• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

331 Stroker, 347 Stroker, or 351W? Custom built or crate?

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
5,883
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
So is it possible to be 3, 4, and 5?

I break stuff…
I need a truck that runs now…..
I have an LS in everything 😬🤐

I think we’ve rabbit holed way past past the OP’s question all the way to the gutter… but I hope he has enough info to work with.
 

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
Multi-tasker are you?? lol
 
OP
OP
Sendero

Sendero

Contributor
Sr. Jr. Member
Joined
May 12, 2022
Messages
63
OK, I suppose that I need to build an application matrix, and start giving advice in bins. There are a couple of bins that include people who are made of money, and people who build vs buy. and people who start projects, and people who finish them. Then there are the people who use their stuff, and there's people who leave it on the trailer.

If you have a spot in your garage for twisted off axles, shafts, and broken gears, and you have felt a 35 spline 9 inch ARB slipping at 80 psi...you get a special place in the matrix.
If you have a Bronco in your garage, covered in laundry, with the engine under a tarp in the backyard, and $25K of new Bronco vendor parts still in the box...you get different advice.
If your Bronco is still running, and has something that looks like an old plow welded to the frame horns, and will start if you have a screwdriver...you get different advice.
And if you are pulling parts off of one Bronco to keep the other Bronco running, you get different advice.

There are people that think spending $500 on an engine is too much. There are people that think spending $5k is too little. The Bronco world was much less complex when Broncos were cheap and plentiful. Please forgive me. When the OP @Sendero started with: "I have a 92 5.0 leftover..." I pretty much put him in the "budget" category. The fact that he mandated a Manual Transmission place him in the "I'm actually going to drive it" category. and the "I got time..." means I'm not afraid to do work. And "reputable engine manufacturer" means I'm willing to pay some, but I don't want to get ripped off.

I'm pretty sure that @Jarrett h and his Coyote swapped trailer queens didn't start their builds with: "I got a burned out 92 Mustang..."

So am I the ONLY person that regrets building a fully forged 5.0 roller 347? Yeah, maybe. But I wanted the 8.2 deck so that my induction would fit under the hood. Yeah, I ran SRP flat tops, Eagle Crank, H-beam rods,neutral balance with an E-303 cam with 185 AFR heads, and GT40 induction. And I built it myself, and it wasn't cheap. And yeah, I bought the Motorsport M6010-Boss302 4 bolt main block...just so that I could get a clutch pivot boss cast in the block. And when I got ALL done, I realized that I had invented a really expensive 351W. And I never spun it over 5K rpm, and it was a dumb idea.
When I built my Coyote, I realized that everything on a Coyote just barely doesn't fit. The accessory drive, and lack of OEM parts means that every one of them will be obsolete in 10 years. Most of them are obsolete already. God help you if you need to change a cam phaser and you have an early Gen 1. If you own a Coyote, and you haven't Googled "typewriter tick" then I recommend that you don't. And just remain blissfully ignorant.

So, long intro to a simple answer:
1. More money than brains: Coyote 5.0
2. More time than money: 1996 Ford 351W.
3. I break shit, and like to go fast, and when someone is stuck, they call me: Blueprint 408W.
4. I ain't rich, and I need a Bronco that runs now: Mustang 5.0.
5. I need cheap reliable horsepower, I have no friends, and I don't want any: LS swap.

Done.
I like the direction you are heading here but allow me to help categorize myself.

This bronco was a hunting vehicle while I was a kid and I learned to drive on it. We lost the hunting land and it sat for years before I disassembled it when I was a teenager. There is more to the story but to make it short, the project was never finished and I have thought about it every day for 15 years.

Fast forward to now and I am finally in a spot where I can afford to build my dream bronco and I am budgeting approximately 50-60k with a completion time of 18 months. I have small children and run a company so I am pretty limited on time. Therefore my plan is to subcontract out as much as possible (axle builds, engine build, paint, body, and interior). I plan to do the all other work and assembly.

I can afford a coyote but don’t think I really want one. I want my bronco to sound like an old sbf, not a 2017 mustang. When you open the hood, I want it to be a classic look. If not, I probably would go with something unique like an OM606, 4BT, or an LS swap because I like the controversy. However, I don’t want to take on the additional work and would prefer a configuration that bolts right up as I want to actually finish this project and I want it to work well. At this point, It sounds like I should go with a mildly built 351w crate motor.

Below are my build specs, feel free to poke holes in it. I plan to drive this bronco weekly in all weather and do some light off roading with it. I want it to be nice but I’m not afraid to use it or put miles on it as I will never sell it.

351w crate?
NV3550
D20, beefed up?
9” rear with 3:73 gears
D44 front
Duck tuff 2.5” lift
1” body lift
33” tires
Power steering
Power brakes
Power windows
Power step
Hard top
A/C
Leather interior
 

lars

Contributor
Been here awhile
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
3,039
Loc.
NorCal flatlands
No. Pull the 5.0 out of the 92 and run it as-is, stone stock in the Bronco.

Only a fool would stroke an 8.2 deck small block Ford in a Bronco. There is plenty of room for the 351W. So why would you ever make the spend? If all things were equal, then a 331, or a 347 makes sense. But all things are not equal. You can get a roller 351W from a 96 F150 for $750. You HAVE a roller 302 from a 92 Mustang 5.0. It's not even a question.

And you don't want to put 400 Horsepower in front of a NV3550. If I did that, I would break it.
And you don't want 400 HP in a Bronco. You won't use it, you can't get it to the ground, you don't need it, and if you do ever get it hooked up...you can't steer it, or stop it.

Do youself a favor, and stop looking at magazines, and speed shops, and stop bench racing. Take all the money that you were going to spend on your stroker, and buy induction, exhaust, fuel management, fuel supply, brakes, and suspension. Build a solid, reliable, bulletproof and streetable 240 Horsepower. Then drive it like you stole it.

Let me assure you that it is vastly more fun to drive a slow car fast...than to drive a fast car slow.
That's my $.02.
Ah, James. You are right. Who would want 400 HP in a Bronco? 450 is better :cool:
 

lars

Contributor
Been here awhile
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
3,039
Loc.
NorCal flatlands
I should add that my Blueprint 408, which dyno'd at 467HP/505ft-lb is actually easier to drive than my good ole' Explorer 5.0 was, amazingly manages the same (lack of) fuel economy on the highway, and pulls when I need it to. My Bronco tips the scales at 5300 pounds, so even the apparently impressive HP/torque numbers get muted a bit. It's fun to put my foot into it, but it's driving through an NV4500 and there's just no way to make that combo feel like a hotrod, so I don't. Which causes me to not break things, even though the engine could if that wasn't a concern.
 

Jaybr

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
529
Based on your original post, I'd say Blueprint 306 Bronco edition would meet your needs, and requires less modifications than a 351 which is wider and taller. I have two of them but haven't started them up yet so don't have any personal experience driving one yet, but there are plenty out there if you need opinions. One of mine is getting a new AX15 that I purchased from WIldHorses.
 
OP
OP
Sendero

Sendero

Contributor
Sr. Jr. Member
Joined
May 12, 2022
Messages
63
So is it possible to be 3, 4, and 5?
I break stuff…
I need a truck that runs now…..
I have an LS in everything 😬🤐

I think we’ve rabbit holed way past past the OP’s question all the way to the gutter… but I hope he has enough info to work with.
OK, I suppose that I need to build an application matrix, and start giving advice in bins. There are a couple of bins that include people who are made of money, and people who build vs buy. and people who start projects, and people who finish them. Then there are the people who use their stuff, and there's people who leave it on the trailer.

If you have a spot in your garage for twisted off axles, shafts, and broken gears, and you have felt a 35 spline 9 inch ARB slipping at 80 psi...you get a special place in the matrix.
If you have a Bronco in your garage, covered in laundry, with the engine under a tarp in the backyard, and $25K of new Bronco vendor parts still in the box...you get different advice.
If your Bronco is still running, and has something that looks like an old plow welded to the frame horns, and will start if you have a screwdriver...you get different advice.
And if you are pulling parts off of one Bronco to keep the other Bronco running, you get different advice.

There are people that think spending $500 on an engine is too much. There are people that think spending $5k is too little. The Bronco world was much less complex when Broncos were cheap and plentiful. Please forgive me. When the OP @Sendero started with: "I have a 92 5.0 leftover..." I pretty much put him in the "budget" category. The fact that he mandated a Manual Transmission place him in the "I'm actually going to drive it" category. and the "I got time..." means I'm not afraid to do work. And "reputable engine manufacturer" means I'm willing to pay some, but I don't want to get ripped off.

I'm pretty sure that @Jarrett h and his Coyote swapped trailer queens didn't start their builds with: "I got a burned out 92 Mustang..."

So am I the ONLY person that regrets building a fully forged 5.0 roller 347? Yeah, maybe. But I wanted the 8.2 deck so that my induction would fit under the hood. Yeah, I ran SRP flat tops, Eagle Crank, H-beam rods,neutral balance with an E-303 cam with 185 AFR heads, and GT40 induction. And I built it myself, and it wasn't cheap. And yeah, I bought the Motorsport M6010-Boss302 4 bolt main block...just so that I could get a clutch pivot boss cast in the block. And when I got ALL done, I realized that I had invented a really expensive 351W. And I never spun it over 5K rpm, and it was a dumb idea.
When I built my Coyote, I realized that everything on a Coyote just barely doesn't fit. The accessory drive, and lack of OEM parts means that every one of them will be obsolete in 10 years. Most of them are obsolete already. God help you if you need to change a cam phaser and you have an early Gen 1. If you own a Coyote, and you haven't Googled "typewriter tick" then I recommend that you don't. And just remain blissfully ignorant.

So, long intro to a simple answer:
1. More money than brains: Coyote 5.0
2. More time than money: 1996 Ford 351W.
3. I break shit, and like to go fast, and when someone is stuck, they call me: Blueprint 408W.
4. I ain't rich, and I need a Bronco that runs now: Mustang 5.0.
5. I need cheap reliable horsepower, I have no friends, and I don't want any: LS swap.

Done.
Would you mind educating me on the different engines and deck heights and which ones fit in an early bronco? I want to put an aftermarket fuel injection with a classic air cleaner and I want it to fit under a factory hood. Does my 92 block pose a problem or is it just the large intake that does? Thanks.
 

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
5.0 (302) based engines have a deck height of appr. 8.2"
5.8 (351W) based engines have a deck height of appr. 9.5"

The 351W fits under a stock hood. Your intake manifold is usually the deciding factor for generating clearance issues as it's harder and more expensive to swap out.

Look up Edelbrock and reference the height differences between the Performer and SuperVic intake manifolds. They both fit on 5.0 and 5.8 blocks but the height can make clearances to the hood super tight.

A 351 based block with an Edelbrock Performer and aftermarket fuel injection with a drop base air filter with an excellent flowing 2" tall classic air filter fits perfect. I have done several of these so this is a guarantee - lol If you end up with a small body lift to help with trans tunnel clearance and the other dozen things that a small body lift helps with then you are even farther ahead and highly recommended as it gives you call kinds of small clearance benefits.
 
Last edited:

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
It's ok to disagree & I 100% disagree with this partial quote from Jroney-

"...And you don't want 400 HP in a Bronco. You won't use it, you can't get it to the ground, you don't need it, and if you do ever get it hooked up...you can't steer it, or stop it."

Always makes me chuckle when people say this, makes me laugh when Bronco people say this. I am not doubting the fact that you (James) don't want it, the trans won't hold up but to make a blanket statement like I quoted from you is saying quite a bit about you never wheeling in multiple situations where 400, 500 & 600 hp is very useful. Making a blanket statement saying you'll "never use it, never need it, can't stop it and can't steer it"... I couldn't not respond.

I can tell you it's easy to steer 600hp, it's easy to stop it, it is easy to get it to the ground and yes, I can give you multiple wheeling scenarios (with pics) where this kind of power makes the difference from you getting to where you want to go or not.

Tried to be very PC on this reply as I'm not shocked by who said it but it's still hard to believe people think this.

I want the OP to understand that Broncos can & depending on the wheeling situation need this HP level.

If you're strictly a pavement pounding Bronco then you need to understand that high speeds and short/narrow, high COG vehicles aren't as conducive to "go fast" driving styles but nobody here has discussed that style of driving in this thread and that 100 mph can easily be achieved with a 240hp PowerPlant or a 600hp PowerPlant.


So if you want to "drive it like you stole it" then you can just as easily be a part of that fatal accident with 240hp as 600hp.
 
Last edited:

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
5,883
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
Ok back to not so serious, but Brian is right, only thing better than 600hp is 700hp lol

You mean this isn’t normal cruising speed for broncos? Let alone ones that wheel with Bailie for 4 days and drive home? 😂😂
 

Attachments

  • 1080850E-C4D3-4E04-8F05-EC72E1C56062.png
    1080850E-C4D3-4E04-8F05-EC72E1C56062.png
    708.6 KB · Views: 87

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,834
Ok back to not so serious, but Brian is right, only thing better than 600hp is 700hp lol

You mean this isn’t normal cruising speed for broncos? Let alone ones that wheel with Bailie for 4 days and drive home? 😂😂
78MPH in flat land? Don't need 600/700 HP to do that. I could hit 88MPH while towing a trailer with a very worn out 302 across Kansas. Much better after doing a fairly stock rebuild on the 302 (stock cam and flat top pistons), no trouble pulling to 100 MPH.
 

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
Yeah, 70mph is plenty fast for me in my Bronco. I kinda freaked myself out shifting out of 3rd at 103mph while tuning 2 yrs ago and I'll never do it again as I was watching the tach not the speedo. I get there quicker than most but my point on speed and fatalities is exactly what you said... stock cam, flat tops, 3 spd, 302 and you can die at 100.
 

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
5,883
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
78MPH in flat land? Don't need 600/700 HP to do that. I could hit 88MPH while towing a trailer with a very worn out 302 across Kansas. Much better after doing a fairly stock rebuild on the 302 (stock cam and flat top pistons), no trouble pulling to 100 MPH.
Yeah, 70mph is plenty fast for me in my Bronco. I kinda freaked myself out shifting out of 3rd at 103mph while tuning 2 yrs ago and I'll never do it again as I was watching the tach not the speedo. I get there quicker than most but my point on speed and fatalities is exactly what you said... stock cam, flat tops, 3 spd, 302 and you can die at 100.
😂😂
Wasn’t a HP thing, yep flat land and one of those times I wish I had cruise after driving a couple of hours at those speeds. I just keep hearing how scary they are at 60 is…. Mine drives well enough that I have to pay attention to not do as nvrstuk and be at 100+.
 

ntsqd

heratic car camper
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
3,227
Loc.
Upper SoKA
Ok back to not so serious, but Brian is right, only thing better than 600hp is 700hp lol

You mean this isn’t normal cruising speed for broncos? Let alone ones that wheel with Bailie for 4 days and drive home? 😂😂
Looks normal to me, but what kind of dirt is that? Looks a lot smoother than the stuff that I normally drive over at that speed.

This is what I'm used to seeing:
i-f8jhzCx.jpg

The focus sucks, but this is the minimum of what it used to take before he got that 408.........
i-smsbbXk-L.jpg

Now I'm having to up my game too.

BUT, back to the OP's question. Going 351 will change some things that you may not expect, like the exhaust won't likely align. The previously mentioned hood clearance, but if nvrstk says a combo will fit you can take that as gospel. And likely other things that I'm not thinking of at the moment.

However, it is worth it. You're going to have a bunch of money in a 302 to make it do what the 351 will do stock.

Frankly I like the 408 even better because that is a 4.00" stroke on a 4.00" bore

As others have said, stroking a 289/302/5.0 block just doesn't seem like a long term durability option. The MOST that I would stroke one would be the 331ci. You're building a .030" over 327 (4.030" bore by 3.25" stroke).
 

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
Totally understand James. Take care and as always never anything personal.

Here's a short video example. No EB's with less than 500+ HP even got close on this dune allweek.. I wasn't told of any Broncos that made it up-probably was as I know a couple kick arse EB's with a ton of hp but didn't hear of them. The supercharged LS 6.2 Colorado made it after several more attempts. He's over 600hp.
Look at the tops of the trees at the endof the video to help give an idea how steep it was.
1500# buggy would make short work of this
 

Attachments

  • received_565561580746567.mp4
    9 MB
Last edited:

nvrstuk

Contributor
Just a Bronco driver for over 50 yrs!
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
8,605
All my fault TS...took decades.

I know who "he" is!! lol

Probably eating herring on pumpernickel bread as I type! :)
 
Top