1968 390 FI Heads?

Ok, here is one for Rob, Arlie, Neil..etc.

I had the heads pulled off my 390 recently, to find out exactly why I was getting little to no compression in three cylinders. Good news was the heads were completely free of cracks and any other issues. Bad news, which was expected, that the valves, springs...etc needed to be replaced. I had the heads sent in to a local guy and they just came back yesterday. My mechanic relayed to me what the head guy said, which was that I have a set of FI heads, not FE heads. He says they are very rare, and that if they ever do crack, that they will be extremely hard to replace, if at all.

I've done a little research on the internet and cannot find anything about FI heads so far. Can one, or more of you please educate me on what I am being told? I may have heard the guy wrong as well. I will be swinging by the shop tomorrow to take some pictures and get the part number from the heads.

Thank you, in advance. :thumb:

Cameron

FI as in fuel injection? What, are they drilled for thermactor tubes?

Is it the original engine? Could he have said, "FT"?

I believe it is the original motor, both my mechanic and this head guy think it is original. I will get some pictures and part numbers for sure tomorrow. It may have been FT, my mechanic is a little hard to understand on the phone. Never heard of FT either, I've only known FE to be associate with big block Ford motors. Just as a reminder, if the VIN is stamped on the motor, it will be on a flat plate that faces the firewall on the back of the heads? I know the small blocks have it on top of the block.

It's definitely not fuel injection, the motor is stock through and through. It did come factory with the Canadian Non-Emission System.

Are you sure he did not say GT heads. They are far more rare than the standard FE heads.
Marty

It's my understanding that FE is Ford Edsel, and FT is Ford Truck. FT parts are much stronger.

I have never heard of FT or FI in association with the FE series of big block Ford engines. I have heard of both "Ford Edsel" and "Ford Engine" as to what FE means. The corporate knowledge on FE motors is fast disappearing.

Get the cast numbers off the heads. They are between the center spark plug holes. also take a pic of the holes for the Exhaust manifolds to bolt onto. My guess is they are a GT head of some variant for 1968. The only exhaust manifolds that will allow the use of a big block FE in a 67/68 Mustang are either 428 Cobra Jet or GT 390 manifolds.

Send us a shot of your exhaust manifolds.

Rob

Here's where I got my information regarding FT vs. FE.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FE_engine

"FE" derives from 'Ford-Edsel.'[1] Versions of the FE line designed for use in medium and heavy trucks and school buses from 1964 through 1978 were known as "FT," for 'Ford-Truck,'[2] and differed primarily by having steel (instead of nodular iron) crankshafts, larger crank snouts, different distributor shafts, different water pumps and a greater use of iron for its parts.

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FE/FT engine displacements

Displacement Type Bore+0.0036/-0.0000 Stroke+/-0.004
330 cu in (5.4 L) FT 3.8750 in (98.43 mm) 3.500 in (88.9 mm)
332 cu in (5.4 L) FE 4.0000 in (101.60 mm) 3.300 in (83.8 mm)
352 cu in (5.8 L) FE 4.0000 in (101.60 mm) 3.500 in (88.9 mm)
359 cu in (5.9 L) FT 4.0500 in (102.87 mm) 3.500 in (88.9 mm)
360 cu in (5.9 L) FE 4.0500 in (102.87 mm) 3.500 in (88.9 mm)
361 cu in (5.9 L) FE 4.0500 in (102.87 mm) 3.500 in (88.9 mm)
361 cu in (5.9 L) FT 4.0500 in (102.87 mm) 3.500 in (88.9 mm)
389 cu in (6.4 L) FT 4.0500 in (102.87 mm) 3.784 in (96.1 mm)
390 cu in (6.4 L) FE 4.0500 in (102.87 mm) 3.784 in (96.1 mm)
391 cu in (6.4 L) FT 4.0500 in (102.87 mm) 3.786 in (96.2 mm)
396 cu in (6.5 L) FE 4.2328 in (107.51 mm) 3.514 in (89.3 mm)
406 cu in (6.7 L) FE 4.1300 in (104.90 mm) 3.784 in (96.1 mm)
410 cu in (6.7 L) FE 4.0500 in (102.87 mm) 3.984 in (101.2 mm)
427 cu in (7.0 L) FE 4.2328 in (107.51 mm) 3.784 in (96.1 mm)
428 cu in (7.0 L) FE 4.1300 in (104.90 mm) 3.984 in (101.2 mm)

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Here's another good site.
http://www.diyford.com/choose-ford-fe-engine-factory-cylinder-heads/

Sounds and looks like they are GT Heads. I will download the pictures tonight and get them posted. The heads from my 390 have the extra set of holes for exhaust manifolds. My mechanic had to order a second set of gaskets because of this. Marty and Rob were spot on!

Still couldn't find the VIN stamp on the motor, but everything points to this being true numbers matching car, which is pretty neat.

Cameron

Gents, here are the pictures.

Looks like the numbers on the outside of the casting are C6AE-U from one head and the other is C7A3-A. The casting numbers on top inside of the heads are 6D26 and 6J20 respectively, on the bottom where the heads seat on the lower block you can see a small 14. The manifold bolt pattern is clear, 4 bolts holes for the outside cylinders and 3 for the inside cylinders. Let me know if that clears anything up. If I need to get the last casting number from the outside of the heads I will see if I can get it tomorrow morning, if they haven't been installed.

Cameron

According to my Ford Muscle Parts Identifier book that was published in 1992, the C6AE-U is a 1966 390 GT head. The C7A3-A is more than likely a C7AE-A and is a 428 GT-500 head. Both are identical in valve size and combustion chamber size and were drilled for the GT-390 unique exhaust pattern. A 390 Galaxie head would not be drilled the same way in that era.

That said my guess is they are both original to you engine and your car. The 6D26 date code is an April 26 1966 date. The 6J20 is a September 20 1966 date and would have a C7 cast number as the 1967 year starts in late August early September. Thus an early 1967 GT-390 head that could also be used on a 428 in 1967.

The GT-390 engine was certainly a limited production engine when compared to the 289/302 of the 1967/1968 era. Parts sat on the shelves for months and months and were installed when the 390 option was checked.

So not to worry, I bet they are original to your block and car. To the best of my knowledge. Seldom are the cast dates on a given pair of original heads the same. The 1965 K-code I just restored had the same cast date on each head. Very rare.

Rob

And Arlie is correct. After reviewing these numbers the term FT is used and they seem to be Truck engines sizes.

Rob

Info sharing...

I'm no gearhead like the other residents in here. But i went through the same thing when the X code came home last year. I noted every casting and id number i could find on my block top to bottom. Took them and did extensive research to compare what i had. As far as years are concerned its not all 68 era. Some are but some are also dated earlier which is common and unconcerning. I recall my intake manifold casting # to match it as a truck manifold. My exhaust manifolds are hodge podge also...66 and 67 years if i recall correctly and definately not the 390ci sized ones. More like whatever they could get to fit in there at the time.

One interesting fact is I pulled the starter and there was no casting partial vin number on the usual spot on block. . Not even a hint of oh it might have been there but paint or otherwise has masked it. Nothing. I decided not to worry bout that either. Sorry if i hijacked just info sharing. Any one have an answer for that one?

Edward Bodoh said:

I'm no gearhead like the other residents in here. But i went through the same thing when the X code came home last year. I noted every casting and id number i could find on my block top to bottom. Took them and did extensive research to compare what i had. As far as years are concerned its not all 68 era. Some are but some are also dated earlier which is common and unconcerning. I recall my intake manifold casting # to match it as a truck manifold. My exhaust manifolds are hodge podge also...66 and 67 years if i recall correctly and definately not the 390ci sized ones. More like whatever they could get to fit in there at the time.

One interesting fact is I pulled the starter and there was no casting partial vin number on the usual spot on block. . Not even a hint of oh it might have been there but paint or otherwise has masked it. Nothing. I decided not to worry bout that either. Sorry if i hijacked just info sharing. Any one have an answer for that one?

Click to expand...

Edward,
I would submit that your exhaust manifolds are the same as a GT-390 exhaust manifolds. They are the only manifolds other than a 428
Cobra Jet manifold that will fit in the 1968 Mustang shock tower. But if they are different, then I would love a picture of them.

Rob