safe FE revs...

[RedneckTexan]

Well Rednecks do know how to GIT-R-DONE!

[mrtleavitt]

For RPM for an FE, 5500 is the point of no return I found by personal experience. I was racing a 98 Dodge Dakota with a turbo 360. I was trying to pull away and wasn't paying attention to the tach. The next weekend I was pulling my engine and rebuilding the top end. It was a few years ago, I think I was a senior in high school. I've learned my lesson and now I don't let the engine past 4500 RPM which is still dang high for an FE.

[sideoilerfe]

I've bounced my390 off 5500 more than a few times and it just smokes the tires. I held my old stock warn out 390 2V to the floor once to see how long of a black mark I could make and it was between 4700-4900 for about 35-45 seconds. that mark was there for a year and a half. FE's are built like a tank.

[BobbyFord]

It all depends on the cam, intake, carb, balancing, etc.
When mashed, my mildly built 390 in my '63 shifts at 6,000 rpm's. It's been that way now for 107,000 miles with no problems.

[FORD428CJ]

Here are some specs for ya on stockers!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FE_engine

[montana_hiboy]

I don't think you can get a stock truck FE to 5000 if you try. They don't make any power past 4000.

I don't think my FE has ever seen over 3500. No reason to wind it that tight.

my FE rarely see's the other side of 3200, it's a truck not a ricer.

[averagef250]

The stock cam/carb/intake/exhaust is made specifically for off idle to 3500 power. Just enough RPM to get into the next gear and move heavy loads with real torque.

FE's make ridiculous torque for what they are. With the mild 390 I used to have in my 70 I ran the Crane 901 cam that was an aggressive "RV" type cam and sported an off idle to 4500 powerband. My seat of the pants dyno put that engine at around 375 HP and very near the 500 lb/ft mark.

Now that engine was no drag race special, but I'd kinda doubt anyone who hasn't driven a very hot big block would have the nuts to shift that thing at 4500. It flat got on it and it did it at RPM's that are considered "very low" for most other engines. I rarely shifted that thing above 2500 for daily driving and pretty sure it never saw over 3500 for even the heaviest towing getting up to speed to merge on the freeway.

If you have a truck FE and you're running that thing over 4000 regularly you need to get yourself something with a small block or better yet a Honda.

[19674x4]

ya. i needed to hear the ol girl rumble today, so i ran it up 6k, i kid you not, but let right back off.

[Chaseman]

And I've recently have done some math and figured out my rpms , to find out my truck is a dog anything over 3400 to 3500 , I mean it falls on it's face.
So I haven't really needed to go past that.


360 with 1966 390gt intake and duel exhaust being the only different stuff.

[DuckRyder]

For a stock truck FE id say there is no point in going over 4000 and it will be floating valves between 45-5000.

Now, mine regularly runs 6800...