I have an 87 351w 4barrel and i found out the compression ratio is 8.3 to 1
i would like to use this motor as a street strip motor in my ranger
i am on a budget and so far have only $150 in the motor
i'm a teenager so i would like to know if i can use earlier pistons form like a 68 or 69 with 9.5-1 or higher
any recomomdations on what cams to use i dont want to spend over a grand in the engine itself because i still have the 4sp tranny and body/paintwork to do

 

Hey there DT 466Man!
The compression is ok with what you want to use it for. If you go to the higher compression, you'll be purchasing fuel at over $2.25 a gallon pretty soon! Get yourself a Ford Performance Catolog($5.00) at your local Ford dealer. Many great affordable parts and some great information. It can guide you through the steps on what type of engine you want to build and has the pricing right there, so you won't over spend, before you spend a dime.
The engine won't mount to the tranny without an adapter $400.00 or so from Advance Adapters.
It will work out though.
The best thing for you to do right now, is to read up a bit more and make out a list of mods you want, vs what you can afford. You need to locate a few good shops in your area to do the machining you may need done. A decent exhaust install shop. A very good welder, if you can't do this on your own. You may want to get a catolog from Advance Adapters as well. A lot of info on engine and tranny conversions.
Just keep a good attitude. I know it's going to seem like forever, but to do it right and to do it with as little problems as possible, a little more knowledge will do your brain good. Well, at least it'll keep you from getting frustrated easily. When you see how much info is out there, you may decide to sell the 351 and drop in a 460!!!
Good luck.. get back to us soon.
Talk with you later....

 

thanks i was going for a 460 but i got this 351 for 100 bucks complete nothing wrong with it so u say 8.3 compression is good engough for an easy 400- 450 hp?
oh ya i still have to buy a tranny from a mustang to handle the torque

 

Hey there DT 466Man! Oh yeah! With everything thats availeable these days, it should be no problem to punch out another 225 horse out of that puppy. Just take your time and research. Some things will work great on a 302, but not the 351. And vise-versa.
Just have fun and try not to get it done in a weekend! HEE HEE!
I love new projects! If you get a chance, Post some pics for us!
Talk to you later buddy....

 

thanks i will this build up is going to take about a month of after school work

 

thanks i will this build up is going to take about a month of after school work

 

Ford adjusted compression ratio more by changing the size of the chambers than using different pistons. Your chambers should be approx. 68cc. A swap to a set of earlier 302 heads with 61-64cc chambers will boost your compression, but your have to drill out the head bolt holes for the larger diameter 351 bolts. Most late 351W and 302 heads share valve and port sizes.
Personally, I'd stick with the stock E7 heads you have and spend the money elsewhere.

 

if you are wanting that kinda hp/trq you might concider a stroker kit for that motor, like a 393. will this be an efi motor or carb?

late

 

I know that PAW has a huge selection of parts. I bet you can get everything you could think of for your motor outa it. Its only 5 bucks!

 

thanks it will be a carbed motor and i'm a 14 year old so i cant really afford a stroker kit

 

Me thinks you have set your goals a little too high for your first project. You are going to have to do a lot more than just drop that motor in. You have to strengthen the front suspension quite a bit to take that kind of power and weight. There is no way that a 4 speed from a mustang is going to fit in there very easily, forget 4x4. You are going to have to fabricate a lot of mounts and such, so you should have access to a torch and MIG and a lot of steel.