hi im looking for some help! my engine ceased up on me.i put an add on craigs list for some one to help me find out if my engine is usable or get a new engine and fix it up. i was told that i should buy an 89 5.0 mustang engine because its a high output motor and supe it up because its stronger... im just trying to find out if this is ok to put a car engine in a truck and if everything ells will be ok.

 

If you are going to efi make sure you get all the harnesses from the donor and the computer as well. I went from a 390 to a 302 in mine backed with a C4 trans and the truck drove just fine, it also had more than enough power and great fuel mileage too.

 

Keep an open mind when trying to find a used engine, and have a lot of common since with you, so you dont spend your money on junk.
An 89 5.0 may be a good score, but if you are open to any small block Ford, or any FE engine, it may be easier to locate a good swap.

 

What engine do you have in there now and how do you plan to use the truck? Thr 300 six is a good choice for towing and heavier hauling. A car 302 is not designed for low end torque but if you are just driving it light duty it will be ok. A 351 W is a better choice as a small block for a truck,it has more low end torque. I believe that the 360 was the most used V8 in these trucks. It has plenty of towing power but is made as a smog reduction engine and as such is lower compression and uses more gas. I personnaly like the 352 which was last used in the 67 model but most people seem to prefer the 390. The 360,352 and 390 are all FE engines. For real power you can go to a 460 but it was not original to the bumpsides, but I believe quite a few have been transplanted to bumpsides.

 

spenc6889, Welcome to FTE. Lets back up and start at the beginning, what engine and transmission is in the truck now?

How do you or will you use the truck after it is running again?

Once we find that out we can help guide you, not knowing that is a crap shoot on advise.




John

 

I have a 71 F100 and the guys on this site have given me great advice. My truck has a 239 I6 that runs well, but lacks power and fun. I am contemplating a 302 or maybe a 351. I may go with the 302 because there are a ton available cheap here in Kansas City. Let your budget be your guide!

 

my truck has a 302 engine with a c4 trani manual on the floor. im wanting to make it an automatic back on the tree and swap out the engine! im not gonna tow anything the most i might have in it is a couple dirt bikes

 

Well let's see, an upgrade up to a mid 90s 5.0 AOD or EAOD would be nice. A little stretch and a 4.6 or other mod could be worked in.

Power Steering & disc brake upgrade would be a good time to make the swap all at once. You would need a different column with the power steering anyways.

I run 76 I-beams, for PDB & PS in my 66, easy to do if you have a place to work, some tools, and skills.




John

 

well i really dont have any tools and my garage isnt very big.. and i dont really know to much about the power steering. not really to much to work with haha. and i dont have a donar truck or know where any are ive called junk yards all around in virginia and no luck

 

and i really dont have a lot of money right now to be doing a bunch of up grades. how much would it coast to put power steering on my truck?

 

Are you going to do the engine work or have someone that will help you along? Do you have any junk yards or salvage yards nearby? It sounds like your truck was at one time a column shift automatic, is that correct? How much money do you have to spend on a motor? We can go on for days about what to do, but knowing your skill level, how much you can spend and what you have to work with will get us to the point.
--Mike

 

i wouldnt go with a 302 in one of these trucks. that poor thing would have to work very hard to push all that weight. i understand a 302 can be souped up to have ALOT of power, and alot of mustang guys will swear by them, heck i'd even love to have one in my little ranger someday, i think it would be supreme in a little truck like that, but in my honest opinion there is no replacement for displacement. and a c4 is a transmission i wouldnt touch with a ten foot pole. its the c6's little sister. a c6 or a stick with either a healthy 390 or 410 is what i would recommend. or just do the conversion and go with the 460. but this is only my opinion, like i said, i am no engine builder or expert. my poor truck still has a tired 360 in it, but i keep it running best as can be, and my mpg isnt too bad.

 

Spence, Are you in the Norfolk area? Does the base have a hobby shop?



John

 

brings back memories when i had my 71 in seattle and i spent so much time at the base auto hobby shop, it was great. cost was like $2.00 an hour and all the tools and equipment u could ever need. she had the sliding rear window, bedside toolbox, power disc brakes, no rust, but the engine in that thing was terrible.
some dude there at the hobby shop totally restored his 65 f100. lol, he racked up like hundreds of dollars in storage fees which i thought was insane, but then i realized the dude saved himself like 20 grand that it wouldve costed to do all the work he did. lol.

 

so im getting my tax returns and i was thinking of buying a 5.0 mustang engine with the 5 speed tranny. i think its called a t5 AOD. anyways i just wanted to know if this tranny will fit my truck with out cutting stuff up?