351 W drop in ?

[Hubba]

Hay guys,
I just got a 351 W from a 1986 F-250, the truck the motor ran awesome.
In has great oil pressure, no smoke and fired right up. I pulled the pan, valve covers and the intake, everything looks perfect. My question is what kind of changes am looking at to swap out my stock 302?

 

[DirtDonk]

Better get your comfy slippers on, grab your favorite reading glasses and settle back for a lot of reading.
Not that it's hard of course, just that it's been discussed in a bazillion ways over the years. Definitely one of the more popular swaps for EB's since there were EB's.

Refresh my memory though. Is the engine out of the '86 carbureted, electronically carbureted, or fully modern SEFI set up? I know they were starting to go basically "electronic" carburetor by the early '80's, and by '86 some of the cars were going full blown, but not sure about Ford trucks.

If it's a version of carb'ed or TBI'd or similar though, basically it's an "almost drop-in" procedure. No change in the engine mounts or clutch bell housing bolt patterns, but the engine is taller and wider, so there are certain clearances to watch out for. It might even be able to use it's existing oil pan too, if it's the proper rear-sump or similar enough double-hump pan already.

I'm sure others will chime in with details. I'm just curious about what type of induction was on a Windsor in a truck in '86 because I don't remember.

Good luck. Should be a good swap in general, especially since you already know it ran so well. Nothing to do but swap it in maybe!

Paul

 

[70_Steve]

My question is what kind of changes am looking at to swap out my stock 302?

Look in your engine compartment and imagine your intake manifold being an inch higher, and your valve covers out at an angle (perpendicular to the block deck) about an inch.

The block uses the same motor mounts and will bolt up to the frame mounts the exact same. Bellhousing bolt pattern is the same. Motor is the same 28 oz imbalance, so flywheel/flexplate will work the same.

If a manual tranny, the boss on the drivers side of the block will not be drilled for the clutch equalizer bar bracket, but the boss will be there. You can drill and tap yourself. Just don't drill too deep.

Typical to use the entire front dress from the 302, including the timing chain cover. Unfortunately, the harmonic balancer will be marked for the timing pointer on the passenger side. A TDC tool and some timing tape will fix that.

For the alternator and PS pump to bolt up using the stock brackets, the vendors sell adapters. (This is a very popular swap).

A 1" body lift will make life and this swap much easier.

Without the body lift, the exhaust routing may be a challenge, depending on what you're using for exhaust manifolds.

I'm sure there's more...

 

[Texas CB]

What everyone else said already- the 1” BL made it a lot easier- plus since I needed a new dizzy for the 351 I put a DUI one in that definitely wouldn’t have fit without the BL. The BL did require a new radiator shroud which is being custom cut this week. That 351W runs way hotter than the 302 did and its definitely important sitting in traffic at the 104 degree temps we have right now. Had trouble getting the pulleys and mounts spaced right even with the adapters the vendors here sell. Did use the adapters but couldn’t get the old AC compressor to fit with the V-belts and the serpentine setup I had didn’t fit either putting the fan too close to the radiator. Ended up sticking with V-belts and no compressor although I think I found an aftermarket compressor mount that puts it over the power steering pump that should fit. I know most others haven’t had this compressor fit problem but I sure did.

Oh, and don’t be like me and realize after the engine is put in and fired up that you need to make deletes for the smog pump. It’s a bitch to get to the openings once the engine is in since they are on the back by the firewall.

 

[blubuckaroo]

Are there any differences between the 302 and 351W installing headers if you have a 1" body lift?

 

[70_Steve]

Are there any differences between the 302 and 351W installing headers if you have a 1" body lift?

Iguess that depends on the particular headers.

I have old nickle plated long tubes that WH sold 15-16 years ago. When I put in the 351 (along with the 1" body lift) the issue I had was that the collector flange hit the inside of the frame on both sides. And the clutch bellcrank also hit one of the header tubes. On advice from Tom (Tom's Bronco Parts) I bent the headers! I let the engine idle for several minutes to heat up the tubes a little, then stuck a 2x4 between the header and frame, and pried! I got about 1 1/2" clearance now, and only had to bend the bellcrank about an inch.

 

[75junebug]

I used the front dress, including harmonic balancer, with only the WH alt adapter and PS pump adapter(as said above, the engine is wider). I also used the flywheel and bell housing, but I had to make an adapter for the clutch bell crank bolt(351W has the boss, but not drilled and threaded. Long tube headers almost touched the frame rails, but other wise fit. Make sure the air pump holes on the baclk of the heads are closed(I used a bolt). I have an edlebrock performer manifold, with an adapter to run a Q-Jet, and my 2" BL with the factory air cleaner contacts the hood(factory air cleaner seems to restrict air flow, even with a K$N air cleaner and extra breather holes drilled)
I had no trouble adjusting the throttle bell crank linkage to fit the taller motor(But I now use a cable....left over from my EFI venture..)
I did have to modifye the fan shroud to account for the appx 1" taller engine......
Thats all the things I can remember off the top of my head, overall, not a bad conversion, and the low end gains were well worth it.
Oh yeah, make sure the oil pan and pickup tube are for a rear sumper .
I gave up on duraspark and petronix, and went with an HEI by Procomp, also another easy mod with excellent results.

 

[Hubba]

This is a carburetor motor and I intend on using the factory exhaust manifolds. it does have the rear sump truck oil pan and it looks very similar to the one on the 302. I hope I can use this pan as it looks just like new.
I am in no hurry and have the motor in my shop on a stand. I would like to put this in with as few back steps as possible, I'm sure to screw up a lot.

 

[KyleQ]

I'm running a fuel injected 351W with factory bronco manifolds - I did not drill my block and I'm not running a body lift. The torque is awesome, run a bolt through the motor mounts, mash the gas and hold on.

 

[utgrad]

Would these same comments apply to the 289 as well as the 302? Looking to swap my 289 with 351W. Thanks!

 

[Casey835]

I'm running a fuel injected 351W with factory bronco manifolds - I did not drill my block and I'm not running a body lift. The torque is awesome, run a bolt through the motor mounts, mash the gas and hold on.

Hey KyleQ what year 351 you got?

 

[KyleQ]

Hey KyleQ what year 351 you got?

96 with 96 Explorer GT-40's on it-

 

[DirtDonk]

Would these same comments apply to the 289 as well as the 302? Looking to swap my 289 with 351W. Thanks!

Pretty much, yes. While there were also very minor differences between the 289 and 302, they were more in the small details. Most, if not all the major details apply equally between the two.
If the 289 was original to the Bronco especially, then it should be virtually the same thing, as all the front dress items should be identical. At least I can't think of anything that would be an issue when starting with a 289 vs the 302.

Saner minds than mine will prevail and correct me however, if that's entirely incorrect.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

...Oh, and don’t be like me and realize after the engine is put in and fired up that you need to make deletes for the smog pump. It’s a bitch to get to the openings once the engine is in since they are on the back by the firewall.

That right there is going to end up as a sticky someday. :-[
Or at least get high billing in a thread dedicated to the "gotchas" of working on an EB with non-EB parts.

A thread that we should have started years ago...

Paul

 

[DonH]

I just got a 88 bronco 351 with all the EFI hanging on it. Some one said the EFI was not usable. Is there anything I should keep. If not I will look for a intake manifold for it. Is the distributor a keeper or does it go onto the pile.

 

[tasker]

97 f-350 5.8 in mine. run a carb and 4v intake. notch the booster braket if you have one. trust me! like Kyle said the torque is crazy nice! if you have any questions feel free to pm me

 

[Hubba]

How about the oil pan, my motor is out of an 86 f-250 4X4? it is a rear sump and looking at the one that is still in my Bronco, it's very close. I can't get good visual until I pull the old 302. If I need a different oil pan I would like to get it coming but would prefer to spend the money on beer instead.

 

[tasker]

i used the truck pan with matching pickup screen with no problems

 

[Nightstick]

I got the oil pan BCB sells for the 351. It's a Ford Racing product and comes with a new pickup. I have a 1" BL and 3.5" rear/4.5" front SL. Everything fits fine in the engine comp, but it's tight. Especially with the taller valve covers I have. I bought a set of headman long tube headers off another member here. They fit between the frame rails, but are also tight. I had to grind down the flange a little just so it wouldn't rattle when the engine is running.

If there's something you want me to take pics of let me know.

 

[Casey835]

Does everyone pretty much agree on heads for the 351- gt40s or is there another preferred? Im gonna be starting my 351 build within the next few weeks so I'm scrounging around for everybodies ideas. Hope I'm not hijacking I just figured this went along with the thread Since everyone's already talking about 351 build