HELP "power" problems
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From: chambersburg
HELP "power" problems
ok so i have a 1993 f150 that I'm making my own daily driven rodder truck. its gutless. i want more power . i was thinking of rebuilding the existing motor and reprograming the computer or even swapping my base 180 horse 5.0 with a mustang 5.o, building that up and switching computers to handle the new found power...any suggestions about this would be appreciated. want to b around 250hp range or higher if possible. only mods to truck are air intake and true dual exhaust so far. just need to know the best route to go when u have about 2grand and less to work with
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: SW Florida
Agreed, even the Mustang guys don't usually stick with the 302 when they want big power. Take it out and drop a 351 in there, then sell the 302 for a few hundred to help offset the cost of the swap.
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From: chambersburg
alright. i had seen that in other postings. round about price on a used 351? we talking a few hundred for a motor or into the thousands and would i have to swap the computer or am i able to reprogram the stock one to increase its tolerances?
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Laramie, WY
This is an extremely common swap. Use the search function.
I paid $100 for an entire donor truck (used engine, but looked great inside), while others may spend thousands on a crate motor, so engine cost can vary wildly all depending on what you are willing to do.
I paid $100 for an entire donor truck (used engine, but looked great inside), while others may spend thousands on a crate motor, so engine cost can vary wildly all depending on what you are willing to do.
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From: chambersburg
after advice from a few members and reading a lot of post already online I'm convinced to find a 351 instead of swapping a stock 5.0 with a beefier mustang 5.0 into my 93 f150. where do i even start to look for a 351? junkyard? what year of truck around my year ford would have one stock to swap?
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Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: SW Florida
Junkyard would be your cheapest bet. Bring a jump starter box and find a truck with the cluster intact, because usually they leave the key in it and then you can power up the electrics and read the mileage.
Next up for a little more coin would be a rebuilt stock engine. Or you can buy a reman short block. A short block is an incomplete engine with everything from the block down already installed. You supply everything from the block up. Spend a bit more and you can buy some heads, intake, cam, etc to go on your short block.
After that comes a crate motor or custom build... that's where it can get expen$ive.
Next up for a little more coin would be a rebuilt stock engine. Or you can buy a reman short block. A short block is an incomplete engine with everything from the block down already installed. You supply everything from the block up. Spend a bit more and you can buy some heads, intake, cam, etc to go on your short block.
After that comes a crate motor or custom build... that's where it can get expen$ive.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Laramie, WY
You were allot smarter than me when I bought my engine, I bought what might as well be a big pile of scrap metal until I get get a machine shop to quote me on the cost for a rebuild of that 351w, 600 dollars for that darn thing. Last time I buy an engine from a friend. All well just means when I get it done and dropped in I'll be the one hauling butt and the truck it came out of will keep on rusting in his yard with a different dead engine.
Going from a 302 to a 351, you'll need the engine in whole, it's wire harness, and PCM (if you have an auto, get the PCM for the matching trans & motor, if manual, get PCM for a manual & that motor). Find a donor truck, whether its in the junk yard or a cheap craigslist buy, so you'll have what you need. Do a compression test before you buy, and pull the pan to inspect before you install.
Conanski has posted lot's of good info on this swap. Use his name in your searches and you won't be lead astray.
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