So, I just picked up a 'new' motor for my '92. My question is: do I HAVE to swap my truck intake over, or can I keep the mustang intake. I know I SHOULD swap it, but I really don't want the extra downtime & work. Especially since this motor's mainly temporary. It's kinda high mileage & I'm going to rebuild the stock motor with some extra goodies. So basically, what do I need to do in addition to a normal engine swap?

 

The sensors and throttle cable connector are different and the single TB isn't compatable with the truck intake tubing so you will have a lot of hacking and rigging to do. Swapping intakes is a bit more work but its worth it IMO to have a plug and play swap.

 

I knew about the intake tubing. I didn't know about the cables though. Will the shorty headers basically work? Should I bother with the timing chain?

 

Mustang shorty headers won't line up with the truck Y pipe either so they also have to go. A timing chain shouldn't be necessary unless the motor has almost as many miles as your existing but then it's cheap insurance on a motor that has probably had a harder life than average. You can save yourself some downtime by sourcing another truck lower and possibly exhaust manifolds from the scrapyard and getting them installed before you take the truck down.

 

I can mod my ypipe. Is it an alignment issue or will the flanges not match? I really wanna keep the shorties. I can pull my intake easy enough & nowhere around here's cheap enough to get another. I guess I need to swap the oil pan too?

 

It's an alignment issue with the mustang headers but it's not a slight problem the collectors are in different locations and at different angles so you will have a lot of work to do to make them fit. And yes the oilpan and pickup must also change.

 

Conanski has covered all the spots you need to change. Its not hard to swap intakes and you'll have to swap oil pans as well which is good since you can install fresh seals and gaskets on the pan. That seems to be the first place alot of 302s leak.

I have an extra GT40 truck intake, if you want to work something out shoot me a PM.

 

I've had the intake off before, it ain't bad, was just hoping to save some trouble. I'm on a tight budget, so I'll just stick with the intake I have.

Conanski, my exhaust manifolds are cracked, plus I don't wanna deal with the bolts and studs breaking. As long as I have clearance for the shorties, It's worth the fab work and if I have to take it to the exhaust shop, they'll fix it cheaper than the $150 a pair of manifolds cost.

Edgethis, I just found your thread in parts for sale. Why don't you put those GT-40 heads on your 'Zebra'? I saw a thread a while back where someone found fairly cheap shorties that fit them.

 

I already have full length headers on my 351. I just don't feel like messing with it right now.

It'd be a pain to make those Mustang headers work in the truck. You could soak the bolts with some deep creep and take your time. I did that and the bolts came out no issues at all.

 

I'll try to take the manifolds off. If they come off in one piece and I don't break a flange stud, I'll use them.

Is This Gasket Kit what I need for the bottom end?

 

I always soak manifold bolts in pb blaster for a week. I've never had a problem with a bolt breaking and I'm in the rust belt.