331, 347, or 408?

[LowCountryEB]

I have a 74 with an NP435, 4:11's, 35" Tires, 3.5" Susp. Lift, 2" Body lift. It is a weekend/street driver around town (most of the time 45mph or less). My goal is to be quick off the line.

I am trying to decide between a 331, 347, or a 408. All from www.blueprintengines.com.

I realize the 331/347 will drop in easily. What all will it take for the 408 install? Will the stock hood work with the 2" body lift? Will I need to upgrade the radiator for cooling reasons? Will I need to upgrade the rear axle, gears, or anything else? What else do I need to consider? And, what is a ball park price these additional things will cost? And should I go carb or Fast-EZ EFI?

331
http://blueprintengines.com/index.p...ford-331-main/item/ford-331-dressed-bp3315ctc

347
http://blueprintengines.com/index.p...ford-347-main/item/ford-347-dressed-bp3474ctc

408
http://blueprintengines.com/index.p...ord-408-main/item/ford-408-dressed-bpf4084ctc

Thanks for your advice and help!

 

[Biohazard]

My guess is go for the best bang for the buck with the 347. It seems to be the best seller for a reason. And there's a lot of good reviews of the FITech fuel injection setup. Again, bang for the buck.

 

[bax]

408 no problem with a 2'' body lift. easy install. IMO FAST has a very good product.

 

[wildbill]

;D;D;D For what you are doing I would think a nice 351W with a RV typ of cam would work best. The 351 has the torque you can use down low good luck with your choice. Bill;D%)

 

[kb6677]

408 all day long. A friend of mine took his new eb/buggy on a shake down run a couple weekends ago with the exact 408 Fast efi blueprint engine you listed- he loved it.

On a personal note, I did a 331 in my last light weight eb/buggy and spent ALOT of money on it. Balanced, blueprinted, AFRs blah, blah,. Very disappointed in the dyno number at the wheels. I know my cam limited it(idle to 5k) but still expected more with the parts list. It did not get very close to my 392 windsor stroker in my stretched eb with less $$ parts all the way through the build. The 331 was more expensive than the 408 with fast efi and the 408 has a warranty!!

I will not do another 5.0(3oh2) based stroker- windsor or Coyote based in the future.
Lets us know what you decide.

 

[xcntrk]

My vote is for the 347 too due to drop in ease and ability to make big power (425-450hp). But one thing to consider is those blueprint motors might not be setup optimally for a truck/off-road rig. Meaning the Cam & head configuration are likely targeting high RPM power whereas in a truck you'll likely benefit better from low end torque. It might be worthwhile to pursue a local engine builder to source a 347 specifically set up for your intended use.

 

[ScanmanSteven]

I just clicked on the 408 build specs and noticed it said cam degreed for maximum HP which is top end, not off the line for a heavy, aerodynamic or not, EB. I vote purpose built 408.

 

[needabronco]

Why build a 347 when a 408 can be had for the same money? Your getting 61 cubic inches for less than $500 (less if you build it yourself), and more low end grunt than a 347 will ever put out!

I'd have concerns over the use of .040" over bored blocks personally. I'd read their warranty paperwork to see what red tape they require before buying.

 

[Broncobowsher]

351W or 408. Quick off the line is all about torque.

Years ago I built a 351 that later dynoed at 250HP at the wheels. Built for low/mid range torque. Good heads and a mild RV cam. That was a blast to drive.
Later built a 330 stroked 5.0 that was more of a rever. It also dynoed at 250HP at the wheels, but it wasn't nearly as fun to drive as it didn't have the low end torque.

 

[kb6677]

Why build a 347 when a 408 can be had for the same money? Your getting 61 cubic inches for less than $500 (less if you build it yourself), and more low end grunt than a 347 will ever put out!

I'd have concerns over the use of .040" over bored blocks personally. I'd read their warranty paperwork to see what red tape they require before buying.

^^^^^^X's 1000- winner. ^^^^^^

xcntrk wrote: My vote is for the 347 too due to drop in ease and ability to make big power (425-450hp). But one thing to consider is those blueprint motors might not be setup optimally for a truck/off-road rig.) end quote

Did you not read my post earlier- the 408 option posted by the OP was taken for a run a couple weekends ago in a friend's rig and he loved it. Let me elaborate, this was an OFF ROAD event with rocks, hills etc. and the owner is coming out of a 427 Windsor Stroker based rig so if he says "good pwr and responsive", I will take take him at his word. They did not change the cam or any internal set up from delivery and he also complimented the idle and driveability.

 

[JWMcCrary]

I'd have concerns over the use of .040" over bored blocks personally. I'd read their warranty paperwork to see what red tape they require before buying.

I agree, but for what it's worth, my 393 (which is actually 395) is a .040 over bore, I wasn't happy but the guy at the machine shop was confident it wouldn't be a problem. So far he's right, been running since 2005.

 

[SavageBurro]

4.56 or 4.88 will get you off the line quicker.... and since you don't care as much about top speed the lower ratios shouldn't be an issue without overdrive. I dont know jack about any of those engine combos but I can say a nicely built 351w is a good fit and can make gobs of torque and be very reliable.

 

[LowCountryEB]

BluePrint Engines sent me dyno sheets for their 306, 331, 347, and 408. I'm not quite sure how to upload pictures of them. Can someone let me know or can I email them to someone so they can post them for me?

 

[rguest3]

Nice to see a 30m/50K Warranty with these motors - Thats a plus.

Which ever motor you choose, see if you have a Cam option. I would go with a smaller Cam in each motor for the Bronco application.

ProComp Heads, I would assume?

 

[bmc69]

Big 408 fan here...so of course that's my vote. They can be built to have an astonishingly high and broad/flat torque curve.

 

[reynard101]

408 all the way. Nearly the same price. No replacement for displacement.

 

[englewoodcowboy]

I am a little confused on the .040... I know most kits out there are designed for a .030 over bore. I am wondering if it is a mistype?

 

[gddyap]

The rest of your build doesn't really match what you do. A NP435 and 35" tires aren't really good for being quick off the line.

 

[Seventee]

Big 408 fan here...so of course that's my vote. They can be built to have an astonishingly high and broad/flat torque curve.

Some of us are in a bit different 408 club, no?

 

[bmc69]

Some of us are in a bit different 408 club, no?

I swing both ways. Still have one C09 W block that is going to grow up to be a 408. But with C heads probably...