Thread: Ford 390 FE build, a few questions

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Originally Posted by jerry clayton

----porting /polishing the heads won't help you much and because of the unleaded gas these days is a waste of time/money---

Agree with Jerry here......
I wouldn't let anyone mess with my heads that couldn't show me before and after flow numbers. Then I'd pay him on the percentage of increase. On a cruiser motor, just clean everything up cut the heads for exhaust valve seats and bolt it together. While you have it apart, cc all the volumes so you can figure the static compression ratio. You'll need that to choose a cam. With a good set of headers, use the Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold. It'll make another 40 hp over the low-rise Performer where you can use it on a street motor. Use a whole mess of air cleaner too, let 'er breathe (14" x 4"). If you don't change much on the motor, it's going to be fairly high static compression ratio, so you want to match up the cam pretty closely to close the intake valve at the right time. I'd be trying to figure the squish at 0.045"-0.055" to prevent the motor from detonating on pump gas.