engine decision
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 854
Likes: 7
No disrespect, but....why in the hell would you want to go from a simple, dependable carburetor to miles of wiring, sensors, injectors and an ECU to fail on you? It defies what makes these trucks awesome: Simplicity, ease of maintenance, thrift, and dependability.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 828
Likes: 66
From: Hartford, WI
ok thanks for your help guys i think i am going to stay with the 351 and not go to a 460 because i have 0 fab skills. and the efi would be nice because it gets real cold in the winter and i dont want to have to warm the truck up for a long time befor i can drive it. i think im going to talk to a shop some time this week and see if he would be interested up grading it to a 400 with more upgrades.
Take that back....you do have to get the Ford Performance oil pan conversion kit. While I was at it I put in a new timing chain, and oil pump for safe measure. The engine had 99,500mi. on it.
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 547
Likes: 11
No disrespect, but....why in the hell would you want to go from a simple, dependable carburetor to miles of wiring, sensors, injectors and an ECU to fail on you? It defies what makes these trucks awesome: Simplicity, ease of maintenance, thrift, and dependability.
When I started my F-250 or my F-350 in the wintertime I would have to sit in them for 5 minutes or so to keep the engines running until they warmed up. With my 2 fuel-injected vehicles they start up with a remote starter and stay running while I'm in my home. A big plus if someone is willing to do the work.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 313
Likes: 2
From: darrtown ohio
i do not want to put a 460 in it it will take more parts and cost way more money to do what i want to do to the 460. than it will with the 351/400. so that being said i will not be going with a 460. i am going to stay with my 351 and make it a 400.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
My next project is a 81 Rabbit diesel... a whopping 54 HP but it gets 45 MPG.
The diesel will be replaced by a 2.0 from a 95 Jetta, five-speed close ratio transmission, header, and a transverse muffler with dual outlets, 10.1-inch brakes, race suspension with coil overs, sway bars, gutting the interior, roll bar, lightweight seats,.. then come the body mods - wide body in steel... at least two inches on each side, and steel tube rockers.
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More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 640
Likes: 10
No disrespect, but....why in the hell would you want to go from a simple, dependable carburetor to miles of wiring, sensors, injectors and an ECU to fail on you? It defies what makes these trucks awesome: Simplicity, ease of maintenance, thrift, and dependability.
Valid question, short answer is significantly more power, smoother torque curve, higher revving without a lopey cam, almost double the gas mileage, modern dependability, overdrives (two in my case), less maintenance, and factory built so you don't have to wonder if the guy who rebuilt it knew what he was doing
You wouldn't throw out your electronic ignition for points right? After all points are simpler, easy to maintain, thrifty and dependable.
Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
I think you are smart for keeping the 351m/400 platform. My dad has had a 351m in his truck for years and is still kicking with 230,000 plus miles, gets 13mpg which isn't terrible for a 4x4 truck, keep the oil changed in it and don't over rev it and it'll last forever. Has plenty of torque for pulling things, not a speed demon but it ain't supposed to be.
As far as carb vs efi its up to the owner, me personally I have very little trouble out of my two vehicles with carbs in the winter and its gets in the single digits where I live, pump em a few times to set the choke crank a little longer and shes off. I also like the extra security feature cause no body these days knows how to fire up an old carbed beast
As far as carb vs efi its up to the owner, me personally I have very little trouble out of my two vehicles with carbs in the winter and its gets in the single digits where I live, pump em a few times to set the choke crank a little longer and shes off. I also like the extra security feature cause no body these days knows how to fire up an old carbed beast
Tuned
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 368
Likes: 33
I think you are smart for keeping the 351m/400 platform. My dad has had a 351m in his truck for years and is still kicking with 230,000 plus miles, gets 13mpg which isn't terrible for a 4x4 truck, keep the oil changed in it and don't over rev it and it'll last forever. Has plenty of torque for pulling things, not a speed demon but it ain't supposed to be.
As far as carb vs efi its up to the owner, me personally I have very little trouble out of my two vehicles with carbs in the winter and its gets in the single digits where I live, pump em a few times to set the choke crank a little longer and shes off. I also like the extra security feature cause no body these days knows how to fire up an old carbed beast
As far as carb vs efi its up to the owner, me personally I have very little trouble out of my two vehicles with carbs in the winter and its gets in the single digits where I live, pump em a few times to set the choke crank a little longer and shes off. I also like the extra security feature cause no body these days knows how to fire up an old carbed beast
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 559
Likes: 4
From: Australian Outback
Valid question, short answer is significantly more power, smoother torque curve, higher revving without a lopey cam, almost double the gas mileage, modern dependability, overdrives (two in my case), less maintenance, and factory built so you don't have to wonder if the guy who rebuilt it knew what he was doing
You wouldn't throw out your electronic ignition for points right? After all points are simpler, easy to maintain, thrifty and dependable.
You wouldn't throw out your electronic ignition for points right? After all points are simpler, easy to maintain, thrifty and dependable.
Carburetors will also need more ongoing maintenance - this generally isn't a whole lot but if on a seldom-used vehicle is can be enough to sway the decision in favor of EFI.
I won't bite on the electronic ignition statement but to say that it is superior to points. Points still work fine for everyday use but are more maintenance intensive.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,553
Likes: 10
I converted a Dent era v8 to FI about 15 years ago. It was a lot harder then before self learning systems. Still it worked well and has worked well. Glad I did it. Why?
- starts well hot or cold
- no vapor lock
- handles variations in altitude and temperature... never "out of tune"
- handles variations in fuel blends (eg 10% ethanol or no ethanol). Never out of tune.
- Consistently decent mileage (for what it is)
- Great performance.
I drove that car X country from IL to CA and back in a week. Overnight once at Flagstaff at 7,000 ft altitude. First freezing morning of the season and fired right up and ran great. Later that same day at sea level and 90 degrees crossing the desert along the Mexican border. No problem.
FI does take some work... but worth it to me.
- starts well hot or cold
- no vapor lock
- handles variations in altitude and temperature... never "out of tune"
- handles variations in fuel blends (eg 10% ethanol or no ethanol). Never out of tune.
- Consistently decent mileage (for what it is)
- Great performance.
I drove that car X country from IL to CA and back in a week. Overnight once at Flagstaff at 7,000 ft altitude. First freezing morning of the season and fired right up and ran great. Later that same day at sea level and 90 degrees crossing the desert along the Mexican border. No problem.
FI does take some work... but worth it to me.
Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Very true, most people can't drive a stick and lots don't know how to work a carbed vehicle. Mine also starts in very low temps just fine. AND MINES MOSTLY STOCK ( for now ), as of the engine thing, a 351 is just fine for most everything, including built engines. Its all about the denaro, engine to engine a built 460 beats a built 351. But that just depends. Unless your gonna be mud racing it or trying to keep up with the new trucks don't worry about it
..... wait there are three pedals but no shifter in the floor 
haha gets em every time! I have an edeljunk on my 81 chebby and it doesn't care how cold it gets, like some one else said its all how it is set up and tuned, that truck routinely gets 15mpg with 33x 12.50 tires. the ole motorcraft 2bbl on dads 351 used to be a warrior in the cold but the pull off seems to be lazy these days and it floods when first started..... it'll also run on a darn near straight up and down bank, forget doing that with a holley or edelbrock
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 200
Likes: 9
On the efi thing. Converted to a fitech efi a while back on a built 521. NO more hp. Dropped about 15. Gained maybe 1 mile per gallon. But with a lot of cam, tuning with the carb was fussy and the efi is great. Better idle. Clean air fuel ratio. Starts great when it's cold. Truck was a handful already so not a big deal. And an easy swap. Been tuning carbs for 40 years and glad to be done. But I think a well tuned double pumper makes more hp and the mileage difference is minimal.