Hi guys, I have a 1990 Bronco. Like I stated in a post a week ago. I installed a brand new 351W long-block engine in my Bronco. Well, the engine grenaded today!! A few days after installation it started knocking real bad. THen today it threw a rod threw the oil pan, and is totally messed up!!

Now, I have two options. I would like your guys opinions on which one would be the best route to take.

Option one is to buy another engine, from a DIFFERENT store. Then purchase a Kenne Bell Supercharger. I will run 6 pounds of boost, and install no further engine mod's after the supercharger is installed!! Going this route will cost approx. $6500.00 I should achieve, according to keene bell. A peak h.p. of 303, and a peak torque of 500.

My second option is to purchase a crate engine from one of the two engine builders I like. One shop sells a 383 stroker windsor. It is rated at 365 h.p., and 440 torque. SInce this engine will have to be custom built due to it needing to be EFI equipped. THe total cost of this crate engine is $4895.00 shipped to my door.

Another shop sells a 351W, that cranks out 370 h.p. I'm not sure of the torque yet. This engine will cost $4900. That is turn-key.

TO help you guys give me a good opinion, here is what my goal is for my truck.

I plan to use it as a daily driver. Also I want to do some extreme off-roading on the weekends. So I need an engine that can idle in traffic W/out over-heating, it needs to have plenty of power to blow the doors off most trucks on and off-road. I also need something reliable as this truck is my only vehicle. Lastly I need it to pass emmissions easily!! Sorry about the LOOOOOONG post. I really really apprecaite all the help!!! THanks a BUNCH!!

 

I had a good friend that was a mechanic for many a year and he liked superchargers, but told me to be prepared when running them. They create some porblems that will have to be dealt with. Blowby through the rings is one problem that is greatly increased due to the extra pressure in the cylinders. Also heat is another problem, so cooling has to be increased. The biggie is that the bottom end has to up to the task to handle the extra load. A 351W is a strong engine and would probably hold up with stock parts, but I would keep the rpm's down low due to the weight of the components. I have still considered one mostly because I want more power, but I am too lazy to pull my engine again and do what I should have done in the first place.(I took someone elses advice who told me that a fresh engine would be plenty of power. My mistake in believing that stock would be sufficient.) If it was me, I would start with a 1995 block with roller cam and do a mass air conversion and build a very solid hi-po engine. Aftermarket or ported heads and decent compression etc. I think there would be less headaches in the long run. Just my 2 cents.

 

I have a Vortech blower on my '94 EFI460 that I'm really happy with. Have you contacted Vortech Engineering to see about a EFI351 supercharger? What I would do to your 351. Take your original engine: stock EFI351 and add : stock EFI351 GT-40 Lightning engine camshaft, have your stock cast iron EFI351 pocket ported, F.R.P.P. shorty headers, upgrade the rest of the exhaust- either a single 3" set-up, or 2 1/4" duals, with some Flowmaster mufflers, and a Vortech supercharger kit. This should include an FMU(fuel management unit), and MSD box with timing control, so you can adjust your 351's timing as needed. I used to have their catalog somewhere. It gave horsepower&torque firgures for all EFI Ford V-8s before&after installing the blower kit. Your stock EFI351 cam is pretty tame(just like the EFI302 cam), so the Lightning 351 cam would be a good step up. The early Lightnings('93-'95) also used Speed Density like your 'regular' EFI351 in your Bronco, so computer issues shouldn't be a problem. I would just use your existing stock engine, and build from there. Sorry to hear about your new engine going bad on you. Believe me, I KNOW that type of frustration. Try $2,647.54 for a rebuilt/upgraded E4OD for a F-250HD because you put too much power in it's EFI460, and literally "fried" it. Come to think of it, I speak from experience-upgrade your Bronco's stock tranny. I don't know which one you have behind your 351, but my E4OD lasted about a year, maybe fourteen months after the supercharger&other upgrades were put on. Another issue that may arise from adding a blower, and increasing cylinder pressures- blown head gaskets. Not that it's happened to my EFI460 yet(knock on wood), but I have a set of Fel-Pro #8558 PT-1s, just in case.In a supercharged engine 2,500-3,000 miles between oil changes are an absolute must, also. I have a friend that says you can get away with 5,000 between oil changes, but I don't want to be the one to test the theory,you know?

 

I agree with the previous post. Find a 95-96 motor and add some aftermarket heads. I like the idea of the whole edlebrock set up for the 351. Heads, cam, manifold and larger throttle body. This will give you extra power and keep your bronco a daily driver. The 95 would be the best choice due too not having the obd-2 that the 96 has, although i think some 95's from californa do have obd-2. I have a 96 and plan to add the edlebrock set up.