Sorry for length, but I am very interested in the opinions this post may generate.....

My 55 f100 (originally 6) has an early 60's Y-block (292/312 heads) installed in the early 70's. After sitting for 25 years, I just got it running again. I'm enjoying driving it every weekend, while I keep working on it. However...

I haven't been able to get it running quite right, rear end leaks, engine leaks a bit too. Transmission is a T98 (shift on floor) and has clutch, synchro, or both problems. I know nothing about the rear end. The tranny/rearend combo just aren't well suited for anything above 50 MPH.

I don't really want to spend any $/time on the drive train components, until I figure out my plan. I'm asking for your advice....Major considerations:
- 350 to 400 HP
- Comfortable cruising at 70-80 mph
- Easy to work on (leaning carb rather than EFI)
- Minimal modifications to install (I don't know how to weld)
- Easy shifting 4 on floor or automatic
- Must be a ford drive train
- I don't have to pinch every penny, but I am looking for the least cost option that gets a good balance of everything above.
Rebuild the 292/312 heads? 302? 351 Windsor/Cleveland? Which transmission? Ford 9" best choice for rear end?
If you read this far, I thank you... If you offer advice/info, I thank you even more!

 

I am a low buck guy so I would grab the engine and trans from a late 80s GT mustang and convert to carb if you dont want FI. You get a HO 5.0 and AOD or T5 trans. Couple that with a 9" or explorer 8.8 and you have a low buck highway capable cruiser.
Some fab work and welding will be needed with just about anything you do, so get yourself a mig and learn, it is not hard to do.

 

Your asking a lot , First it won't be cheap . No matter what you do . I have a 351 Winsor in my 54 F100 panel with a C6 auto trans . you can buy the mounts , That's easy and cheap , But what ever you use you will want to rebuild or buy a crate engine otherwise you could end up with a poor running motor and not gain over what you have now . You will also have to up grade the brakes as 350-400 Hp and stock brakes are looking for a crash . A 9 inch with better gearing is also a must to run 70-80 mph for any length of time . New radiator will be needed to cool the beast . To make sure it handles and is safe , Front and rear springs , bushings , tie rods and king pins will need rebuild . To do it right look at about ten grand . If you don't believe me , get a parts book and start adding up prices . Motor, trans, drive shaft , and rear end will cost you close to three grand . Then wait until you add up the little stuff , U joints , brake lines , u bolts for the springs , nuts and bolts , you get the picture . Not being negative just want you to understand what your getting into .

 

I almost never rebuild engines, I just buy complete donor cars that run well. Take the parts I need, part out the car, and the actual cost of what I take is usually under $1000, sometimes even free.

 

Thanks for making sure I know what I'm getting into. Bottom-line, most of those are already on the list (or done). Just finished the brakes front disk conversion, new dual master, replaced ALL lines, rebuilt back drums, new gas tank. Steering/suspension on the list to do.

I'm considering those costs a necessity, under any drive train scenario, so not really using them in that selection process.

Thanks again!

 

Ok you have a good start . I am old school I like the simplicity of 60-70s engines . Easy to work on nothing fancy , But not the greatest on gas mileage . I have the 351 C6 combo because it was free . If I where to do it again I would use the C4 , it takes less power to run . The 351 is about 300 hp , It pushes the panel truck just fine at 70- 80 .

 

DR... That's valuable info. I'm all about simple. Its why I love the truck. I can work on it and actually enjoy it. I don't want to mess that up. Working on newer cars really drives me kind of nuts.

 

I like an engine that might not be the most popular engine. It's nice and simple, nearly bullet proof. It can make decent power and great torque. But it won't make 350-400HP with out spending a lot of money or doing a lot of fab/machine work. My engine choice is a 300 inline 6. It's simple, reliable, can make decent power and it's different. With the 300 when you pop the hood it's not going to be the same belly button engine that every one else is running.


Here's one that has been modified some.



You will be spending a lot of money on the Y-block to make 350+ HP too. For the best bang for the $$ or HP per $ the choice would have to be either the 302 or 351W. They are the most common Ford engines so the parts are going to be the cheapest.

For the transmission I guess it really depends on what you want and what kind of budget. I personally like to shift my own gears so I always choose the manual transmission over the auto's. For manuals it could be anything from a T10 4spd on up through a Tremec 6spd if you want a car type transmission. Or if you want a truck transmission you've got the NP435, BW T18 or T19 on up throught the ZF 5spd.

If you want an automatic then you need to decide if you want an OD or not. If you don't need an OD gear the two best choices would be a C4 or C6. If you need an OD gear then your only real choice without needing a computer to run it would be an AOD.

 

I have a 1956 Fairlane with a 312 Y-block. It has a mild cam, aluminum intake, MSD distributor and a street Demon carb. It is hooked up to a C-4 trans and a stock 3.27 rear end. I have driven it 7000 trouble free miles in the last couple years, it has great power and returns 18 MPG. Has the advantage of being the original engine and looks really cool. Just my $.02.

 

In all honesty, why not go with Fuel injection? I find it much easier to troubleshoot and repair than a carb engine. Assuming you get an engine that is in similar shape (bottom end/heads) as the carb engine, pop the old harness out of the donor and drop it in the truck. You dont have to do anything fancy but there are a TON of SBF and SBCs with harnesses that are still in ok condition. Ford used the 5.0 for a long time in the explorers and chevy used the small block for even longer. You might find one for a pretty good deal as opposed to ruling them out it will most likely come with all of the accessories and fuel injection harness if you find one at a scrap yard. You can save some money by doing that install as opposed to converting to carb. Figure it this way, lets say 1000 bucks for an engine (leave the trans out of the cost because you will be most likely going with the same trans, injected or carb)

So you have your 1000 dollar engine from intake/injectors to the pan. Now if you want to carb it, you have about 200 for the intake and 300-500 for a carb. You can get a used carb but then it will need a rebuild (most of them do) so you are almost double the budget of the original $1k.

What you will need, engine, harness, trans, accessories, ECU (computer)

What you will have to buy for supporting mods, inline fuel pump (for more line pressure for the injection system) 100-400 bucks depending how fancy you want to get.

Carb pros, easier to "bolt" together and "run right", looks simpler and cleaner

Carb cons, not as efficient and reliable as FI

EFI pros, more reliable, might be cheaper

EFI cons, more time consuming install and more wires (scary for some people but not a deal breaker)

 

Sweet engine bay there, Mike. Just enough modernisation to make it practical and still old school enough to look cool. I like your example
Peter

If I was gonna do up another engine, I would go Fuel Injection. I can't get my head around carbi's and so have to take it to a mechanic to get it tweaked properly, (and, ironically, most young guys won't touch them, so I have to take it to a specialist carbi shop) whereas fuel injection is more or less set it and forget it.

 

The simplest swap would be the 302/351W engines. Easy to find and work on. However if you want a honest 350-400 hp, the factory heads have to go in the recycle bin and aftermarket ones put on. The factory fuel injection also won't get there without a bunch of work where a carb will get it done easier.

 

Hey Jeff,
Hmmmm.... 350hp - 400hp... We've got 400hp in our '50. It's just not that necessary for a nice cruiser. Rough manners, hard shifting, hard to keep cool, bad gas mileage, etc.

o 400HP - 351W rebuilt short block $500 from an engine house, $2,000 for an Edelbrock Top End Kit (through Summit) - dynos 400HP, $500 for a 650CFM Edelbrock Carb, Another $800 for mini- starter, Petronix distributor, MSD ignition, Salvage Pulley set up, Alternator, etc. Add another $700 for someone to build it if you need help. Total Approx. $4500.

Personally I'd go with a stock 289/302/351W running from a salvage yard or Craigslist for $1000 that comes with all the goodies like brackets, pulleys, Carb, distributor, etc. You'd have plenty of HP for a nice cruiser. Change out the heads if you like a little more zip.

We started with an old 289 - I wish I had just stayed with that engine. 400HP is expensive & just isn't that practical for 95% of what you are going to do with the truck.

Good luck up there in Frisco! No snow here today - just missed us.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1 (351W/AOD)

 

350-400HP is just not needed to have a great cruiser, I would not make your powertrain selection on horsepower. You sound more like a guy that should go with a proven path.

Chassis Engineering makes great crossmembers to mount 302-351W or 351C engines and C4, C6, and AOD transmissions and these crossmembers just bolt in to your frame. (289, 302, 351W, 351C all have same RFB, Rear Face of Block, so a AOD, C4 or C6 cn be found to bolt up to any of these.)

I buy a complete running donor car. It can be wrecked, but it must run and drive to prove you are getting a solid usable drivetrain. Someone mentioned a late 80s to 93 Mustang and I second that choice. Great way to get a 302 and an AOD or T5 along with everything you need to make it work in your truck. Use a Ranger or Explorer 8.8 axle and the Mustang's drive shaft will bolt-up. 3.27:1 or 3.08:1 work great with overdrive transmissions.

I focus on 1987-93 Mustangs to get an EFI engine with SEFI-MA EEC IV control system so any engine mods you make in the future will be automatically adapted (up to 25% fuel range of authority with closed-loop learning) So later if you want to install some better heads, larger throttle body, bigger cam, roller rockers, etc., the EEC IV will adapt the fuel to match the needs of the new parts. You can easily make 345HP with just cam, heads, throttle body. Very easy EFI system to use, lots of help on line if you need it.

Or, convert the EFI to a carb with Edelbrock intake/carb and get a a HEI one-wire distributor, still working with a roller cam motor that responds really well to mods. Just watch the AOD's shift cable, use LoKar kit or similar.

 

If you don't need over 200 horsepower (and lets be honest, you don't...) you can do well with the Y block. They make tons of torque and look right. You already have it, and it bolts in without welding. You can get adapters to convert the transmission to a more modern unit. The final set up won't make 400 horses, but it will be more unusual than a small block Ford.

I also like the 300 six motors. They have the benefit of sharing the bell housing with the small block Ford. Makes transmission choices easy.