Well, I have the 5.8l out of my 91 F-150 torn apart now, and I'm getting ready to take the big pieces over to the machine shop to get cleaned & inspected.

I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas I can incorporate into my rebuild to improve reliability & fuel economy... And, would converting to a carb setup be advisable? I prefer carbs, as I can tweak and work them, where the fuel injection is pretty much a done deal with the computer...

The engine appears to be original/unrestored- it has an inch of gunk on it, and the main & rod bearings are 1990 date coded- which would be factory correct for a 1991 F-150 (Jan 91, IIRC) Cylinders eyeball ok, so if it needs more than a honing, it will be minimal rebore at most. Cam looks ok, and crank journals all look ok, but bearings are definitely worn. Everything still felt tight, but...

The E4OD rebuild is coming along- just have a few pieces to clean, and I can start reassembly in the next few days. I upgraded the OD planetary to 4 pinion, and the front & rear planets to 6 pinion, so it will be a bit stronger that way... New bushings(as needed), and all new Torrington bearings. And I upgraded to an F-5 casting pump. I'll be using a Trans-Go "Tugger" kit as well. I still need to source a torque converter, however...

Ideas on the engine?

Thanks!
Scott

 

The factory cam in that truck is tiny. Way too small for the displacement. Conanski has some favorite camshafts to suggest for a flat tappet engine like yours. Once you get some airflow then the E7 heads are the next thing to replace. Then the crappy 5.8L EFI truck intake.

There are a few recent budget builds with good info in them. I would never suggest a carb. retrofit.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1453468-351w-build-budget-minded.html

​​​​​​​read through this. Good info

 

Reliability? None needed. Fuel economy.. anything that boosts torque output Like the Crane 444232 cam and lifter kit and longtube headers.

No.. with an E4OD the computer and some of those engines sensors would have to stay for the trans to operate at all, so unless you really like to complicate things don't go there.

Well that is it.. with EFI is you don't need to tweak anything, once it's setup correctly the computer does all the tweaking necessary as you drive.

 

Is there anything I can do to improve the factory heads? I am working on a threadbare budget(can't even really afford the rebuild if I couldn't do everything but the machine work myself...)

Thanks!
Scott

 

The factory heads flow well enough to make 275hp give or take and the small ports actually work quite well at building torque, so all the motor needs is more cam to let it all breath.

 

Thanks! What would you recommend for a cam then?
Scott

 

​​​​​​​it was a little further up in his post

 

Thanks- I missed it...

Scott

 

The engine teardown seems to be going well- it is all disassembled, and the block is waiting to go to the machine shop for cooking & inspection... The cylinder bores look fine, save for being shiny... No scratches, etc... I am planning to measure the bores over the weekend- I am hoping for a nice round bore in each cylinder, and no need for a rebore (I HOPE!)

I measured run out on the crank mains tonight, and they are all less than .001: Most are (est.) .00025 to .00075, so they are well within the .002 spec indicated in the 1991 Specification book. I am going to pull the crank out & mic all the journals, and if they are all round (as they appear to be) and of correct diameter, I'll throw it on the old South Bend 9A lathe I restored, and give them a quick polish. Again, no major scratches noticed. I may take it in to work & magnaflux it next week. Nice having access to cool toys...

Asto the E4OD trans rebuild, it is coming along. I've upgraded all the planetary gear sets to 4 pinion (OD planetary) and 6 pinion (forward & reverse sets). I've been replacing the bushings as necessary, and putting a new set of Koyo Torrington bearings in. And the TransGo 'Tugger" kit ig going in nicely- though I do need to call their tech support- I installed their Direct Clutch Seal into the direct drum, and the piston shaved it in one spot when I was installing it. I do not know if is essential to replace the factory type (chevron) seal there, or if it is just a nice to have upgrade. In any case, I have a new factory style one, but if the TG one is essential, I shall need to order it. I am holding up reassembly of the direct drum until I get an answer tomorrow. Everything else is pretty straight forward.

I am also planning to port the factory heads- I can't afford a set of GT40 heads at the moment(and for some time to come) but will team it with the Crane 444232 cam Conanski recommended. Summit has the set at around $215. so maybe next paycheck...

Scott

 

Getting the block bored isn't a big deal. Just get the smallest bore necessary to clean all the cylinders up.

 

I know- it is simply a matter of funding at the moment- I'm broke as f-stop, and need to get my daily driver truck back on the road ASAP: I've had engines rebored plenty of times...Last time I had an engine bored, I think the going rate was $20 a cylinder, which puts me at around $160 for the engine- plus the new pistons. I am just hoping to be able to do a hone & replace the rings, as that would cut way back on the expenses...

Thanks!
Scott

 

Crank mounts to the lathe beautifully... Now to mic & polish it, and see where she is...

Scott

 

You can port your e7s if you have a die grinder (air or electric). If you're careful not to nick the valve seats, you don't need a valve job (assuming it doesn't need one already).

E7s have a poor compression ratio, you can mill .010-.015 from them and still use 87 octane. If you don't mind using 93, you can mill .030+, but I'm not sure what that will yield without doing the math.

This won't make it a powerhouse, but it'll make for a very crispy throttle pedal combined with long tubes.

 

Thanks-
I'm figuring on a valve job, anyway, as it is 210k with nothing major done until now...

Scott