So ive seen this swap in a 77 f150 and a 84 bronco. So now im motivated to get it done. I have the original 3 speed in the truck but im not very interested in keeping it original plus I plan to do alot of highway driving so a 5 speed would definitely be welcome. I already know about having to dabricate the clutch lever in the cab to accompany a hydraulic clutch but I need to know what size bellhousing do I need to bolt onto my 302 and will there be any cutting to my drive shaft needed?

 

The M5R2 has an integral bellhousing so you won't need any separate bell. Do you know what size flywheel you have on the 302? If you have a 157-tooth, you'll need to swap it out for the larger 164-tooth. What year is your 302 engine? When swapping flywheels, you have to make sure you get one with the correct imbalance, prior to 1982 it was 28 oz, after 1982 it was 50 oz. A 351w flywheel will work on an early 302 as they wer all 28 oz, a 300-I6 flywheel will physically bolt up but do not use it, it's zero imbalance. Using the wrong flywheel imbalance will destroy your engine.

As for the driveshaft, you'll have to get some measurements after the tranny is in place and then hit the wrecking yards with your tape measure. You should be able to find one that will work.

 

I'm not familiar with the manuals of the era, but I did an automatic swap on my truck to an AOD. The driveshaft was the correct length already. But if needed, it is very easy for a shop to either lengthen or shorten a driveshaft.

 

I am led to believe its the original 302 from 1969 and the fact I dont need to search for a new bell is a weight off my shoulders. So if its before 82 I will need a 351 fly wheel and if its after 82 ill need a 302 flywheel?

 

Well, not exactly, let me clarify...first you need to count the teeth on your existing flywheel, if it's 164 then you're good and don't need to replace it. If it's 157 teeth then you will need to repalce it with a 164-tooth flywheel. You can buy them new/aftermarket from Summit Racing (among other places) or used. The original 302 engine (and any 302 built before 1982) would have an imbalance of 28 ounces and you can use the flywheel from any 302 built in that timeframe as long as it's 164-tooth. The 351W did not change the imbalance factor to 50 ounces as the 302 did, so you can use a 351W flywheel from any year which should make finding one a bit easier.

But the first steps are to check the casting/date codes on your engine to determine if it's the original engine or at least the correct vintage, and count those teeth.

 

Oh ok. Yeah I figured that out when I went on summit to check prices. Is the casting numbers on the side by the motor mount? Or are they somewhere else?

 

First count the flywheel teeth, if it's already 164 then you don't need to worry about the engine's vintage. But maybe you'd simply like to know anyway...

You have to crawl underneath and they're basically above the starter, you usually have to pull the starter to see them. But here are a couple of other things to try first: Does the engine still have the original intake manifold etc? If so, the metal tag with the engine info might still be in place and you can clean the grease etc. off of it and read the numbers. Failing that, there should an engine assembly date code stamped into the block:



If the engine has never been rebuilt with the deck surfaced it should still be there, of course some cleaning will most likely be required. See if it is and get back to us with the numbers.

 

Its been rebuilt and painted so no tags. I think ill just count em when I get it up on the lift. This week has me all over the place so im short on time for awhile.

 

You will likely need a new driveshaft, as the later trucks all had slip yokes, while the earlier ones used a slip joint in the shaft and fixed yokes.