Going efi, new engine or just add?

[maxhann]

so heres the deal. ive got a 351(supposably a windsor but not sure) in my 72. dont know the year of the engine just came in the truck. i am wanting to add efi. i have found a 1990 bronco with a 351w that runs good. has the full efi system and he wants 400 bucks. would just buying the engine with all the efi already on be easier than adding on efi to my carbed 351 in the truck? what will be easier and less costly. also will the 351 in the 1990 bolt up to my transmission or are they totally different bolt patters? newbie here as some of you can tell. let me know what you guys have done and your experience with efi and how hard it was to install. also let me know if the guys running efi are really happy with it or think its not worth it just stick with a carb? thanks guys!

 

[Scoop]

First you need to determine what you have in your Bronco. 99% probability you do have a Windsor, but if not then converting it to efi is probably not a practical option. The 1990 Bronco 5.8 engine will bolt up to your tranny (unless you find out your current engine is a 351M!) however the intake on the 5.8 will be way too tall and you'll need a body lift and probably a taller hood to make it fit. Normally it is easier to buy everything from the same vehicle so that everything works and is compatible. Easiest and cheapest might be to swap in a 5.0 complete engine - it will fit in as is. Just some things to think about before you pick a direction to go.

 

[maxhann]

First you need to determine what you have in your Bronco. 99% probability you do have a Windsor, but if not then converting it to efi is probably not a practical option. The 1990 Bronco 5.8 engine will bolt up to your tranny (unless you find out your current engine is a 351M!) however the intake on the 5.8 will be way too tall and you'll need a body lift and probably a taller hood to make it fit. Normally it is easier to buy everything from the same vehicle so that everything works and is compatible. Easiest and cheapest might be to swap in a 5.0 complete engine - it will fit in as is. Just some things to think about before you pick a direction to go.

I have a 3 inch body lift. Just clarified with po that it is a Windsor out of a 69

 

[maxhann]

First you need to determine what you have in your Bronco. 99% probability you do have a Windsor, but if not then converting it to efi is probably not a practical option. The 1990 Bronco 5.8 engine will bolt up to your tranny (unless you find out your current engine is a 351M!) however the intake on the 5.8 will be way too tall and you'll need a body lift and probably a taller hood to make it fit. Normally it is easier to buy everything from the same vehicle so that everything works and is compatible. Easiest and cheapest might be to swap in a 5.0 complete engine - it will fit in as is. Just some things to think about before you pick a direction to go.

I have a 3 inch body lift. Just clarified with po that it is a Windsor out of a 69

 

[Duke Nukem]

The your engine runs good then there is no reason to swap it out, and I would never trade down from a 351W to a 5.0. You should be looking for a Ford 5.0 mass air EFI system, which were common on 89-95 mustangs, 95-01 V8 explorers, and various other early 90s Ford cars. Ford trucks from that era are bank fire and have tall intakes that won't fit under your hood. Also avoid car speed density EFI systems as it will not run correctly on your 351W.

Since you are running a 351W you will also need a different lower intake, since the mass air system you will be using will come from a 5.0 engine. Don't be afraid to mix and match parts for your EFI system from multiple vehicles. Every application is different, and with the right amount of research you can find the optimum combination of parts that will work together for your engine and your budget.

The first step is to do a lot of reading on the topic. As a starting place I would recommend fordfuelinjection.com. Good luck.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[broncobsession]

Duke, I think the donor has a 5.8L/351, not a 5.0

 

[rustbucket]

I think the point is that the truck EFI is not really what you want anyway. You can use the lower intake from it and use a Mustang upper with BCB adapter, but the rest is best sourced from a late 80's to 93 Mustang. No problem using your existing engine.

 

[Duke Nukem]

I think the point is that the truck EFI is not really what you want anyway. You can use the lower intake from it and use a Mustang upper with BCB adapter, but the rest is best sourced from a late 80's to 93 Mustang. No problem using your existing engine.

That's exactly my point. If the truck already has a good running 351W then there is no compelling reason to swap it out for a 5.8 just for the purposes of an EFI upgrade. Plus the truck EFI is not what you want anyway since the upper intake is too tall and its not a mass air system. Don't waste your money on an engine you don't need and an EFI system that isn't the best choice.

For the same money you can get all the parts you need to bolt on a mustang or explorer style mass air system. Plus, this is the most commonly installed EFI setup you will see on early Broncos, with a lot more writeups and technical support available than any of the other options. I've done this upgrade on both a 302 and a 351W, so trust me when I say that you want to go with a Ford mass air system. Start by reading every word of every page on the fordfuelinjection site and once you have done that come back here with your questions.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[maxhann]

Okay guys thanks or your help. I am familiar with the 5.0 fuel injection so what differently do I need for the 351? 351 Lower intake? What else? I can get my hands on a full 5.0 efi setup and what else will I nee to make the 5.0 efi work on my 351?

 

[englewoodcowboy]

You will need the 5.8 lower intake, BCB 5.8 lower to 5.0 upper adapter, a car 5.0 upper and fordfuelinjection.com will fill in the rest.

 

[Duke Nukem]

Cowboy is correct. With regard to intakes you really have three options, depending on your needs and budget:

1. A truck efi lower intake from a full size truck or van mated to a car upper using a bc broncos adapter.

Pro: low cost, readily available parts at any local junkyard
Con: not the best flowing combo, but sufficient for a fairly stock motor

2. A lightning lower intake and either an (a) explorer upper, (b) lightning upper, or (c) cobra upper intake

Pro: better flowing than standard truck intake supporting up to 350hp, several options for upper intake including cheaper and easier to find explorer upper, lightning intake looks really cool
Con: high cost, lightning intakes are fairly rare and not always easy to find

3. An aftermarket efi intake
Pro: better flowing for high performance engines that need to breathe, newer designs that are superior to older manufacturer intakes, lots of options to fit your specific needs
Cons: high cost, many aftermarket designs are for high RPM applications that aren't always the best suited for trucks

 

[br0nc0xrapt0r]

The 351 in the 90 bronco is not a roller cam motor so there is no reason to swap the whole engine as stated if your 69 351 is a good runner. I am swapping my whole motor for a 95 5.0 cobra motor from my old 302 and plan to fully document all of it. The biggest problem I have found in doing EFI swaps so far is the abundance of info. Really there is too much out there and the whole process can be daunting when viewed through a computer screen. Also as stated the best option is to use the 5.0 mass air setup. This is the best due to cost and support. I am having my exsiting engine harness reworked by Ric Kolibar "Kolibar customs" and am crossing my fingers that it all works since I have a very short window to get it all done and running before I have to get it ready to ship to Oklahoma.

 

[Duke Nukem]

Just to give you a visual reference, this is one of the reasons why you don't want to use a truck efi intake on an early bronco. Good luck finding a hood that will be able to close over that monstrosity.

 

[AZ69EB]

Just add more body lift. The hood will close just fine.

 

[jlake4130]

6 to 8" of body lift should work ;D

 

[Duke Nukem]

Just add more body lift. The hood will close just fine.

Well I guess you could do something like this...

 

[maxhann]

How about. 50 out of a 95 bronco? Will that fit under the hood or will I still have to use the mustang upper intake?

 

[maxhann]

Well I guess you could do something like

How about a 5.0 out of a 95 bronco? Will that fit under the hood or will I still have to use the mustang upper intake?
*

 

[Scoop]

The truck/Bronco 5.0 also has a tall upper intake.