i have a 1996 f150 that is all stock accept an 8th degree cam timing advance. i want to put an e303 cam in it and want to know what else i would need to change and how much i would gain from it

 

I have a 96 with a 5.0L and would also be interested in this information.

Also curious what difference was noticed/gained by the 8degree advance on it's own Blake (is your 96 a 5.0L?).

Cheers D

 

Nothing extra needed engine wise but the truck will need to be regeared afterwords as this cam produces all it's usable power above 3000rpm.

 

This would kill your bottom end torque and run out of breath with the stock heads long before the cam gets into it's power range. But if you just want a lumpy idle then it would be great.

Engines are a package, you cant put a long duration cam in an engine designed to make power down low and expect it to perform. Heads/valve springs/ported intake at a minimum to make it work well. Not to mention custom programming.

A set of Explorer GT40s would be a good place to start.
http://www.fiveohinfo.com/performance/gt40-gt40p.html

 

Thanks anyways guys, but I need all the bottom-end torque I can get. Will be swapping to 4.88 gears when the switch to 38" tires happens, even then it will be only slightly lower gearing (numerically higher geared) then the stock 3.55 gears and 29" tires the truck came factory with.

Cheers D

 

Well, with the lower first gear modern transmissions have over older C4 and C6 trans, 4:88 is plenty low for 38's. I start off in second with my 4:10 truck on 37s.

 

Not sure if you're comparing the older auto's to the newer automatics or the manual transmissions of today?
If you're referring to the 5speed manual tranny behind the 5.8L motor that I'm guessing is in your truck, please realize it has a considerably lower first gear compared to the lighter duty 5speed manual offered behind the 5.0L power plant.

The 5speed in my truck has a first gear of approximately 3.90 and the 5speed manuals that come in front of a 5.8L have a first gear closer to 5.61 or so IIRC. Also note that the 5.8L has more torque then the 5.0L motor. Really though I need the lower gears (numerically higher) not only for keeping speeds on Hwy. hills, but more for crawling through difficult terrain in the back country.

In fact there's a good chance I'll be installing a 5speed from behind a 5.8L into my truck one day, just to take advantage of that lower first gear.

Cheers D

 

The E303 aint a bad cam, but like was mentioned before you gotta look at the engine as an entire package. A e303 with a set of gt40 heads and a decent exhaust would really wake the truck up. But to just toss a cam in a otherwise stock 5 litre wouldnt do you much good.

I have the e303 (along with several other supporting mods) in my 2wd 96 F150. Even with it being a big ole extended cab and still rocking the stock 3.55 gears it gets up and moves pretty damn good. It easily leaves my 94 F150 and my 76 F250 both in the dust. Despite the 94 having a 351 with headers, dual exhaust, "6 litre tuneup" and 4.10 gears, and the 76 having a mild 460 with headers and exhaust.

302s aren't know for low end torque to begin with, but I dont feel as if the truck lost any power down low with the E303. Its got considerably more power through the entire rpm range then it ever had stock.



has stock sized 235/75 tires and absolutely zero traction through first and half of second if its stood on from a stop.

 

I realize just fine what you have and what I have (in my sig line)

I was comparing most modern autos and manuals to most older autos and manuals.
Your first gear is actually 3.90:1 and that is considerably lower than the 2.50s in most older transmissions (4spd HD trans not included). In fact, the 4:88s you propose will have a deeper final ratio (in first) than a c6 truck with over a 6:1 axle gear.

People who were into this stuff before modern transmissions many times over gear because of not understanding the effect of that deep first gear.

The biggest failing of the M5OD in your truck is strength, not ratio.

 

For sure I agree modern transmissions (with the exception of the trucks offered with the extremely low first gears) have improved greatly with respect to lower and improved staggering of ratios (plus more gears and of course an overdrive which was sorely needed) all for the sake of better gas mileage in most cases, although it also improves performance at the same time.
It's just w/o the super low first gear that came available in those tough old truck 4speeds it's tough to find the control for difficult terrain when off-road now that most manuals are lacking an extremely low first gear. I realize the newer transmissions are still an improvement over most of the old manual transmissions from pre-80's vehicles. However with the absence of a super low first gear, re-gearing the t-case lower/multiple t-cases, low axle gears and/or the swapping of the transmission all together are the options left at least when considering manual transmission equipped 4x4's.

Running my factory 3.55 axles gears and the factory 235/75/15 tires (29") is comparable to running the 4.88's and a 40" tire. So I'm not really gaining a whole lot by going to 4.88's. I agree the ZF5 5speed behind the 5.8L and others is definitely stronger and although a bonus I'm really after it for it's lower first gear and it's advantage when four wheeling and that's after swapping to 4.88's.

Regarding four wheeling, the lower the gearing the better you can have control in difficult terrain. That's why so many have gone to multiple transfer cases or extremely low t-case gearing, even factory trucks/Jeeps have been available with lower t-case gearing for over a decade.

MY gearing is 3.9 (tranny 1st gear) x2.6 (t-case low-range) x4.9 (axle ratio once I switch to 4.88's)=55 to 1 for a crawl ratio and most serious four wheelers would consider that barely adequate for moderate trails. All this leads to why I will most likely upgrade to the ZF5 5speed transmission in the future (and yes I've been an avid hardcore four wheeler for decades).

Now lets move back from a thread re-rail...

Cheers D

 

So, you have "built" 4 Ford trucks according to your sig line, and have "been an avid hardcore four wheeler for decades" and your current truck is stock "accept 8th degree cam timing advance"..... But/and you need to come here and ask what gains will be had from stabbing a E303 into a stock 302 in a stock F150 you plan to "crawl" on 38s.










got it.

 

Oh lord here we go, communicating through text really leaves a lot to be desired. Yes that's right I've built up only four Fords (3x F-150's and an early Bronco that I raced off-road), you assume that's all I've run for 4x4's and of course we all know what assuming makes. If I was to assume about you regarding your sig/truck/pics I would believe you don't even go off road because your truck has no dents or pin striping from tree branches along with very little tire clearance so you probably never cross it up in the rough terrain much, but I would rather make friends here then not...

So why would I list the dozen or so Jeeps, Toyotas and one Chevy 4x4 I've built and wheeled over the years in my F-150 membership sig unless I was trying to look like some big shot or whatever.

What's wrong with trying to be a part of the community and asking questions regarding performance gains on in a F-150 forum. I would rather ask another member and get true data versus trusting some magazine articles BS or a statement from a company selling a product.

I'm not that familiar with Ford FI engines having never worked on them before and honestly have my performance engines built by professionals who do it for a living as I prefer to spend my time driving rather then building engines. I do enjoy setting up 4x4's for off-road performance and in that have been very successful.
In my experience the best off-road engines are stock reliable low torque ones, not high horsepower high revving engines, if you new anything about hardcore off-roading you would no that Hardcore Four Wheeling doesn't have much to do with engines but with suspensions and gearing along with clearance and vehicle design. And yeah I owned my first 4x4 a 3/4Ton Chevy small block 4barrel and header equipped/dual exhaust truck with a 4" lift, 33" tires, roll bar with Super Off-Roader spot lights and 8,000lb winch on a full width bush bumper that I modified from stock in 1984 at the age of 16. Back when I thought four wheeling was going 60mph down dirt roads and new nothing of airing down for traction.

Oh and my current F-150 is stock because I bought it recently (like two months ago) and am currently stock piling parts to complete the build all at once (hopefully by March). I currently have the 38.5" TSL-SX tires, two Detroit Lockers (my seventh set of Detroits btw), Rigid aux. lights a Warn winch and compressor/recovery gear, but still need gears/install kits, flares and a set of wheels all of which I should have by early March.

Cheers D

 

Nothing wrong at all brother. Welcome to FTE

 

That's better cheers ponykilr...

D

 

That sounds good in the videos!