Hello! Somebody I know has a 1988 F-150 4x2 with a 302/5.0 V8. The engine is on its last leg and my friend and I have decided to do a swap when the engine finally let's go.

A relative has a '75 F-100 that has been sitting for several years. It has a 302 also, and the relative says (and I've seen it also) will run, it just needs to be tuned up. A trusted mechanic told us that the best thing to do if we pull the engine from the '75 truck for the '88 is to retrofit the fuel injection system from the '88 engine on the '75 model engine.

Are there any surprises we'd run into by doing this swap? As far as I've researched, I don't believe Ford changed anything block wise about the Windsor engine from 1962 up to 2001. I'm wanting to be sure.

Also, I'd like to know if I would get more power by also swapping the fuel injected engine's heads onto the older engine,
plus what other useful info I might need to make this swap successful.

As a further note, the '88 truck as an AOD automatic while the '75 has a column shifted 3-speed manual. Would there be any caveat in putting the '75 engine in front of an automatic?

 

Well Phsically as far as the block is built, I don't think there is any difference at all. I think the later one's have a larger nickel content...

1993 F-150
1989 F-150 4x4

 

Thanks, this swap sounds like it'll be a whole lot easier, since it sounds like then it'll just be a matter of switching everything from the later engine onto the earlier one.

One more thing I'd like to know. Can you tell me where I can get specs on the cylinder heads of both of these engines? Both of them, '75 engine and the '88 engine are completely stock, no changes have been made other than regular maintenance.

 

I believe you need to research the flex plate. The internal balance is different for the EFI 302 and the older ones.

When I put a 5.0 in my '54 along with a '70 C4 trans, I had to buy a flex plate with a different balance on it. I don't recall the weights, but the newer engine has a heavier counter balance on the flex plate.

If you omit this, you will probably have some severe vibration that you won't be able to live with.

Also, be sure to check the freeze plugs and galley plugs, all openings where the intake goes, to make them similar. You may have to plug some holes and open some others.

Good luck.

Winford