Any performance upgrades before Explorer EFI conversion?

[Bronco DLight]

So I found someone willing to do my explorer EFI conversion. A couple things first - are there any recommended performance upgrades I should make to the stock 302 before or during that? It's all stock except bcd headers and magnaflo exhaust. I already added a high flow aluminum water pump, aluminum thermostat housing, and 4 core aluminum radiator and shroud.

I don't need a real screamer; just looking to replace some of the power I lose at 9000'. I guess I should do a formal compression test before I abandon the idea of just doing the "top" exchange rather than the entire engine. Is it just as fast to swap the entire engine if it's in good shape and less than 100,000 miles.

 

[lowbush]

So I found someone willing to do my explorer EFI conversion. A couple things first - are there any recommended performance upgrades I should make to the stock 302 before or during that? It's all stock except bcd headers and magnaflo exhaust. I already added a high flow aluminum water pump, aluminum thermostat housing, and 4 core aluminum radiator and shroud.

I don't need a real screamer; just looking to replace some of the power I lose at 9000'. I guess I should do a formal compression test before I abandon the idea of just doing the "top" exchange rather than the entire engine. Is it just as fast to swap the entire engine if it's in good shape and less than 100,000 miles.

Swap the entire engine, it's a roller motor and better. It's also easier to swap the whole thing.

 

[broncnaz]

Id agree 210 hp explorer motor vs 140 hp 1974 302. While its not hard to wake up the 74 motor you'll probably need more than just a few parts. But then again the complete explorer motor will need a few more parts as well but it should easily go another 100K+ before you need to touch it.

 

[needabronco]

EFI is nothing more than an intake manifold swap, a few sensors, and a wiring harness that plugs right in. Frankly your doing yourself a major disservice by paying someone to do work you should be doing in order to learn about efi and understand it for future troubleshooting and repairs.

Once you do that you will honestly wonder why your paying someone else to work on your rig!

 

[Toddpole]

Swap the engines. Your original has been carbed it's entire life. Carbs, by nature, are less efficient and tend to send too much fuel to the cylinders. This washes them down and causes more wear. My '90 Mustang engine had 85,000 miles and still showed cross hatching in the cylinders. All we did was replace main and rod bearings, oil pump and timing set. Didn't even pull the heads. It runs great. Your exploder engine also has the correct cam, etc. for the computer.

 

[Wyflyer]

EFI is nothing more than an intake manifold swap, a few sensors, and a wiring harness that plugs right in. Frankly your doing yourself a major disservice by paying someone to do work you should be doing in order to learn about efi and understand it for future troubleshooting and repairs.



Once you do that you will honestly wonder why your paying someone else to work on your rig!

Everyone has different levels of experience and time available.

 

[Ourobos]

^ and it's alittle more than that also..

The explorer engine has GT40 or GT40P heads and the GT40 style intake, that right there is where you'd gain any power on a 8.2 deck engine.. If it's available, I'd swap it in with the EFI parts.

 

[PaveBronco]

^^Ditto.
If you can get the whole motor that would be a better choice, 96 is the last year for the GT40 heads, 97 and up use the GT40P which need a different header set-up...someone correct me if I'm wrong....so if you can get your hands on a 96 or before you'd save some money on headers by using what you have. I looked around for a few months and scored the whole motor set-up for $400. Even cheaper at a Pick N Pull..they have guys who will pull it for you for a fee if you don’t want to tackle it yourself. I’m pretty handy but there’s no way I could spend all day in the TX sun trying to pull a motor…that’s for the young pups…..

 

[Ourobos]

You care correct on the year, some early 97 had the GT40s also. They also changed over to an external EGR system in mid 98 if I'm not mistaken, so you can have it either way or delete it if desired.

 

[Broncobowsher]

You care correct on the year, some early 97 had the GT40s also. They also changed over to an external EGR system in mid 98 if I'm not mistaken, so you can have it either way or delete it if desired.

The external EGR is the same change as the P-heads in early '97.
The P-heads lack the EGR ports so to get EGR it went external.

 

[Ourobos]

Gotcha.. Been so long since I've used many iron heads I had forgotten.

 

[garberz]

The OP already has BCB headers, so it doesn't matter what heads he ends up with, "P" or "non P". His exhaust is ready to go. It's going to be cheaper to buy a whole motor or even a complete vehicle, than piecing all the stuff together, that's been my experience. Putting just the needed Explorer parts on his motor to run an Explorer EFI system would seem to be more work than swapping in the complete motor. You have to use the Explorer serp. front dress to run the EFI. You need the PIP wheel on the balancer and the crank position sensor. You'll need the Explorer timing cover to use those. I don't see any advantage to use the old motor, when you'll probably have the Explorer motor setting right there. I wouldn't hesitate to use a 5.0 with 180,000 miles on it. It's so much more efficient, has more power, and burns less oil, than a 1974 302.

Mark

 

[Ourobos]

I totally agree.

 

[Bronco DLight]

EFI is nothing more than an intake manifold swap, a few sensors, and a wiring harness that plugs right in. Frankly your doing yourself a major disservice by paying someone to do work you should be doing in order to learn about efi and understand it for future troubleshooting and repairs.

Once you do that you will honestly wonder why your paying someone else to work on your rig!

Thanks, guys. I appreciate all of the help. Actually, were the Bronc in Texas, I would do it myself. Growing up, we had a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter, a mechanic, a lawn boy, a man for climbing up in the attic, a shovel jockey, someone to climb under the tractor to dig it out of the mud, and someone to clean out the feed bins - all me. You learn a lot doing things yourself. And while I agree that I'll be more self sufficient with this thing doing this myself, it's just not possible right now. If I don't get this thing running well enough to be practical up here, my wife will drive it into a Jeep dealership and drive a Jeep out. The horror!!!

So this is where I am - I have a ton of money in a beautiful '74 that I wouldn't need to spend another dime on were it in Texas. But I need it in Colorado, and between the altitude, the winter cold, and the lack of a sufficient set of tools to do much work on it here, I need efi and I need to pay someone to do it for me, as much as it kills me to. I have neither the time nor the patience at this point to piece something together that's "good enough." I need it to run like it should. according to my wife, that's a minor personality flaw.

As we stand now, plumb doctor in Golden, CO has said that he thinks he wants to take it on. Now all I need to do is find a decent donor and a way to get it to him in Denver/Golden so we can get me back on the road and the Bronc back in my wife's good graces.

One thing, I have heard some reports that the bcb shorty headers have some spark wire clearance issues with the "P" heads? And so I would need high heat boots? Not a big deal, just want to reconfirm that I can go anywhere from '96-01 without differences. Are the "P" heads that much better?

BTW-if I can find a good donor for the full swap, I have a really nice 302 available to a good home.

 

[Viperwolf1]

P head performance are probably not enough difference to tell from the regular gt40 heads. I would use either if I didn't have AFRs. Plug wire problem is easy to overcome.

 

[landshark99]

As mentioned if you have a choice between gt40 and gt40p heads go gt40. But at the end of the day either will work just less hassle with the gt40 overall.

Performance difference in a bronco is nil.