Is it possible to switch out my 302 for a 351 or preferrably a 460 ?

The truck is a 94 F150 XL Supercab Longbed with Auto trans. I don't drive it much anymore except to pull a light fifth wheel, and the truck is setup well with Rancho lift and everything else to suit me, so I'd rather keep it than buy a new truck (plus it's paid for!)

I'd like to hear if anyone has done this, and what I may expect.

thank you,

Damon

 

This is going to cost you!
You cant put in a 351 without swapping in a computer for the 351, you will have to get a 351 with fuel in injection, the firing order will be different.
You will have little more trouble with the 460, every thing that applies to the 351 goes for the 460, but the transmission will have to be swapped in from a 460. There are a lot of other modifications, but if you really want to go thorough with it, I could explain in more detail.
I would say the 351-swap cost would be upwards of$1,200, and the 460, $2,200 at least.

 

I made the initial mistake of not searching the archives for this topic before posting the question. Once I looked at some past threads, I'm not sure that I want to deal with all of the headaches that the 351 upgrade sounds like it will be.

So, I'm going to plan B - new ratio of 4.10, exhaust, and maybe a chip. Hopefully this combo will provide the edge I am looking for without a huge time investment and a lot of hassles. Any other suggestions or ideas on the best return for my money ?

 

I think you made a wise choice in changing your mind.

How about a MSD-6A ignition? (plus a new TFI coil if yours has more than 100k miles on it)

 

>Is it possible to switch out my 302 for a 351 or preferrably
>a 460 ?
>
>The truck is a 94 F150 XL Supercab Longbed with Auto trans.
>I don't drive it much anymore except to pull a light fifth
>wheel, and the truck is setup well with Rancho lift and
>everything else to suit me, so I'd rather keep it than buy a
>new truck (plus it's paid for!)
>
>I'd like to hear if anyone has done this, and what I may
>expect.
>
>thank you,
>
>Damon

Most likely you have Mass Air, and if you do, you can Swap in a 351 without having to change the computer. Mass Air 302's have the same firing order as Mass Air 351's. I would look for a low-mileage 351 out of a wrecked truck. I've seen complete units for $1000. Otherwise you might consider getting a rebuilt 351 with a warranty.

Do you have the large radiator? If not, you should swap for the larger radiator.



'93 F-150 loaded and modified!

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/toydestroyer1

 

Are you recommending the coil and ignition only if I go with the exhaust and chip mods first, or is this a worthwhile improvement on its own ?

The truck has a little over 100k miles, and about a third of that is towing.

 

Well, the stock TFI coil seems to be held in low esteem around this board (and other Ford boards I've visited). Apparently a lot of TFI coils go bad faster than other coils, thus replacing yours might be in order.

I was suggesting the MSD ignition before, or with, your upgrades. Having the capacitive discharges, the better high-end spark, and the multiple sparks (below 3000 RPM - single sparks above 3k) might help out when the truck begins to be challenged by the load you're carrying.

Perhaps another route, if you want to save money but don't mind increasing your work load, would be to just get the MSD TFI coil and sidegap (and widen the gap between) your sparkplugs. The sidegapped sparkplugs do tend to need changed out sooner (like every 10k miles?)

Search the 1987-1996 boards for "MSD" and "Ignition", or use some other criteria, and see what people are saying about the systems they use.

 

I have the MSD 6a w/blaster coil on my '93 F-150. That and the exhuast was the best mod I have done. I tow a car hauler to a total of 5k occasionally, and I noticed a difference immediately. Hooking up the system is really simple. Get the plug-in harness and your set.


'93 F-150 loaded and modified!

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/toydestroyer1

 

I run an MSD6AL ignition with Blaster 2F coil and Billet distributer, all from MSD. Absolutely love the set-up. Has the soft-touch rev-limit chip.

I also run Heddman headers(Summit would be nice too...cheaper also) got rid of the first cat and a single 3" pipe that splits into a twin 2.5" to maintain torque. It passes through a Flo-master 40 series muffler. Had a Delta 50, but I need more sound to hear exactly how she is running. If you want I can give you the 50 series as I don't need it anymore(you have to pay for shipping though). The thing has 15000 on the muffler.

First and formost I would recommend these mods to anyone. They are worth every penny. Put those on and start from there. Maybe a chip maybe not. New gears aren't cheap, but what they due isn't small either. Hope this helps.

CJ

 

Now i hate to say this being as new as the truck is,but your best,cheapest bet is to take that stupid computer controlled 302 out and throw it away.Your best most powerful bet is to get a pre-75 351.Older engines dont have pollution heads on them,in turn they breathe better and put out more power with less bucks.You could find one and rebuild it using alot less money than having to change computer garbage on a newer engine.As for the distributor,put a points type in it then put an ignitor electronic ignition in it.I did that with my 390 and what a difference!It only costs about 70 bucks besides.But no matter what anyone tries to say,older IS better!

 

 

Would a 347 stroker kit (I know it's pricey) work with all the stock electronics in a 92 f150 with a 302??

Thanks

 

I could be wrong, but if you're condsidering the injectors as electronics, i'd bet you might want to change them out for a larger size. (24 lbs.?) That might require an adjustable fuel pressure regualtor, too. My reasoning is only that the larger displacement could probably use the extra fuel.