What engine for the 1948 F2
#1
#2
Not less than a 351, and the biggest one you can afford to feed. Although pulling a load, you probably won't get any better mileage with the 351 as you would with a 460, so you might as well go for the gusto. Just remember the bigger the engine, the more difficult it is to package into the narrow confines of the Bonus Built engine bay. Everything's a compromise with a project like this.
#5
I suppose it depends on which diesel you're talking about. There's as many variations of those as there are gas engines. I'm not a diesel guy, so I'm not up on that stuff. I'm more of a 460 guy, and that would be my choice for a work engine. I know those fit without reinventing the wheel. Not real easy, but they will fit.
#7
Ultimately, your choice of transmission, axle, and gears will figure in heavily with your engine choice. If you're running stock F-2 axle and gears, you could get away with just about any engine if you aren't worried about going very fast. It's a different story if you're changing axles. The numerically lower your gear ratio goes, the more torque you'll need. I prefer a small block myself for the narrow confines of the '48-'52 engine bay. but a 302 just isn't going to cut it for tow duty if you go with a numerically lower gear. If you can get your gear ratio to a 3.73 or a 4.10, I think you'd do fine with a 351W and they're an easy fit.
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#9
Probably not. For an F-2, the best and easiest axle swap is a Dana 60 from a '67-'72 F-250. Better choice of ratios, more modern design, better brakes, and it more or less just bolts right in. Later trucks will have too wide of an axle. The problem is that most of the '67-'72 vintage trucks have FE big blocks in them. The FE's are not a good fit in the '48-'52 trucks. Exhaust is a major problem. You'd be better off getting an axle out of a '67-'72 F-250 and an engine/transmission out of a later truck.
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Scoop531
1973 - 1979 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
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09-05-2013 04:17 PM