Engine Mod Recommendations

[Cdra8925]

Hey guys,

New member here and this place is awesome! I just picked up a 74 Ranger I am doing a frame off resto on. I will be pulling my motor soon to have rebuilt. This thing hasn’t run in 25 years but I am wondering if anybody can give me solid recommendations for a top end combo for some solid performance boost?

I have explored many options with edelbrock e street being a front runner, but am also interested in gt40 heads and a good cam combo as well to save some cash. It will mostly be driven in the city so low end improvements are most desirable. Any input?

Thanks!

 

[Timmy390]

Buy an Explorer with 302 and transplant it. Good heads, good cam, good cooling when using the front dress. Upgraded alternator, PS and A/C provisions. EFI if you want to go that route. Double the HP and torque of the original 74 302.

JMO.....

Tim

 

[nvrstuk]

What Timmy said - again! lol

You are miles ahead with the Exploder combo- hundreds of miles!

There is no such thing as matching #'s for a Ford so non of that matters. When you sit at a stoplight and your lights dim with the OE alternator running that can't keep up, the heater motor slows down and etc, you'll wished you'd just gone Exploder for all the updates including another benefit, reverse flow waterpump with shortened pulley so you can fit a better shroud/rad combo. Win/Win

If you need lot's of power, let me know!

Inexpensive top end power combo is the Edelbrock setup. Look at Wild Horses who sell it. Great combo for boosting some power.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Performance boost? 351W and have it built into a 408.
Get your transmission and tire size figured out before you pick axle gears. The wrong gears will make the strongest motor feel like poo.

 

[73azbronco]

Do your motor last, pro tip

 

[nvrstuk]

Yup, but you have to know your motor "wants". Can't build a 28 spline 9" with a 3 spd and D30 and then 2 yrs down the road decide a 408 or bigger would be cool. lol

Seen similar happen.

Saving cash as per the OP in his first post, once again I recommend the Exploder motor.

Nothing about 500+ TQ & HP is cheap- except the engine and I'm being serious. To handle torque, large OD tires, and traction costs money because going slow with tq, large tires and traction eats parts. Sure does if you weigh a lot. If you're a sxs that's different.

 

[1969]

7.3 Godzilla is all the rage now

 

[bronco italiano]

A nice 35W will provide plenty of power. You start getting insane and other parts will need to be upgraded and that gets expensive.
-I went 1991 rollerblock SEFI, with edelbrock heads/forged pistons 10:1, nice Comp cam kit with their roller rockers. Moates quarterhorse and dyno tuned
-Very pleased, plenty of controllable torque.
-Looking back a 351W is what I would have done, less work for what I had to do to the 5.0

 

[nvrstuk]

I still like my 464SB. I literally hate Ford and their warranty and everything about 'em but I built another and it's running good.

 

[pcf_mark]

As 73AZBronco pointed out it is best to leave the engine to the end of your restoration. It can break your budget and stall your project. You can always swap out engines later once your rig is built and painted. Having said that...

My decision tree is always that more power / cubic inches is always better regardless of how the truck is set up

#1 get an Explorer 5.0 they are rock solid reliable, plenty of power, front drive is such a massive upgrade
#2 rebuild you engine / have it rebuilt with stock bottom end , upgraded cam and e-street heads with EFI which boosts torque and power everywhere but it is still a 5.0
#3 The cost of 347 stroker to me is not worth the effort vs a 351. You could use a stroker kit in your 5.0 to make it a 347 - spend your extra investment in the bottom end and get used GT40 heads until you have $$ for e-street heads. These are pretty solid but a 351 w/ a cam upgrade and intake will clobber it.
#4 roller 351 w/ stock heads will outshine options 1-3 at every rpm if you can get decent used one this is the way to go but they are tricky to find. Carb is really the only option to make real power unless you get luck and find a Lightning intake. Factory SEFI intake is a plug.
#5 stroke 351 to 406 but this gets down the really expensive rabbit hole. You need everything - block, aftermarket heads, stroker kit, cam kit etc. Plus your stock axles and transmission may not last very long.

 

[Steve83]

This thing hasn’t run in 25 years...some solid performance boost?

Simply running is a HUGE boost over not-running for 25 years. Vast improvement in performance right there. And it'll be plenty for city driving.

What are your long-term goals with this truck? Drag strip? Towing 5th-wheels & construction equipment? 54" tires on military axles? You have to tell us before we can tell you.

 

[lars]

Simply running is a HUGE boost over not-running for 25 years. Vast improvement in performance right there. And it'll be plenty for city driving.

What are your long-term goals with this truck? Drag strip? Towing 5th-wheels & construction equipment? 54" tires on military axles? You have to tell us before we can tell you.

Ok that was pretty funny, especially with my morning coffee, which I managed to not spray on my laptop.

Steve (and everyone else) are right. What do you want to do with it?

 

[Cdra8925]

The goal with it is just to do a frame off resto mod. Will end up doing a 2.5” lift on 33s. Nothing to crazy! I am just wanting some more power but am pretty set on rebuilding the original motor and just trying to decide between the e street kit and gt40 and cam set.

I would prefer to get the motor and trans rebuilt while redoing the frame. Then my plan is to move on to sandblast and getting the engine bay and undercarriage sprayed then get the body back on the truck and get the rest of it sprayed.

I’m trying to do it in 3 phases but need the frame reassembled by Aprilish because I’m like it going to be moving.

Thanks for the input! Any other thoughts are much appreciated

 

[73azbronco]

As a 347 owner/builder, love it, loved building it, but that's my choice to build a stroker just to build a stroker, and save a few hundred lbs. I would recommend, anyone who is not a builder of motors, go the 351/407 route. It is just a simpler bang for buck option.

 

[76YETI]

Sounds like a rebuild is what you want. That being said, I would contact Sandmann on here and get the Explorer front dress and do the conversion.

 

[73azbronco]

Double the explorer dress comment. Even though I technically only use half of it, the other half is the Frankenstein WH PS adaption.

 

[Timmy390]

Building the old block is throwing good money after bad IMO. The only thing you plan to reuse it the block. Newer blocks are one piece rear mains and setup for roller cams. Both huge pluses/improvments. IF you go Explorer you get one piece rear main, the GT40/40P heads and you get a darn good roller cam setup that provides good low end torque. I put GT40P heads on my W........

The E brock cams are for high RPM's as I recall. Not what you're really looking for when you say city driving. It's about being in the power band. If you go E-brock and flat tappet then make sure it's the right LSA for the injection you plan to use (carb or EFI) and be dang sure to break it in properly. I also suggest you run "diesel" oil as it's going to have the highest zinc. Make sure the heads you buy are setup to handle the cam you run. The GT40P heads (better than the GT40's) need springs if running anything over stock explorere cam F4TE-6250-BA

Good luck on your build

Tim

 

[Cdra8925]

Thanks for your input guys! I like the idea of the explorer swap but am nervous about doing it due to the extensive wiring and efi mods with ecm and everything. Can this motor be used with the original trans? This is already a pretty big project and just don’t want to get in over my head retrofitting things.

 

[Cdra8925]

I did a 66 mustang a few years back and just sold it. I kept it pretty original and just did the top end and restoration. I’m open to doing a swap but I just don’t want to get in touch if deep on the retrofit.

 

[73azbronco]

you can do an explorer swap using a carb and front dress to get you bigger alternator, place of AC compressor, and serp belt which is why I did it.. The EFI is another level of complexity but folks have good luck with it.