I am looking for some advise building a good proven set up for a naturally aspirated 351 that will be compatible with my 94 Lightning.

I bought the truck a few years ago with a Motorsport Supercharger, MSD, and shorty headers, it runs fine but with 150k on it and several leaks its time to go through it. I would like to remove the supercharger and go NA.

I am no stranger to big hp but I don't plan on breaking any records with this running on 91oct pump gas I just want something that will make good reliable power. I also don't mind spending money on good quality parts that will last but I just don't know much about 351's and lightnings, being almost a 20year old truck I was hoping to get some advise from a few that have done this.

Here are a few parts I am looking for feedback on, any other advise or experiences are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Rods and pistons.

Aluminum heads

Cam

Injectors

Throttle body

Tuning options, I will be tuning on a chassis dyno.

 

Speed density or mass air?

 

How much power are you looking to make? Stock 351 short block should be able to handle decent N/A power. Saving you money to spend on the top end. TFS Canfield or AFR heads, TFS Comp XE or custom ground cam, TFS Edelbrock or stick with your GT-40 intake, 75 or 90mm accufab throttlebody FMS injectors. This is more or less what I'm going to be running but it's going in a car. Stock 96 short block, TFS R upper and lower intake, 90mm Accufab t-body, 90mm mass air sensor, GT-40 heads (saving for Canfields) FMS 42 lb injectors, and a TFS stage 1 cam.

 

I assume I will have better results if I go with a MAF so I am open to that, if you have experience both ways I would like to hear the pros and cons.
Thanks

 

I don't really have a goal on how much hp I am looking to make, I'm not stuck on doing aluminum heads I just listed a few parts that came to mind I am open to replacing. Do you know anyone that has run the set up you just listed? If so what kind of power did that make and what type of tuning did they do.
Thanks

 

Your cam choices are limited with speed density, but you can still make a good bit of power with it. If you're wanting a cam with a lopey idle then a mass air swap will be needed. If you have a good tuner in your area that can work with speed density, then injector upgrades wont be a problem if you decide to keep the speed density system.

Some other parts I would recommend would be a higher stall converter, Punisher valve body to firm up the shifts and traction bars to control wheel hop. Since yours is a 94, you could easily swap to a roller cam. I've found rollers lifter, spider and dogbone sets for under a 100 bucks; from there you just need a cam.

 

I'm hoping to be running that setup soon. Like Blurry said, you also need to look into upgrading other things that will help you get faster.

 

All good advice. I would suggest you go over to the NLOC site National lightning owners club and ask the same question in the Gen 1 section and look to the classified section for parts.
My son and I got most of out stuff the new race truck 93 lightning body off that site.
We also parted out our old race truck, a 94 Lightning thru the NLOC site.

Stay away from comp cams. I have a 94 DD with a mildly built 351. Around 300 HP NA and after 2000 miles 2 have gone south. They explained the first failure as engine had a high flow oil pump. Still waiting to hear their excuse for the second one 2k miles later. This is just my opinion by the way YMMV