My 5.0/302 originally came stock with the feedback carburetor and EEC-IV engine computer. By the time I took possession of the truck, it was hacked up with emissions components either missing (smog pump!) or not hooked up, a ridiculous cam, an out-of-place racing shift kit, and completely obnoxious mufflers that made the truck sound like a race truck on the verge of blowing up. Unfortunately, the computer-controlled ignition system was left in place with a replacement (non-feedback) Motorcraft carburetor, which meant the timing was locked. In other words, the previous owner had no idea what he doing when he attempted to make the truck "better" and the result was a vehicle that produced hardly any power and even worse fuel mileage. The parts were so mis-matched in fact, if you stomped the throttle from a stop light, the truck would either completely stall or hesitate for about 2 full seconds before taking off...with a big cloud of pollution behind it.

I have spent a great deal of time and money getting it right again, and it runs like a wet dream now. My engine specs are in my signature below. Thanks from the guidance of some great members on this site, I now have a truck with outstanding power and torque while still delivering 15+ miles per gallon. Best of all, this truck actually starts up quicker than any modern fuel-injected vehicle I have ever owned, and it doesn't stall at all, even when it got close to freezing last winter.

I had the engine bay painted the original Canyon Red when the motor was out. I still have to hook the entire A/C back up and the air cleaner air snorkels to the radiator, so I am still not completely finished. I have spent the last five years collecting NOS Ford trim parts and hope to do a full restoration on the exterior and interior within the next year or two. Here a couple more pictures:

 

I need a rag to clean up after looking at those pictures...

Is that air cleaner housing off a mustang?

 

Yes. The twin snorkel air cleaner and the aluminum valve covers are off of a 1985 Ford Mustang GT.

 

Very, very nice. Looks like you really pay attention to detail, which I like. That deserves two thumbs up.

You just don't see those air cleaner housings much anymore.

 

Lariat 85,that is a fine looking engine and engine bay. I wish mine looked that good.
I noticed in the last picture that had the 4100 in it that the bracket that is on the
the right side of the carb that has what looks like a vacuum line running though it, was
originally used to hold a heater hose close to the choke to help it heat up. This was
on 4100s and 2100s in the 1960s. I had a 1965 Fairlane that had a 289 2bbl that
had that same bracket on the carb and that what it was used for. Very nice setup
that you have on your truck.

 

You are exactly right. That "saddle" beside the choke cap is supposed to have a heater hose against it. But is that because of the location of the heater core, or was it to help the choke to warm up faster? The older vehicles (1960s cars) that originally used the Autolite 4100 had the heater core located closer to the engine so the hose ran straight back from the intake, rested against the choke cap, and then to the heater core. Because the location of the heater core is mounted much further away and to the left of the carburetor on the 1980 - 1986 trucks, I couldn't figure out a way to route the heater hose so it rests against the choke cap like the earlier models.

The later Motorcraft 2150 carburetor (essentially an updated 2-barrel version of the older Autolite 4100) didn't have this saddle at all for a heater hose. They used an electric assist choke in addition to the hot air choke for emissions purposes.

Neither is totally necessary and the thermostatic hot air choke works great.

 

Super nice Lariat 85!!! Looks just unbelievably fantastic, a thing to be very proud of.

 

Lariat - How do you have the flapper valves in the snorkels plumbed? Do you have hot air to either side? Do you have any plans to run cold air from the radiator support to the snorkels?

 

As I said earlier, I am not entirely finished yet. I do have plans to plumb the snorkels for both hot air and cold air. I haven't done it yet because I still have to bolt on my A/C compressor, and I am not sure how much room I will have between it and the driver's side snorkel. The whole point of me running the thermostatic air cleaner was for it to functional for better driveability in both cold and hot weather. So everything is going to be hooked up and working before I am finished with it. I will not run an aftermarket open-element air cleaner again. I think the extra snorkel looks cool and should provide a bit more airflow for my modified 5.0.

I do not have the flapper valves in the snorkels hooked up yet. Since I am now running two snorkels with headers, I have two short pieces of metal tube open on both ends I plan to clamp to the header pipe. From there, I will clamp aluminum flex tubing from the tube up to the snorkel. The open ends will route hot air from the header pipe up to the flapper valve, much like the hot air choke setup I have in picture 4.

For the cold air intake, I still have the stock plastic piece that bolts to the radiator support on the passenger's side, and I am going to have to make something up for the driver's side. There's a slot there like what is on the passenger's side radiator support for the cold air duct, but the plastic piece will not work on that side as it does on the passenger's side, so I still have figure out how to do that. Then all I have to do is connect the flex tubing from the plastic ends to the snorkel ends.

 

Sounds like a good plan on the snorkels. My plans are similar, but a bit different:

• I think I'll mod the existing housing to use two snorkels
• I'll plumb both flappers to work in parallel
• But, I'm going to block off the hot air inlet on the driver's side so when the flappers are closed the engine will pull from the existing stove on the passenger's exhaust manifold. Don't think I'll be pushing the engine enough when it is cold to need both hot-air feeds.
• On mine there's a cut-out on the driver's side of the radiator support, but only through the piece of metal on the rear of the support, that matches the one on the passenger's side. I'll just cut that all the way through, smooth it up, and paint it so it doesn't rust.
• I'll use another plastic "pickup" just like the one on the passenger's side to fasten to the radiator support. And then another piece of the flex hose and it'll look like it came from the factory that way.

But, this is someone prelim as I'm a long way from being ready to do that as the little 2150 doesn't flow enough air to come close to needing another snorkel. However, that will change one of these days, so in the mean time I'm collecting parts, like the cold air pickup for the earlier years.

 

The cold air inlet for the late 85 302 fi trucks fits into the radiator sopport on the driver's side of the radiator, so if your original carburated inlet is on the passenger side, there's your twin snorkel inlet points. I'm sure the brace has already been punched for them both.

 

Picked up a set of brackets from the junkyard yesterday, now just need a belt. I'll take a picture when done to show it on a efi motor

 

Lariat, wicked nice engine! I grabbed those parts off a '71 302. I think it was 2 years ago. Here's my engine, but the pic stinks because its off of my phone.

 

Thanks, Chief!

Your engine looks nice too. You need to paint the rusty distributor vacuum advance, though. It kind of sticks out like a sore thumb next to that nice new Ford Blue paint and shiny chrome air cleaner. My vacuum advance did the exact same thing. I sanded mine lightly and spayed it with Rustoleum followed by Cast Coat Aluminum paint.

 

Well i did this last night. I didnt clean up my engine bay though, and my truck is dirty, as i like to play in the mud, so excuse the dirty mud covered alternator....lol Also, if you have a 3g alternator and do this, you need to get a 15mm wide 41 inch belt, the 39 will not go over the pulley with the alternator all the way towards the engine. Other than that, i didnt have any problems putting this in. This is the first time i have seen the top of my alternator since i did the 3g mod about 5 years ago! (ive had the truck pretty buried in mud between then and now too if you cant tell...lol)