I have a 1994 single cab short wide 4X4 with a 4.9IL6 and an 5 speed manual. Am considering swapping in a windsor crate engine. Im planning on going carbureted for now and maybe adding an edelbrock or holley multi port injection system in the future. Has anyone done this swap? What issues should i expect? I believe the trans bolt pattern is the same and engine mounts should be readily available since that truck was offered with a windsor engine from the factory. Any info would be appreciated.

 

This swap has been covered many times. Yes the 4.9L and 5.0/5.8L engine share the same bellhousing bolt pattern but the Mazda M5OD transmission will be the weak link after swapping in a V8.

The engine mount frame towers will also need to be swapped as well.

 

If you were to locate a '94 donor truck with a 5.8 you would have everything you need to convert to a V8. You probably think going to a carb would be easier and cheaper but you will also have to add a bypass fuel pressure regulator to drop pressure down to a level the carb can deal with, install a stand alone ignition system, and rewire the dash gauges to work with the new motor. But if you stayed with the EFI for now and had a donor vehicle you could just plug it in and get the truck back on the road, and upgrade that motor in stages as you see fit.

 

My main reason to go carb is to get away from the factory efi setup and have the option of throwing in an aftermarket system later that can make some real horsepower. The plan here is to be around the 400 C.I. mark. So far from the responses I've got it seems like an easy swap.

 

The swap is not really that complicated, having a donor available would help. Once you start making some decent HP is when the price tag gets steeper.