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My ignorance on full display

J

jbisme

New Member
Okay, as some of you know, I've got this 352 FE and I badly want it to be my engine of choice for my rod. What can I do to this engine to get the most out of it? It is my understanding that this engine belongs to the family of engines that range between the 352 to 390 to 427 up to a 460 and other sizes in between. What's available to me? Who do I turn to? Where do I begin?

It is embarrassing to me that I don't understand most of what is said in the engines and drivelines section of this forum, but I'm eager to learn. Help point me in the right direction.

Lastly, what transmission do I use with it? There is no way I'm using the stock 3 speed manual transmission that came with it. I had a 70 F100 that had a 390 and a C6 transmission, it had power to pull, but it didn't seem all that fast. My 85 with a 351W and a C6 transmission seems much faster than that 70 was. So I'm confused. I wouldn't mind having a manual transmission, is there a 5 or 6 speed that can be used?

The boat car plan is scrapped. I've decided I want to rebuild my first love. I want to turn my 90 Ford F150 into a beast, but I want to do it right. I don't want just another loud truck, I want something that is good enough to put in car shows. And I don't care if it takes me years to get it right as long as I do get it right. I'm already working on getting the doors changed out so I can do away with junk electric windows and locks.

So where do I begin? Any books, suppliers, etc. that can help me?

Maybe after that build I'll understand enough about what I'm doing to build a kick ass T-bucket.
 
I want my truck to be able to do this. Except I don't plan to race it.

[media]

[media]
 
ain't exactly a Ford guy but I do have a F350 and a 460 jetboat. I believe the 460 is not in the class with the 352FE thru 427FE. The 460 is in the 385 family, but don't hold me to that.

Would much rather be building a BBC blower motor for the boat but got a good deal on 460 parts so thats why I am learning about Ford big blocks.
 
The 352 is on the small side of the FE family of engines, but there are options to correct that. All of the cranks from the family will interchange and aftermarket stroker cranks are available. The FE engines generally make good torque, a natural for a truck. Edelbrock makes alum heads for the engine and I have heard they are good.
There is a full range of intakes for these engines, 2x4, 3x2 and a bunch of single 4V.
There are some good books expanding on these engines, which give the bore and strokes as delivered from the factory. As with most engines, this is an endless subject and I am sure there will be a host of good advise.

let the fun begain,
 
I don't want to get into the Ford vs Chevy thing! But you will have a very hard time to get a 352 for to run like that big block Chevy truck.

There is no substitue for cubic inches, period. It is possible to get 2 hp per cubic inch from a naturally asperiated engine, and more from a blown engine. The point is a much bigger motor will make a lot more power for less $$$$$ per HP to make it run like that Farm Truck.

My guess is it would take one of these beasts to get that Farm Truck to run like it does.

UltraStreet High Performance Crate Engines By Scott Shafiroff Race Engines

Here is a drag race calculator to play with at 5000lbs it would take 923 hp to run like the Farm Truck

http://www.wallaceracing.com/et-hp-mph.php
 
Any suggestions on a transmission? It currently has a weak 3 speed that's about the size of a car battery bolted to it. I've bookmarked a bunch of books on Amazon that may help. At this point I really need to know what transmission to buy so I can design the rest.

At $21,000 the farm truck's engine is about $15,000 more than I care to spend on an engine. Maybe a cruiser with extra horsepower is what I'll end up with.

Well, time to go make the money. The sooner this house is paid off (about 6 months) the sooner I can start restoring my truck.
 
So....We have changed from tbucketeers and boat club to tbucketeers and truck club now?
 
Rick, I still want to build a T-bucket, but before I do, I need experience on just building with what I have. I don't know crap about building a T-bucket. Is that a problem?

I'm still looking for help on what transmission to use...

There's gotta be a ford expert around here.
 
Well, thats me devastated.
Dreams of a boat blasting down the freeway at 80mph, Captain Smoothstroker at the helm, mullet streaming in the breeze, a devil may care sneer on his lips and a fetching selection of tomatoes draped around the luxury seating in the back guzzling fine wines and shrieking with laughter.
I could see us, jbisme. I could see us.
Life can be so cruel.
 
Well help me figure out how to keep my baby (the truck) alive for cheap and I'll keep the boat-car project alive in a different incarnation too.

I'm thinking about changing up my plans. I must save the baby first, but I'm keeping the boat parts. Shhh, keep this one to yourself, but I'm thinking of using a bucket body and the boat front. The boat car needs to be smaller and lower to the ground. Basically I don't know what I want and until I do, there is no point in going further. And to sum up, my mother-in-law is refusing delivery of the 85 F150 I bought and my wife won't let me sell it either. So now there is a log jam of trucks and truck frame in my yard. (Truck Jam?) Good deeds just don't go unpunished around here.

Look for another edition of "Truck Problems" in the lounge section next week and I'll explain what's up. It's long and complex.

I hope you're the one with the mullet, because my hair is shaved down. Keep hope alive, I am.
 
jbisme said:
Okay, as some of you know, I've got this 352 FE and I badly want it to be my engine of choice for my rod. What can I do to this engine to get the most out of it? It is my understanding that this engine belongs to the family of engines that range between the 352 to 390 to 427 up to a 460 and other sizes in between. What's available to me? Who do I turn to? Where do I begin?
Click to expand...

Amazon has an interchange manual for Ford engines that might help. It lists the 352 in the big block section.

[ame="[url]http://www.amazon.com/High-Performance-Engine-Parts-Interchange-Design/dp/188408933X/ref=pd_sim_b_1[/url]"]Amazon.com: High-Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange (S-a Design) (0601784000561): George Reid: Books[/ame]

It is embarrassing to me that I don't understand most of what is said in the engines and drivelines section of this forum, but I'm eager to learn. Help point me in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Amazon.com has several other books available. Just type in your request (like Ford engines) in the search bar at the top.

Lastly, what transmission do I use with it? There is no way I'm using the stock 3 speed manual transmission that came with it. I had a 70 F100 that had a 390 and a C6 transmission, it had power to pull, but it didn't seem all that fast. My 85 with a 351W and a C6 transmission seems much faster than that 70 was. So I'm confused. I wouldn't mind having a manual transmission, is there a 5 or 6 speed that can be used?
Click to expand...

I'm guessing here that you are wanting to know what trans to put in the pickup. If you are just building a daily driver the C4 would be fine but if you are pulling a large boat or travel trailer I would opt for the C6.

The boat car plan is scrapped. I've decided I want to rebuild my first love. I want to turn my 90 Ford F150 into a beast, but I want to do it right. I don't want just another loud truck, I want something that is good enough to put in car shows. And I don't care if it takes me years to get it right as long as I do get it right. I'm already working on getting the doors changed out so I can do away with junk electric windows and locks.

So where do I begin? Any books, suppliers, etc. that can help me?
Click to expand...
Motorbooks (Motorbooks.com - Books available on automotive, motorcycles, aircraft, auto racing,trucks, trains, boats, airplanes, tractors, cars and bicycles.) is another possible source for books. Eastwood (http://www.eastwood.com/index.jsp)is another source for tools, books and other items useful in restoration projects.

Maybe after that build I'll understand enough about what I'm doing to build a kick ass T-bucket.
Click to expand...
I don't know the condition of your F150 or the amount of work that will be needed to get what you want but I think you would find a T-bucket easier to build. Send me your email address and I will send you some information on a T-bucket build.
 
der Spieler,
The email address is

j67010 at yahoo.com

I'm looking for a transmission for the 352 engine to use in my truck and I want it to be able to pull too. Would there be any problem with using a Borg Warner T5 Manual and the steel bellhousing Speedway sells that fits a 352? Or will that transmission be as whimpy as my 3 speed? I'm looking for a perfect blend of economy for cruising on the highway and yet can pull a trailer if necessary. I would love to have a small teardrop trailer one of these days and go camping.

My 91 F150 has a Mazda 5 speed (M5R2) and it does well in keeping the rpms at a modest pace on the highway, but I can still pull a heavy load too. The problem is, that transmission does not fit a 352 FE.

As far as building a T-Bucket, what scares me is I don't know what I'm doing with suspension, what to do about death wobble, toe-in/toe-out and what fits what. At least with my trucks, I go to the O'reilly counter and tell them what my truck is and they sell me the part I need. I want to go outside of my comfort zone, but I don't really know how to get started the right way.

I hope this helps get across what I'm searching for.
 
Oh, and thanks for the recommendation on the books. This month I'm buying a bunch of books from Amazon to help me figure out this mess.
 
jbisme said:
der Spieler,
The email address is

j67010 at yahoo.com

I'm looking for a transmission for the 352 engine to use in my truck and I want it to be able to pull too. Would there be any problem with using a Borg Warner T5 Manual and the steel bellhousing Speedway sells that fits a 352? Or will that transmission be as whimpy as my 3 speed? I'm looking for a perfect blend of economy for cruising on the highway and yet can pull a trailer if necessary. I would love to have a small teardrop trailer one of these days and go camping.
Click to expand...

The T-5 would definitely be better than the 3-speed. I would be concerned about clutch wear pulling a trailer but if all you are going to pull is a teardrop then that wouldn't be a problem. If you are set on the manual trans then by all means get the Speedway bellhousing and do it. It would be a lot easier than converting to an automatic.

My 91 F150 has a Mazda 5 speed (M5R2) and it does well in keeping the rpms at a modest pace on the highway, but I can still pull a heavy load too. The problem is, that transmission does not fit a 352 FE.

As far as building a T-Bucket, what scares me is I don't know what I'm doing with suspension, what to do about death wobble, toe-in/toe-out and what fits what. At least with my trucks, I go to the O'reilly counter and tell them what my truck is and they sell me the part I need. I want to go outside of my comfort zone, but I don't really know how to get started the right way.
Click to expand...

Once you start building a T all of your questions will be answered here. As someone had written in their signature line "It ain't rocket science!" T-buckets are very simple, basic automobiles.

I hope this helps get across what I'm searching for.
Click to expand...

I'm going to send you three large .pdf files. They will probably come in three or four emails.
 
der Speiler,

If I decided on the C6 automatic, I would need a radiator with a trans-cooler, the appropriate torque converter and flywheel and starter motor. It would also need to have the right bellhousing to fit 352 and not the 351. If I did use an automatic, a Lokar shift linkage would make it look like a stick. Is there anything else I would need?

I'm only asking, because I could go either way. I'm going to price out which makes better sense long term. Even with the manual transmission, I'm still going to need parts like the hydraulic clutch kit.
 
I was just checking for you again on the Ford truck forums and many folks are doing what your thinking. I could cut and paste the info for you but I would just go and check it out. There all in the same boat as you..........no pun intended:D:D:D

Mike
 
There was an issue of Rod and Custom that had real easy plans to build a T-Bucket out of a Volkswagon. Maybe a good first build???:cool::lol::lol::lol::cool:
 
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