Strokin and Grindin

[68muscletruck]

Have my 360 all torn down for some performance upgrades (cam, lifters, valvesprings/retainers etc) and other necessary replacements (timing chain, ditch the factory nylon tooth gear, valve guide seals etc) and am curious. I know I have the 4.050 bore that matches the 390 and 410, if i am to acquire a crankshaft from either the 390 or the 428 to go 410, do i have to send it to the machine shop to be turned? I know my buddy with his chev 350 had to have his 400 crank turned to fit the journals on his 383 stroker project but some ford friends have told me the journals in the fe should all match up and no grinding is necessary... true or false, some wisdom and help for the new guy?

[averagef250]

Turning and grinding are two different things. If you were to have anything done to your crankshaft it would be ground, not turned. Having cleared that up, no you don't need to resize any journals to change from a 360 crank to a 390 or 428 crank. You need the appropriate rods and pistons though. A 428 also requires a different balancer and flywheel.

[mrtleavitt]

A 428 just requires a different flywheel with the stock balance job. The harmonic balancer is neutrally balanced just like all the FE motors.

[68muscletruck]

so i guess what i'm asking, if i buy a used 390 crank or a kit with a 390 crank and according rods/pistons, the crank will bolt right in with no machine work? So if i did a 428 crank the only difference is the flywheel and if thats the case, with doing a different flywheel for the 428 crank, do the clutch assembly's bolt up to that flywheel the same or do i have to do a bigger/different clutch assembly? I've currently got the stock 11 inch 3 finger style behind the 360 (but its toast ) and am planning to upgrade to an 11 inch HD Diaphragm style

[68muscletruck]

just kidding i did some reading:

"Since all FE blocks have the same bore spacing and the same main bearing diameters, all crankshafts will interchange (there would be cylinder skirt clearance problems with certain crank and rod combinations in 352 or 332 blocks). A small assortment of cranks has been offered for the 390-427-428, most of which are cast iron. But the FE is not known for bottom end breakage even with cast cranks, two-bolt mains, and less than superior oiling.
... All 428 engines came with cast cranks. They have the longest stroke of any FE (3.98 inches). ... The main difference between 428 cranks and other FE units -- cast or steel -- is that they are externally balanced and must be installed with the correct flywheel. The 428 crank and flywheel must be balanced as a unit. All FE dampers are neutral balanced.
...Despite a multitude of different parts within the family, the blessing of the FE is that just about everything is interchangeable. For instance the 390, 406, 427 and 428 all use the same length connecting rods. "

- FORD PERFORMANCE (Pages 52-53), Revised edition, PAT GANAHL - SA DESIGN, published through CARTECH

[Dragon]

Actually 428 and 410s do have a balance tab on the dampener that does not match the other FEs, I read that book and I tossed it. Experience on the dampener. I might have one 428 one still in the storage.

To make a 410 you use a 428 crank in a 390 block.

[mrtleavitt]

My original 428 dampner was neutrally balanced and the new one I bought for it was a neutrally balanced dampner as well. My bro runs the same one on his 390 and we both had our engines (his 390 and my 428) balanced with everything on the engine. The shop did nothing to our dampners, just the flywheels. This is my experience with the 428, take it for what it's worth.

The clutch from all the FE's will work just fine to interchange them. Double check whatever flywheel you end up using that the bolt pattern on your pressure plate matches before you slap everything together.

[68muscletruck]

well i've been working with the guys at the machine shop and they're takin care of me and teachin me as i go so its all gonna work out great, so now i'm just psyched that being able to beat all my buddies with a 360 with mismatched heads, a beyond loose timing chain and an intake manifold that wasn't match ported and a fried clutch, i can only imagine what shame i'll put them to with a 395 with matched hi po 390 heads and bored 30 over etc etc thanks for your help guys i'll let you know how it all turns out, pics and hopefully vids too!

[FORD428CJ]

Actually 428 and 410s do have a balance tab on the dampener that does not match the other FEs, I read that book and I tossed it. Experience on the dampener. I might have one 428 one still in the storage.

To make a 410 you use a 428 crank in a 390 block.

Not true! 390, 428's and 428CJ use the same dampener. The SCJ is the only one that uses a hatchet.

http://www.428cobrajet.org/id-balancer.html

[mrtleavitt]

[Dragon]

Then this balancer I took off a CJ has an extra piece of metal inside the inner ring on the back that is not on any other ballancer I have used, seen or scrapped.