tom mentioned keeping the velocity up quite a bit!

I believe that Tom built an engine with the temperament I really wanted, because he listened. I wanted an engine that would produce its power over a relatively wide range of RPMs (not "peaky"), and one that had a deceptively calm demeanor at idle. I wanted lots of extra power, but didn't want to sacrifice the truck nature of the engine very much to get it. I wanted a top quality, "gentle giant," so to speak.

I'm hoping that this new engine design will suit the drivetrain and weight of the truck much better than the old design did!

I can't wait to see it running in #50!

I'm looking forward to that also! You'll see copious photos of the installation and many video clips once it's running!

Robert, thanks for your fantastic reply, and Happy Friday!
Robroy

[Happy_Camper]

Hey Robroy,

Looking pretty awesome amigo!
That big 'ole yellow jacket is going to carry a mighty bite
Can't wait to see the video of firing it up!
Scott

[robroy]

Good afternoon Scott, thanks for writing!

Looking pretty awesome amigo!

Thanks Scott!

That big 'ole yellow jacket is going to carry a mighty bite

I think so! I'm sure it will be a wild contrast from my stock 360 with bad compression on half of the cylinders!

Can't wait to see the video of firing it up!

Thanks for your interest! It won't be long now.

I received a few more photos from Tom today! You can click on these photos to view the full, uncropped versions.

On the test stand. Note the new fuel pump! Tom installed a Holley high volume fuel pump, because in his estimation, the stock fuel pump I had before might not always keep up with the 750 CFM carburetor.







I heard from Tom today that the engine feels very responsive at low RPMs--the tiniest nudge on the throttle causes an instant and violent reaction!

Scott, thanks for your excellent reply!
Robroy

[FreakysFords]

Wish I could see it first hand, but looking forward to the videos to come

the tiniest nudge on the throttle causes an instant and violent reaction!

[robroy]

Good evening FreakysFords, thanks for replying!

Wish I could see it first hand, but looking forward to the videos to come

Excellent, thanks for your interest!

Here's the Dyno2000 output with all the final specifications plugged in--you can click on these for larger versions if they're hard to read:





I see 428 peak horsepower at 5,000 RPM, and 534 ft/lbs of peak torque at 2,500 RPM! That seems like a lot of performance for an engine with a smooth, mellow idle!

FreakysFords, thanks again for your excellent reply!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good evening!

Since I didn't receive the graph sheet from Dyno 2000 this time around, I made a new one based on the chart numbers.



Thanks for all the excellent replies!
Robroy

[Ranchero50]

This is going to be interesting

Jamie

[BobbyFord]

Hey Robroy, after you get the motor in, can we all drive it?!

[Power By Ford 70 F250 4x4]

Hey Robroy could you ask Tom if he knows where I can buy 2 inch headers (primaries) for my 360 f250 4x4 1970