Experiences swapping an FE in an early bronco

[Dylancahill55]

Looking for info from anyone who has seen or swapped an fe into an early bronco. About to begin putting a 406 in my 72 and looking for any header options and pictures of it done. Any tips welcome. What I’m thinking is running a motor plate setup to give me more room for header routing and clearance for clutch linkage but I’m also considering running fenderwell headers with a light trim at the back of the wheel wells. I have a 3 inch body lift so there’s a bunch of room there. I’m also running an np435,205 combo.

 

[Timmy390]

I love FE's hence the Timmy390 BUT....not in a Bronco. The FE is HUGE, and HEAVY. My 390 is 10 pounds of goodness stuffed in a 5 pound bag called a Mach 1. Changing plugs is a total pain and it took 6 hours to install headers. Oh did I mention heat? The Bronco generally has issues with staying cool anyway but you stuff an FE in there and you will have issues with keeping it cool. My stang likes to heat up in stop and go traffic and it has twice the radiator a Bronco has. Lets not forget transmission. You will more than likely have to run a C6 and that's not a good choice for a Bronco either. Has it been done.....Yes by a few.

If you want big cubes in a Bronco, go 351W stroked to 408. You will me much happier, it will run cooler, trans options are really what ever you want to run and no cutting. Stock cooling system will work too. Plenty of power.......My mild build will boil my 33's IF I want to. I barked 3rd the other day.......didn't mean to but did.....

Tim

 

[DirtDonk]

I’m guessing you already own an FE and a bronco and are just going to get it done no matter what.
I pretty much agree with everything Timmy said, but if you’re committed…

Speaking of heat though, I would make sure that before any body work is done or any other items are in the way (like an engine and transmission) already have a design in mind for heat shields.
And probably thermal barrier all the floor pans and firewall and cowl.
Just to keep the interior temperature manageable.

For header’s contact Sanderson. There are probably custom header makers out there that could do it as well, but Sanderson is always a good first check.

 

[Dylancahill55]

I love FE's hence the Timmy390 BUT....not in a Bronco. The FE is HUGE, and HEAVY. My 390 is 10 pounds of goodness stuffed in a 5 pound bag called a Mach 1. Changing plugs is a total pain and it took 6 hours to install headers. Oh did I mention heat? The Bronco generally has issues with staying cool anyway but you stuff an FE in there and you will have issues with keeping it cool. My stang likes to heat up in stop and go traffic and it has twice the radiator a Bronco has. Lets not forget transmission. You will more than likely have to run a C6 and that's not a good choice for a Bronco either. Has it been done.....Yes by a few.

If you want big cubes in a Bronco, go 351W stroked to 408. You will me much happier, it will run cooler, trans options are really what ever you want to run and no cutting. Stock cooling system will work too. Plenty of power.......My mild build will boil my 33's IF I want to. I barked 3rd the other day.......didn't mean to but did.....

Tim

It’s simply that I have an FE. It’s rarely done and an exeptionally reliable one. I agree a 408 would be cool but the cost is pretty high. I want something with good torque running 87 octane and being reliable. It doesn’t appear to be that hard of a fit: I am going to begin mock-up pretty soon. I’m just not interested in doing a Windsor frankly and I’m not going to be happier with one because I don’t want one. I’m hoping got-broncos will comment on this post considering he’s done the conversion I just can’t find any info on what he did

 

[Timmy390]

An FE is 3inches wider, 3 inches longer, and 1 1/2 inches taller than a 302 per what I read but it sure looks bigger sitting side by side.....

As for Got-Bronco Send him a PM.......

Tim

 

[bmc69]

There is a long-time member on here that has/had several EBs but the one he wheels the hardest has a 390 in it. Does just fine. My main squeeze trail rig for years was sporting a built 400..another heavy engine.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Sometimes the hardest and most expensive way of doing something starts with already having the wrong part to start with, even if "free"

 

[bronco italiano]

Some will call pushrod motors "dated", and that is BS. The FE and SBF are as reliable as it gets. FE is just beast!!

 

[nvrstuk]

I'm all about banging my head against the wall until I "get what I want... because" but sometimes there's a better way.

You say a 408 is expensive? Not understanding that. The FE could be sold and pay for the entire 408 build that would run on 87 octane and extremely reliable. Just don't see how you can be concerned about those two points.

Not wanting a Windsor, that's fine.

Your build and your dream and we all respect that, just letting you know the issues we've had or others we know have had. Gotta think about making a tall, narrow, high COG vehicle that already has a terrible front to rear weight distribution ratio even worse by adding another unneeded 100+ lbs over the front axle. This alone would be enough for me to not go this route, but it's not my build.

Have fun.

 

[bmc69]

Have fun, hope you like it and not wish you'd gone with a lighter transplant down the road.

I was pleasantly surprised how well my trail rig did with the heavy 400/NP435/NP205 combination. It bested many a lighter rig in some pretty gnarly conditions, especially when it came to climbing. It handled everything I threw it at, from Tellico, Paragon, the Cove/Big Dogs and so on. The only real "negative" was how easily the 500 ft-lb monster broke driveline components.

 

[Timmy390]

The only real "negative" was how easily the 500 ft-lb monster broke driveline components.

There is that......

Tim

 

[BUCKWILD]

i put a 460 in a bronco but had to move the radiator behind the seats to cool it. its about the same size as an fe. I dont recomend the swap

 

[nvrstuk]

Not trying to say heavy FE's or 460's don't work but if you had a choice there are advantages to other powerplants. Fun to see different stuff in EB's. That's what make them "ours".

Torque kills parts. FE's have a ton of it and torque idles ya up the cliff face and I like that.

Weight also kills parts. Weight has a ton of disadvantages. If I ever built my Bronco from scratch again I'd cut 500 pounds off of it. Problem with cutting more is good cage, winch, bumpers, rock ski's, 213# transmission, t-cases weigh more, HD frt and rear axles, 40"s on all corners... yeah, it adds up SO fast!

 

[Timmy390]

You can lighten up an FE with aluminum intake, heads and water pump but I'm stating what everyone already knows. As you lighten the FE you do the same to your wallet. Trust me, I know LOL

Tim

 

[nvrstuk]

I understand that!!

I pulled a 501 Caddy engine out of an Eldorado with appr 50k miles back in 1999. I had it sitting on my shop floor for a couple years while I fought my dream of torque and hp on the cheap. AA makes the 455 adapter and it bolts up. I had a frt D60 sitting there next to it. Cheap was the key word. I could afford an alum intake for the Cad but not heads.

I sold both because I didn't want the additional weight over the front end as I already couldn't drive anywhere in 2" of snow unless I was in 4wd. I had about 300+# of steel plate bolted together and chained to my roll cage at the tailgate to try to help with the balance and get some weight on the rear axle. Royal pita to load it, bolt it together and then chain it to my cage but it was the only way to make it driveable for the winter.

 

[ntsqd]

See you take that Cad 500 apart and go looking for some Mopar 413 con-rods. I think pistons too, but would need to research it a bit. Bore the Cad to the Mopar's +.06" bore size and offset grind the Cad crank down to the 413 rod journal size. Gets you a 541 ci Cad. Because, you know, the 500 ft-lbs that the Cad had stock isn't enough torque......

As to an FE in anything that didn't come with one, I guess that I don't understand why. I'd sooner build a Cleveland type 400 if I wanted something different.

 

[nvrstuk]

TS- THAT would be one cool build and something I could attempt now for "different" but not back in kids & mortgages days.

Dang, 541cubes... I might have done that last fall if I'd known I would have to wait 8 months for warranty on my Ford Perf block...

Caddy's aren't as common now but alum intake, alum heads, 531 cubes and at least 650/650 with something under the hood no one would recognize would be cool. Especially if you removed that big honking distributor sticking out the drivers side!

 

[lars]

Well gosh, folks, I think the OP made it pretty clear that he is going to install an FE in his Bronco. Not gonna be a Windsor, obviously not gonna be a Cad, duh. Rather than trying to talk him out of it, pontificating about Windsors or going off on tangents about other potentially cool installs, let's offer him support on installing an FE and seeing where it leads. Doing otherwise just means he won't be back. What's the point of that? I have nothing to add but I'd like to read about the build if the OP continues to share.

 

[bmc69]

I'd sooner build a Cleveland type 400 if I wanted something different.

That's what I was running in my '69 trail rig. It worked out very well....routine breakage excepted...

 

[bmc69]

I've got several spare 534 Super Duty engines..maybe I should try one of those in an EB. ;-)

Butt seriously, I'm all about putting "different" engines in EBs. Heck, just look at my sig line...and that flathead ain't light either.