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valve covers

quicknick

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
344
Location
Michigan
I have an old set of Mickey Thompson aluminium finned valve covers I took off my old 429 Torino. They are in need of a good polishing, but no cracks or damage. $175.00 plus shipping. Let me know if you are interested. Nicholas
 

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
[quote author=twoclassics link=board=3;threadid=2150;start=0#msg14568 date=1127093879]
Thanks Nick, I am looking for the correct powered by ford covers Chuck
[/quote]

did you get my email with the pics? I have a set of originals
 

quicknick

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
344
Location
Michigan
Moses, The ebay link you posted above is a set of valve covers for a FE engine, not for a big block engine. :p
 

Russ

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Messages
393
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
Chuck, I have a pair of original Ford, big block, 429 valve covers. They are finned covers and still have the original Ford emission sticker. I believe they are for a later engine than a '68, though. If you are interested, let me know.

Russ
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,009
Ok you big block guys here is the question of the week. I've been told that the 390-428 block is not the same architecture as the 429-460 block, that basically nothing interchanges. Is that true? Also, is the 390 block in the same family as the old 352?
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,009
[quote author=Mosesatm link=board=3;threadid=2150;start=0#msg14593 date=1127240797]
Ok you big block guys here is the question of the week. I've been told that the 390-428 block is not the same architecture as the 429-460 block, that basically nothing interchanges. Is that true? Also, is the 390 block in the same family as the old 352?
[/quote]

Never mind. I found the answer....I think.

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~stanchfi/specs.html
 

quicknick

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
344
Location
Michigan
As the son and nephew of 2 Ford engineers, it was beat into my head at an early age exactly what the Ford engine families consisted of.
My father and uncle put 32 years in at Fords EEE engine design center in Dearborn and always preached the following to me.......
" The Cleveland and FE engine families are NOT big blocks and should not be termed as such. They are what they are, Clevelands and FE's.
The term "Big block" is reserved for the 429,430,460 engine family".
This is what I have always been taught.
When you asked for big block valve covers, my 429 set came to mind as we own SCJ Torino's here.
Please feel free to call your engines whatever you want. I am not trying to preach, just pass on the info I was taught. You just can't do it around this politically correct family.
Just my 2 cents.
 

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
[quote author=quicknick link=board=3;threadid=2150;start=0#msg14602 date=1127279396]
As the son and nephew of 2 Ford engineers, it was beat into my head at an early age exactly what the Ford engine families consisted of.
My father and uncle put 32 years in at Fords EEE engine design center in Dearborn and always preached the following to me.......
" The Cleveland and FE engine families are NOT big blocks and should not be termed as such. They are what they are, Clevelands and FE's.
The term "Big block" is reserved for the 429,430,460 engine family".
This is what I have always been taught.
When you asked for big block valve covers, my 429 set came to mind as we own SCJ Torino's here.
Please feel free to call your engines whatever you want. I am not trying to preach, just pass on the info I was taught. You just can't do it around this politically correct family.
Just my 2 cents.
[/quote]

sooooooo you are saying all the 428's are not big blocks? ???
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,009
If we all agree that a 289 is a small block then what is an FE?
 

quicknick

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
344
Location
Michigan
I just had an interesting chat with my Dad once again on this topic.
He stuck his finger in my face and emphatically told me that ALL FE engines (including all 428's Jason) are not big blocks. They are FE's and that is the correct term. "If you can put 428 cj heads on a 460, then you can call it a big block"(his quote)
Ford had 5 different engine families, not 2 like Chevy.
He calls 390 and 428's "mid blocks" for lack of a better slang term.
But as time passed, these engines took on slang terms of thier own.
As I stated before, Im not preaching or trying to convince anyone to change thier mindset. Call them what you want. Nuff said on this tired topic.
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,009
Then I vote for continuing to call them "big blocks" even if using such a term exposes us as ignorant rubes!
 

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
[quote author=Mosesatm link=board=3;threadid=2150;start=15#msg14610 date=1127317986]
Then I vote for continuing to call them "big blocks" even if using such a term exposes us as ignorant rubes!


[/quote]

ditto. 8)
 

68gt390

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
2,021
Location
Columbus, Ohio
[quote author=quicknick link=board=3;threadid=2150;start=0#msg14602 date=1127279396]
As the son and nephew of 2 Ford engineers, it was beat into my head at an early age exactly what the Ford engine families consisted of.
My father and uncle put 32 years in at Fords EEE engine design center in Dearborn and always preached the following to me.......
" The Cleveland and FE engine families are NOT big blocks and should not be termed as such. They are what they are, Clevelands and FE's.
The term "Big block" is reserved for the 429,430,460 engine family".
This is what I have always been taught.
When you asked for big block valve covers, my 429 set came to mind as we own SCJ Torino's here.
Please feel free to call your engines whatever you want. I am not trying to preach, just pass on the info I was taught. You just can't do it around this politically correct family.
Just my 2 cents.
[/quote]

Interesting, FE motors are not "Big Blocks". I've discussed this very subject with several ex-Ford mechanics and they agree the FE motor's are in fact Big Blocks that have been around for years. Take a look at the link below:

http://www.mustangandfords.com/techarticles/15999/

Enjoy the article. Hey Arlie, I'm with you, my 390 is still a "BIG BLOCK".

Don ::)
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,009
[quote author=quicknick link=board=3;threadid=2150;start=0#msg14609 date=1127317744]
I just had an interesting chat with my Dad once again on this topic.
He stuck his finger in my face and emphatically told me that ALL FE engines (including all 428's Jason) are not big blocks. They are FE's and that is the correct term. "If you can put 428 cj heads on a 460, then you can call it a big block"(his quote)
Ford had 5 different engine families, not 2 like Chevy.
He calls 390 and 428's "mid blocks" for lack of a better slang term.
But as time passed, these engines took on slang terms of thier own.
As I stated before, Im not preaching or trying to convince anyone to change thier mindset. Call them what you want. Nuff said on this tired topic.
[/quote]

What are the 5 different Ford engine families? I can think of the flatheads, the 260/289 family, the FEs, the 429/460s, and the 5.0s. Would that be close?

BTW, it sounds like your father needs to get a life, or get laid, or take a vacation, or something! ::)
 

rvrtrash

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
The 5.0 (302) is part of the 260/289/351W family. The 351 Cleveland (and 351/400 modified I guess) was a seperate series called, if I remember correctly, the 385 series. Then of course you'd have to add the new modular engines.
Steve
 
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