A friend of mine has a 1996 f150 with the 351w and automatic w od. the truck was hit in the rear and totaled but still runs good. approximately 140,000miles. thinking of buying the complete truck so I have all the wiring, brackets etc was wanting to keep my 66 as original as possible but od and fuel injection would be nice (he would get around 15-17mpg regularly) or there is the gear vendors overdrive unit and an aftermarket tbi set up... what is yall's opinion on this? I plan to put a lot of miles on my truck.

 

Sounds like a good plan for a build those 351w motors are great lots of parts available. It's a lot of work so do your research lots of information on the web available from others who have done it good luck.

 

That's what I'm wanting to do with mine, 351w with what will likely end up being a TBI on top except I'm sticking with the manual gearbox. Pretty sure the 96 should be a roller block too which is nice.

If it's the E4OD transmission I think it's electronically controlled in some way so it can shift properly? Pretty sure there is information about that in this thread (somewhere) - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...0-f250-25.html

 

The factory sequential fuel injection is way better than anything you can get out of a TB. With the donor computer you have everything you need to make the OD trans shift properly and the Windsor has almost unlimited potential with the aftermarket support it enjoys. The F4 Windsor truck block is plenty beefy to support well upwards of 500 HP and as mentioned is roller cam ready. I would jump on it if I was considering a more modern powertrain.

 

Is this something you could speak to a little more? I don't doubt for a moment that it's superior technology, but the ECU out of my donor rig was trash and performance intake manifolds for the 351w are pricey. My (uneducated) consideration for a TBI setup was that it's basically a self-tuning carb and a damn sight cheaper than MPFI that would be more than suitable for what I'm wanting to accomplish, unless there is something very compelling to warrant the extra expense that I'm fully unaware of.

 

If the ECU is bad, then the TB is probably a better alternative, but you'll need a computer controller for the transmission. As you mentioned, the MPFI is capable of a more efficient tune, so you could get both better mileage and power, but Ford didn't make it easy to adapt to engine swaps. One bad thing about the Ford PCM (Powertrain Control Module) is the Passive Anti Theft System (PATS). The 1st gen PATS is easier to defeat than the later system that has an RF key. I don't have a lot of experience with the early PATS but in the later PATS that have an RF key, the gauge cluster is married to both the PCM and the key, and if they don't talk to and in fact "recognize" each other, the engine won't start. It is a lot easier to adapt an aftermarket self learning TBI, and it will probably do everything you want except control the shift points on the trans.

 

You asked for opinions so here is mine. You stated you wanted to keep your truck as original as possible. Doing what you are thinking about is not a very good start to the process.

 

its kind of a toss up between keeping it original and updating it for better drivability.. I appreciate everyones input and its a tough decision..

 

No PATS in a '96 F150, that was the first year for OBD2 emissions though so the EFI system is a little more complicated than the first gen but nothing close to what its like in current vehicles. With a complete donor vehicle you have everything you need to make the transfer work, that will include the engine and trans, the complete fuel system or a custom system that includes a return line, the gauge cluster because the speedo is part of the vehicle speed input circuitry to the PCM, and all powertrain associated wiring. And on the '96 vehicle speed is sourced from the RABS sensor on the rear diff, you could just use the '96 rear axle or you could fabricate an alternative VSS.. there are a couple ways to do this as well.