I’m restoring my grandpas 1972 Ford F-250 that I recently acquired. I’m looking for a reputable machine shop in the OKC area to go over the motor, hone or bore as necessary, install new cam and bearings, and perform a valve job on the heads including installing hardened valve seats. The motor has 128k on it looks good except for some coking/buildup of carbon because my grandpa never drove it hard. Any recommendations on local shops that deal with these old motors would be greatly appreciated.
I guess it depends on how far you want to extend "OKC area," but DJ's Engines out east of Lex on OK39 is pretty good. They did the 390 in my '66 Galaxie, though I don't remember if that was before or after they moved out there from Norman (my dad took it to them, and we've had them work on a few different engines). I think they also did the 302 out of my dad's F-100 when he put it into my brother's early '65 Mustang.
Thanks, i will check them out. I mainly just meant not having to take it to Dallas or someplace more than an hour or so away.
FWIW, you can mill those heads .060, but you need to shim the rocker arm assembly with washers to keep the valve train within specs.
Dad had a '73 F350 390/2bbl and complained for years that it didn't have enough power (he had a '65 F100 with a 352ci previously). I overhauled it in the '80s, milled the heads .060, and put a 4bbl manifold with a Carter 650 AFB on it.
That thing would run like a scalded ape. He said, "Now it pulls like it's supposed to."
Dad had a '73 F350 390/2bbl and complained for years that it didn't have enough power (he had a '65 F100 with a 352ci previously). I overhauled it in the '80s, milled the heads .060, and put a 4bbl manifold with a Carter 650 AFB on it.
That thing would run like a scalded ape. He said, "Now it pulls like it's supposed to."
Most valve seats are induction hardened and if you install hardened seats you usually have the same hardness as factory seats unless you step up to stellite seats.
I have never needed Hardened seats in any vehicle and I have driven many 50's and 60's engines and drove them hard.
The trick to make them live with unleaded fuel is TUNE.
DO NOT let the engine preignite if it is pinging get your foot out of it and tune it ..Pull timing or add octane.
That eats the seats in short time.. run good air filters that seal also.
Now if you have had those seats ground a lot then the hardness could be gone.
Like if they were sunk and you ground them as sunken.
If they are sunk now then the tune was off. If they are not sunk I would touch up the seats and run them.
Folks machine shop in Norman used to be excellent many years ago ..then they got the 460 compressor contract and lost touch with the every day guy.
Now they are back to their roots of doing excellent work. That is where I go.
If I order .0045" piston to wall clearance that is what I get.
They have a dyno and flow bench if you are into that.
You can get adjustable rocker kits for the FE if you want all that.
https://www.cnc-motorsports.com/prw...-mount-stainless-steel-rocker-arms-42380.html
If it was my build I would do some milling and decking of the heads and block and port the heads and stick a 268H cam in it.
If I was using it as a daily driver tow truck.
If I wanted more power maybe a 280H or something like that and shoot for 10.0 minimum compression and a set of 370 gears at least.
Years ago the 410 was the way to build the 390.
Those parts are getting hard to find.
I used to like anything but a chevy.
I have never needed Hardened seats in any vehicle and I have driven many 50's and 60's engines and drove them hard.
The trick to make them live with unleaded fuel is TUNE.
DO NOT let the engine preignite if it is pinging get your foot out of it and tune it ..Pull timing or add octane.
That eats the seats in short time.. run good air filters that seal also.
Now if you have had those seats ground a lot then the hardness could be gone.
Like if they were sunk and you ground them as sunken.
If they are sunk now then the tune was off. If they are not sunk I would touch up the seats and run them.
Folks machine shop in Norman used to be excellent many years ago ..then they got the 460 compressor contract and lost touch with the every day guy.
Now they are back to their roots of doing excellent work. That is where I go.
If I order .0045" piston to wall clearance that is what I get.
They have a dyno and flow bench if you are into that.
You can get adjustable rocker kits for the FE if you want all that.
https://www.cnc-motorsports.com/prw...-mount-stainless-steel-rocker-arms-42380.html
If it was my build I would do some milling and decking of the heads and block and port the heads and stick a 268H cam in it.
If I was using it as a daily driver tow truck.
If I wanted more power maybe a 280H or something like that and shoot for 10.0 minimum compression and a set of 370 gears at least.
Years ago the 410 was the way to build the 390.
Those parts are getting hard to find.
I used to like anything but a chevy.
That shop has Not been around for many years now Rick closed it and and then later went to work for Dell.
They promised things to him and did not deliver. comes back around you know.
Rick is in bad health.
He was a friend and I had them do 1 cylinder head for me ..just valve guides and new valves and valve job. double hump head.
I put them together and noticed lose valve guides and told him and the guy that did the work and they said it was fine. yep fine for 2 weeks and I was racing a guy on my V65 magna against my Nova I went 11.51 on the bike like clock work and I weighed 205 in leather with helmet.. he was 145 lbs.
He raced turbo bikes and I knew the nova could beat the bike . I was 1/2 a bike length behind him in the Nova we went 3 times.
I took the car to the house and all cylinders cranked 245psi except one which was 65 psi.
Valve guide went south and valve beat the seat up.
Blue chip would not stand behind it. said the guy that did the work they let go. BS he was right there.
Anyway I had them stick a new guide in it and pull the 1.94 valve and install a 2.02 in that hole.
Still cost me for that like 25 bucks.
Sorry rambling on.
Yea the Nova was quick and fast back then (176MPH) and I still pulled my boat to lock 16 for some fishing. Not bad for naturally aspirated 350 with old iron heads and flat tappet cam on 91 octane.
Heck a stock 4 door dodge can run that fast today. But I bet he can't get there in 3/4 of a mile
They promised things to him and did not deliver. comes back around you know.
Rick is in bad health.
He was a friend and I had them do 1 cylinder head for me ..just valve guides and new valves and valve job. double hump head.
I put them together and noticed lose valve guides and told him and the guy that did the work and they said it was fine. yep fine for 2 weeks and I was racing a guy on my V65 magna against my Nova I went 11.51 on the bike like clock work and I weighed 205 in leather with helmet.. he was 145 lbs.
He raced turbo bikes and I knew the nova could beat the bike . I was 1/2 a bike length behind him in the Nova we went 3 times.
I took the car to the house and all cylinders cranked 245psi except one which was 65 psi.
Valve guide went south and valve beat the seat up.
Blue chip would not stand behind it. said the guy that did the work they let go. BS he was right there.
Anyway I had them stick a new guide in it and pull the 1.94 valve and install a 2.02 in that hole.
Still cost me for that like 25 bucks.
Sorry rambling on.
Yea the Nova was quick and fast back then (176MPH) and I still pulled my boat to lock 16 for some fishing. Not bad for naturally aspirated 350 with old iron heads and flat tappet cam on 91 octane.
Heck a stock 4 door dodge can run that fast today. But I bet he can't get there in 3/4 of a mile
