One more useless opinion: The way I look at it, if you have to pull the engine to go through it, you might as well look for a donor truck and just swap in another motor with fewer miles. Might be able to find a cheap donor vehicle with 100k less miles on it.

You can still check the newer engine over (pan rust, oil pump, etc) before you put it in, but you hopefully wont have to worry about damage from a bad head gasket. This also gives you the option to go 300/302/351 if you so desire.

 

If I did go that rout what would you recommend, 302 or 351? I'm interested in the 351 just because I pull my little camper with it in the summer

 

I'd inspect your motor before going donor; there are millions of cars out there that blew head gaskets, had them repaired, and run as good as new.

If the bearings look good and heads are flat, what are we worried about?

OTOH, an EFI 351W is plug-and-play, and is the easiest way to get 100 ft-lb more low end torque

 

All the EFI stuff should transfer right over from 302 to 351?

 

Not the injectors, fuel rails, lower intakes, emissions-compatible manifolds, some sensors....just get a donor engine from the same induction (MAF or SD) and save yourself a lot of headache

Well, with SD, you'll need to swap injectors, with MAF you probably need the injectors that came with the MAF unit, whichever truck it came from.

 

What is the easiest way to get more power out of the 302? Sry I have so much questions just new to all this

 

302's do well a different cam and exhaust. Also different heads and intake manifolds can help.

If you're not worried about fuel economy, I'd go with the 351. It's much happier towing that a 302. Do you know what the gearing in your truck is?

 

No but I do know it's to high for that 302 it has hell starting out in 2nd gear, how do I tell what gears I have?

 

Is it easier to deal with changing the EFI from 302 to 351, or change cam, heads, exhaust, and intake manifold on 302?

 

He mentioned getting an ORiley engine. those things are like 4k to 5k.

 

everything from your 94 will transfer over from a computer and efi standpoint. you have to put longer fuel lines on the fuel rails to make them fit the wider 351 lower intake, but the injectors are the same and good for 300 hp (i would put new seals and rebuild them, only takes a $25 kit and an hour of time). you can even use your current throttle body and it will bolt to a junk yard 351 speed density upper intake perfectly. Ditch the EGR crap and block off the port on the side of the intake manifold and ports on the back of the heads. if you have a good reading 02 sensor you may not even need a tune. more air = more fuel and it just monitors the o2 to get it into the butter zone for power. these mass air ecu units are stupid awesome.

 

Sounds good, I'll pull this 302 and see what it looks like and go from there, thanks for all the info

 

How do I unhook the AC on the 302? Can I do it or do I need to take it to a shop?

 

Try to leave it sealed if you can. Remove the compressor from the engine and try to hold it out of the way.

 

Look at the tag in the door jamb on the driver's side. It should have an axle code. I don't know if it's gospel, but my general rule of thumb is if it ends in an 8 it's a 3.08, if it ends in a 9 it's a 3.55, and if it ends in a 5 it's a 4.10.

Being your looking at an f150, it's probably a 3.08 or 3.55.

Both require work. If it was me, I'd decide where I want the power band and pick what I wanted to do, then just go for it. If you're going to pull the motor either way, all of the hard work is already done.