My 53 has a chevy 350 right now. I want to change it back to a ford. Which would be better, 351w or a 390?

 

302/5.0 would be my choice

 

Out of your two choices I say the 351w with a 4r70

 

If you choose a 4R70 then you will have to have the computer to control it...might as well go with a 4.6 if you were to go that route.


351W are not as common as the 302/5.0 and harder to find aftermarket parts.

 

If those are the only 2 choices, go with the 351. Much more room for growth. If you want to get crazy you can make a Clevor (351W with Clevland heads)


You can bore/stroke it in the mid 400 CID and make oodles of HP.

 

Plenty of aftermarket support for the 351. And for a mild build only the intake needs to be 351 specific

 

What's wrong with a 239? Hop it up and be the only one with a kick *** flathead.

 

He said it has a 350 in it currently.


Buying a flathead and all the parts needed to convert it back will be costly. It would be cool to have a rodded out flatty but for the money and time, you can go many different directions and be ahead

 

What transmission do you want to use? I'm in the middle of changing out the SBC in my F1 to a 5.0/AODE. There are a lot of other parts that need to be changed or modified to change flavor of power trains. Radiator, exhaust system, engine accessories, shifter, clutch linkage, wiring, etc.
If my truck didn't have any sentimental value to me, it would have been much more cost effective to sell my truck complete with SBC power, and then either buy a complete truck with Ford power, or start a new project.
Do you already have access to the 351 or the 390? They will both physically fit in your truck with room to spare, and mounts and headers are available for either one. My vote would be for the 351, as it can be built to make plenty of power, and parts are more readily available at a reasonable cost.
Good luck with your project!

 

If you decide on the 390, check out survival motor sports. They sell a stroker kit that will take it to 445. ( after boring .030 over)

 

I would love to put a flathead in it since that is what it came out of the factory with. But I drive my truck a lot, not just car shows. I might drive it two weeks straight to work. So I need an engine that if something breaks I can walk into any parts store and find the part. If I walked into a parts store and told them I needed a part for a flatty, the young people working the store now adays wouldn't have a clue. I will stay with the chevy for now. I have more stuff that needs to be done right now. I was wanting to get ideas so I can be thinking of which way to go so if I come across a good deal, I can pick it up and be working on it and have it ready to put in when I am ready.

 

I would go with a 302 if you are going to drive it daily to get reasonable gas mileage. Plenty of power for one of these trucks, 390 sounds cool but is overkill IMO.

 

If the chevy is running why not leave it? Far easier to walk into any parts store and find chevy parts, much greater interchange on parts, and most any mechanic over 25 knows how to work on em. Only reason I see to change it out is for ego/peer pressure and/or because you have money to burn. (donning flame suit...) Even if the CSB in my truck blew up another one would go right back in, (especially since a good one could be quickly found, be inexpensive, and even a late model LS would bolt right in and be up and running in no time). Haters be dmaned!
We are putting a 4.6 3V with 3650 5 speed stick in Gary's 52 right now. Incompatibilities are rampant in Ford engines, I recently did some quick research on the Ford "mod" motors and was shocked at how many incompatible variants Ford built, there's nothing modular about them except bore spacing. PATS has made using a salvage late model Ford motor an almost impossible task. If going Ford, I'd stick with a pushrod engine if you can find one that hasn't been 'rode hard and put up wet". It's been discovered that many of the 351W blocks were from the factory or have developed cracks around the cam bearing journals.

 

I would also say when you change go 302. There are plenty of good blocks to be had. The explorer are good source for 302 engines. A efi motor can be changed very easily to carb, if you want to go that route. The 302 was used for over thirty years and is very easy to swap parts on.

 

I'll join AXracer and ask why ditch the SBC? Flatheads were the king of hot rod motors for years because they were compact, cheap, and good performers in their day. The small block Chevrolet beats all other engines in those categories to this day.

I should also say if you have any non-flathead V8 in a 1953 and older truck it is all the same to me. I like them stock. If you don't keep it stock, use the most practical solution. Ok, I have my flame suit on too.