A bud asked me if he could put a 390 in his 87 f250 4x4 auto with a 351w...

whats involved in this??? Since i know the motor mounts/non removable bell housing wont bolt up and the fact they didnt put 390's in these trucks my first thought was dont bother...

but please enlighten me..

-gbm-

 

OK, just to PO the FE fans.....what's the point? A 390 is a fine motor, but stock to stock on that truck, I'd put my money on the 351 in a drag race.

The '87 351 is an EFI, correct?

And, the '87 could be subject to some smog inspection, correct?

So, figure that you can't get it licensed at some point, and then figure the cost to bring that 390 up to modern standards.

Then figure that cost vs. a little work on the 351.

Not that a stroker would be cheaper, but it would work with all the existing parts etc. etc.

And, the 390 probably weighs 200 lbs more than the 351.

The tranny won't swap, either, so add that to the mix.

Better minds will chime in.

 

no the 87 isnt efi its old school carb, there are no smog inspections here... like i said its my buddy asking me, his current 351w is bagged and he has a 390, he was just curious....

-gbm-

 

Since you already know about the motor mounts and bellhousing, why the heck not! I run a 351, and it's pretty gutless in a 3/4 ton truck if you ask me. 390's make a lot of power. Really depends on how good of a scrounge he is, cause it'll take a new tranny, transfer case and lots of fab work. Friend of mine is planning the same swap into an 82 with a 428. ( same block ). If he already has the engine that's money he won't have to spend.

 

If he had the matching tranny and transfer-case to work with the 390, plus the exhaust and mounts, then I'd encourage it.

But the cost of those extra parts might very well end up costing more than it would to rebuild the 351 properly and use it with all the other parts that are already in the truck.

OTOH, if it was a 428 like Egor's friend is doing, well, that would be worth the extra cost...