I have a 1994 F150 with the 5.8L and I am considering picking up a low mileage replacement engine from the junkyard and rebuilding it this summer to swap into my truck. Mine is OBD 1. What year range of engines could I grab to rebuild for my truck?

I found a nice low mileage engine at a local yard the other day that was out of a 97 F250, but I believe they were OBD II by then. Does this matter or would it just be a matter of swapping the wiring harness from the 94 motor to the 97?

 

Highly unlikely that '97 F350 has OBD-II w/5.8L engine. Even if it did that does not make a difference for this swap. Do NOT use any wiring from the donor engine/vehicle. Keep what you have. You can use pretty much any EFI engine from ~1988 to 1997.

Be aware the F250/350 trucks use a different AIR injection system, usually injected directly into the exhaust manifolds instead of the back of the heads like your F150. Just swap over those parts from your truck.

 

Any '94+ 5.8 motor will be a direct swap, doesn't matter what type of EFI system is on it you're only going to use the basic longblock anyway and those parts are identical to yours.

 

Ok, thanks.

 

Why only a 94+ since the OP is going to rebuild it anyway? Roller ready block (F4TE) or did I miss something?

 

I would plan on rebuilding it with gt40 heads, a mild cam, long tube headers, and air/smog pump delete. Get a few more ponies out of it and hopefully mpg. Is there any year in that range that is better than others or are they all basically the same? The 5.8 seems to have been pretty tried and true by 97.

 

1994 and up blocks (casting number F4TE) are roller cam ready. Your 1997 may already be a roller motor so perhaps that is why Paul suggested the 94+ engine assembly. You can use the earlier engine, but they are flat tappet cams. To go roller would be an expensive kit versus factory parts for a 94+ version. Not the end of the world either way but it is getting harder to get engine oil with the proper additives to support flat tappet cams.

 

Yes that is why I suggested the '94+ engines.