i am putting a 390 fe into a 1985 fox body.and i am thinking about supercharging it .what is the most boost i can put to it ,without hurting it?and also what is the best and cheapest charger for this application .any suggestions?
i am putting a 390 fe into a 1985 fox body.and i am thinking about supercharging it .what is the most boost i can put to it ,without hurting it?and also what is the best and cheapest charger for this application .any suggestions?
Is it stock? Are you putting in aftermarket pistons? If so, what compression are you running?
I don't know much about FEs but there are guys here who do. They'll prolly wanna know all that and your other general engine specs.
I would say that if you're planning on keeping it at or near 390 cid, it probably won't be as good an engine overall as a 351w. Won't make a ton more power and is a ton heavier, not to mention more expensive and more difficult to fit and work around in an engine bay. Of course, if you're gonna stroke it out that changes...
I see you've never had an encounter with a 390. Even a stock one. The Chevy guys used to get spanked by em, just due to underestimating the 390's abilities. I used to take em regularly with my 67 fastback. And that was before I swapped in the 427. Raced a 69 Camaro one night, he had everything but the kitchen sink in his 350, plus a 4 speed & 4.11's. The 67 had nothing done to it, other than a 428CJ (iron intake) and a 750 Holley, backed by the original 3 speed Toploader and 3.00 geared 9" rear. I didn't blow his doors off, but gradually out pulled him the whole way thru the 1/4 mile. Then we turned around and repeated the race when he couldn't figure out what happend the first time. The FE's were heavier, but the head design was vastly superior to the Windsors. And I'm only talking about the stock 390 heads. The 427's got even better heads in the Medium riser, High riser, tunnel port and SOHC heads.
While I agree with you about going with a 351W based stroker in a small block based body, your comparison of a 351W in a 66 Stang vs a 66 Galaxie, is apples and oranges. You're comparing a 2800 lb car vs a 4200-4500 lb car. My 67 Stang ran high 13's before I ever did any mods to it. That was with the 3 speed manual and the 3.00 rear. My 68 Merc Monterey ran mid 14's with a nearly stock 390. Only mods were a 428PI intake, 750 Holley Crane 272 Energizer cam and 3.70's in the rear. And it weighed 4200 lbs without me in it. Try again next time you run across a 67-70 Stang that's a got a 390 in it. And with a driver that knows how to make it talk. Half the race is won or lost due to the driver's abilities.