What is my FE

[Doc Holiday]

Hello All
I am a first time poster. I have "390 ?" no numberes that I can find any way, it has ribs around the block like the 427s that is in the Ford eng building books. I was told by an old timer that worked at ford dealership in NC that these were Police service blocks. Can any one help me with this???

Happy Trails
Doc Holiday

[FFR428]

Well it could be a service block. It could also be a later truck block as some of these had the ribs also. It probably has no casting numbers but should have a date code. Two dots under the first number denotes a 70's era block. The block date code is below the oil filter adapter mounting pad. It's (date code) on the small angled part of the block there and is a number/letter/number(s) sequence. As Denny mentioned once you get inside you tell what you have. Also get the head casting numbers (between the center two spark plugs) and post it along with the crank, rods, intake etc...numbers and measured cyl bore. We can tell you what it is from that. G.

[R Pope]

391 truck and industrial blocks have ribs. They're a good choice for rodding, but the oil pump drive is bigger, and require a different distributor. The hole in the block where the end of the dist. pilots is bigger too, which rules out a smaller dist.

[FFR428]

You can replace that bushing to use the std FE dizzy in the 391/361 blocks
G.