Got a 1981 F-700 Dump truck that has a fried 370. It was run too long with a head gasket blow-out between 2 of the cylinders which developed a bad burn scar there. Quite a bit of warp on both head and block so decided to yank this puppy out and see if I can marry up a 7.3 Diesel out of a 1990 F-250.

The tricky part here being marrying up the engine to the Bell housing. Someone told me there are companies out there that make adapters for hooking up oddball matches like this. Obviously, motor mount;locations will need to be changed but I think doable. Hard to find another 370 or the big brother 429 and wrecking yards want $1500 for old ones that already are advertised as low compression or needing TLC. Any advice especially from someone who actually may have done a swap between foreign engine/trannies would be great.

 

$2500 for a 370 long block.

https://roadmasterengineworld.com/pr...-block-engine/

By the time you change your truck over to a diesel setup you'll be much of the way there, and if you calculate swap and future downtime, you will have 2 long blocks into it.

Controls, fuel system-complete, exhaust, cooling, mounts, bell housing from some IH truck. And gearing. Your 370 probably ran 3500+ RPM to make road speed. Your 7.3 isn't going to like that.

 

Thanks for the reply. Not too sure what the long block would include but shipping the core and shipping the new engine would add a lot to this cost. The diesel engine i was considering was a good runner, 130K and complete with the truck for $1200 and just 30 miles away.

The truck is mainly for building a long road through my property, hauling in Rock from the quarry about 10 miles away. I doubt if i would even go on the freeway and top speed would be 50 so not sure what the 7.3 RPM's would be with the 5 speed with 2 speed rear end.

I can check for prices up in Portland that I know has engine rebuilders up there and it is close enough for me to drive up with the old engine and bring the new one down

 

I think if you can get a reman in there and make a runner out of it you will soon have a working truck instead of a project. In turn, your road project will get done and if you no longer have a need for the truck, a stock truck will be easier to sell.

YMMV, good luck!

BTW, FWIW, I found a similar question (pickup oil burner into F700) from some time back here. No responses.

On the one hand this seems like it should be doable, or even popular. But I think the gearing issues make it a bridge too far for most folks.

 

A 7.3L IDI in a Ford pickup has an adapter plate at the rear of the engine making the bellhousing bolt pattern identical to Ford's 385 Series V8s (370/429/460) if I'm not mistaken. However, your biggest obstacle would be sourcing out a clutch and flywheel that would bolt up to and work with the 7.3L (there may be a combination that exists? I don't know. After all, these engines were also used in Navistar's medium duty trucks of similar era), and then in turn match the input shaft spline dimensions to your existing transmission. And once you work out those issues, you would then either need to source out or fabricate an engine mount to support the engine from the front of the engine (once again, probably Navistar would be your best bet). By the time all is said and done, you will be well above the $1200 you scored your 1990 F-250 for.

As already mentioned above, a far lesser headache will be to install either a good used 370/429 or rebuild what you have. I know it'll be slow as a turtle, but you've already mentioned your maximum intended operating speed will be no greater than 50mph, so a rebuilt or good used 370/429 will enable you to achieve that.

 

Yeah, will certainly need some luck here. i just got a quote for a reman 370 in Portland and it is several hundred higher higher than the Texas one. The problem may be that this core will not be accepted due to the burn scar plus the warp (.005).

The truck just had a complete brake job, with new metal brake lines and has 6 almost new tires, dump box is solid and straight so is worth putting a new heart in it. I have been told a 460 engine will fit the engine mounts but some work needs to be done with the clutch brackets. There is a local guy selling a 460 with 90 K miles in good running condition all there except carb and only $200. Sounds a little too good to be true but i have seen a lot of good runner 460's for sale for $500.

Now don't turn me in to the DEQ Gestapo but i was thinking of just deleting all the pollution crap since the original 370 in here had a frozen smog pump and there is no testing in my neck of the woods anyway.. This engine had only an electrical plug for the distributor, two wires going to the coil, one to the oil pressure and one to the coolant temperture. It had a new 4 barrel Edelbrock with only 1 vacuum line and the single linkage to the gas pedal. Manual Choke Real simple, no computer crap.

I just took the starter off this engine and disconnected the clutch bracket which was bolted to the side of the engine and looks like either 6 or 8 bolts holding it to the Bell and 4 big bolts at the front, take them out and should be able to lift it out with my track hoe. Never done this before. I already took the radiator out so will take the hood off the truck and pull forward and up? Then I can see what I am up against for a match at the rear.

Since I am not a mechanic,, cannot tell if the advice I am getting on these forums is from real mechanics or wanna be's so have to sift through the chaff. One guy told me the 460 would never work since the cranik is not beefy enough for running a 26 K truck, even though it has a 5 speed with 2 speed rear and should have more HP than the 370 but torque difference here? Years ago I had a F-350 with the 460 and it had a lot of power, would burn rubber even in third, got 10 mpg whether you were running empty or had 2 ton in the bed.

 

I will find you a 460 swap thread tomorrow. Some fiddling required. It's doable.

 

Post 5 has two links to swaps, one pro, the other no:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...700-429-a.html

And again:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-460-swap.html

 

Wow a lot of variables here. I wasn't planning on "Frankensteining" this engine by using parts off of the 370 to go on the 460. Some advice is due to the heavy loads, a lot of heat on the heads requiring sodium valves etc. My plan was bringing the entire 460 engine in, including the accessories at the front, alternator, power steering, but no smog or AC. That might stop the issue of balance for engine vibration. The problem here may be that the PS pump might not be robust enough for a big truck considering this truck actually has a mini radiator for the PS Fluid.

Like previously mentioned, I am not a mechanic and my concern is the rear end of the crank going into the Bell housing and hooking up to who knows what, a flywheel which is then hooked to the clutch of the transmission? I think the one thread already stated that the crank size is different between the 460 and the 370 so big problem there. I believe the one post mentioned the 460 crank is not as thick as the 370 so I see a weak link here when powering a loaded dump truck.

I am still open to an early 7.3 diesel but again the same problem of hooking to the tranny unless there are special adaptors out there which i assume would require a special Bell

 

The bell to engine pattern is the same for the 370/429/460 car, light or medium truck.

The flange on the crank is probably different on the 460 vs. the 370. I think that's covered in one of those threads. If the 370 flywheel won't bolt up or if there is a balance issue, then you have to use the proper 460 flywheel. Since you are using the same transmission, you would use the same clutch disc. You will need a pressure plate of the right size to bolt up to the flywheel, and accomodate the clutch disc.

Then make sure the starter lines up.

As stated in those threads, this is doable, you just need to match up the correct parts.

Don't go buy a 10.5:1 460 out of some pre-1971 pillow barge. You need one with lower compression.

Also, how does your 370 mount? Front cover and the sides of the bellhousing? That's why they talk about bringing the iron front cover over.

What is the bell to transmission pattern in your truck?

All of which would take me back to a reman'd 370 or 429.

 

I will have some answers once i pull the engine. it has to come out anyway. All i noticed on the front engine mount is the bottom of the engine mounts to the crossmember of the frame, the rear of engine bolted to thebell and tranny, the tranny side mounted to the frame. The 460 I was looking at was built in 1990, do not know what the compression is for that year.

What does the slang "Pillow Barge" refer to?

I will talk to my mechanics about what and how the pressure plate, clutch disc and flywheel all line up. Might look for a u-tube tutorial to explain how and what lines up and the purpose . I am an old codger, be 66 in a few months and this is uncharted waters for me...

 

A '90 460 will probably be EFI, so you will need a carb to EFI manifold adapter, and mayde a different distributor. Not sure of the CR on that one, but it's not the older 10.5 that you must avoid.

Pillow Barge:

https://en.wheelsage.org/lincoln/con...ctures/i3i0s2/

 

This 460 had a 4 barrel carb on it, he sold the carb already to someone else, everything else still on engine. I might be mistaken on the year of the engine though, been looking at so many lately. A lot of other "mechanics" tell me to go with an older 7.3 diesel claim it will hook up to the Bell. Going to go to my mechanics I have been using for years, they are into race cars , Dodge and Ford diesels and modifications. Once I get the engine out, will draw a pattern of the bolt pattern and measure the shaft coming out of the engine and go from there. The truck has a 5 speed Spicer tranny 5252.

I have an ad up on Craigsliust to sell the 370 and a guy wants to know how much i want for the block itself, no heads or manifolds. Any Idea what a reasonable asking price should be? I know the rebuilders want $500 extra if you do not have a core to trade in.

 

A core charge amount would be OK.

IMO your mechanics tell you that as it represents the greatest amount work and rework they might be able to charge you for.

If it bolts up, that's a major part of the battle. On to all the other stuff listed above.

 

Some people have put 370/429/460 transmission on oilburners. I saw a picture showing he overlay and modifications required, but I can't find it. And then there is the subject of an adapter on some older engines.

Stuff to look for when you're checking it out.

A "yes you can, no you can't" kind of thread:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...confusion.html

Does your 7.3 have the adapter ring on it?