Hello everyone,
I am getting ready to retire from the Navy, to Virginia and I am wanting to do an engine swap in my 86 f150 as retirement project til I get a job. What are the possibilities that will fit with minimal fabrication?
Looking for both gas and diesel options.
I would love to drop a coyote crate engine and trans package in it, but I can settle for 460.
Truck is two wheel drive, the current engine is a 2 bolt 302 and a tired manual. I want replace both, not worth a rebuild.

Thanks

 

Welcome to FTE

We need a little more information as we know it's a 86 4x2 but what model 150 / 250 / 350?
Motor 300 / 302 / 351 / 460 / 6.9 diesel, and transmission auto or manual and what model dose it have?
What is the plan for the truck a cruiser on weekends to shows / cars & coffee, a daily driver (how far) or a work horse?
And will it need to pass smog like out in California or else where?

When I was looking for a truck it was going to be used to haul the weekly trash to the dump (mostly) and a backup to pull my open deck car trailer.
I ended up with a 81 F100 flare side (short bed) with a 300 six and T18 granny 4 speed for getting heavy loads moving from a stop.
After a 4 year cab off frame rebuild I ended up adding a over drive range splitter that gives me 8 speed and a second 19 gallon, 16 was the factory, for longer range.
I can tell you after being on the road six years / 28K+ miles and pulling other trailers I am not so sure on the car trailer on the high way with the 2.74 rear gear.
I do take it to shows and C&C and did put 400 miles on it in a week when working, retired now, so it's mostly a trash hauler and C&C truck
Dave ----

 

Sorry about that. I fixed the post.

 

There is a place that makes swap kits for what you want to do with the 460. Here is the site. https://www.landlproducts.com/

They have just the motor mounts and other individual pieces, or you can buy the whole thing together. These trucks take special oil pans with different dipsticks and oil pump pickups. If you got a 460 from a 1980-up truck, it would have the correct oil pan setup. If you get the 460 or 429 from a 70's car or truck, then you will need the oil pan, I think L & L sells those pieces.

The oil filter adapter is another sticky point with the 460. The factory had a special angled adapter, and a special dent made into the front crossmember on the 460 equipped f250/350. Since you will not have that dent, you need a aftermarket remote oil filter setup,, you can buy them anywhere or again, L & L sells it.

Unless you like playing with computers and wires, I would stay away from late model factory fuel injection stuff.

 

So now that you have the motor how do you want to go with the transmission?
You said yours is a tired manual is it a 3 on the tree, a 4sp with over drive (some call it 3sp w/over drive 4th) or a granny 4sp?

You did not say what you want to use the truck for but as a guess a nice day fun truck being you want a 460, it is not a good daily driver motor because of the poor MPG.
With that I would think you would want an auto thing is if you want one with over drive you are looking at one from a later truck that needs a computer.

If you want to stay with a manual you are talking aftermarket think something like a T56.
https://americanpowertrain.com/?_gl=...T0Dw60g3z_wO7H
Dave ----

 

Granny 4 speed, MPG isn't a top priority for me. The wife's car is for trips. I thought a coyote crate would be cool, but we're talking easily $20k+ for the engine, trans, and standalone computer. I just want to make it drivable first, but I also don't want to put a half assed rebuilt engine in it. I'm either dropping a fully built engine or buying a turnkey crate.

 

Ok so the granny 4sp is not a fun to drive transmission, I know as that is what my truck has but I work my truck pulling a 20' enclosed trailer for my car club.

I know the Coyote sound good but I hate to say it, it is one of them "everyone is doing it" and I am not like "everyone" or I would not be running a 300 six
It sounds like you want a big block, 460+ so I would look into a crate big block motor.

For a transmission being you have a manual and so you dont have to change out the pedals I think I would look into one of the aftermarket 5 or 6 speeds.
I know you said you have wifes car for trips but I can tell you if you want to hit any shows more that you take the high way you will want the over drive.
Some members of the club will not drive over 55 MPH because the motor screams, it really dose not and makes for a PITA drive at times when there are a bunch of us.
The same can be said for auto & over drive and highway driving.
Now there is a add on over drive for old school transmissions from Gear Vender, can be added to your trans now or a C6 behind a big block.

Me I would go with a crate 5.8 / 351w, it will bolt right in where your 302 is now and most likely a auto over drive as it would be a fun little package to drive, not so nose heavy with a big block, and have more power than the 302.
Oh I would go with Holley Snipper EFI as it is a bolt on.
It's nice to spend someone else's money
Dave ----

 

/For the cost of a Coyote, big block, or Diesel swap you can build a heck of a stroked 5.8/351W based engine, and as far as effort goes, it will be the easiest to swap. If you keep the trans you have it will bolt up also. As for trans... I like the T18, but understand a lot dont. There is a lot of options out there depending on what you want to do with it, in manual and auto.

 

A 500 hp 351w build, now we're talking 😆

 

Entirely possible. Change the transmission to something like a Tremac 5 speed. You could reuse the existing speed density EFI system and run it with a Stinger Performance PiMPx computer.

 

To me the ultimate combination would be scoring a complete 351w + ZF5 drive line out of a truck. There out there but they can be hard to find. And a 351 does not need to be stroked out for power, just keep it with low enough compression to use regular fuel. You can have a really good daily driver with really good power and a manual that is fun to drive and heavy duty. I drive a 2000 F-250 with the ZF5 and a 6.8 V10 and I love driving a manual transmission. Wait a minute, what about finding a wrecked 1999 to 2003 Super Duty with a V10 ZF5 combo and put that in your truck? Nope, to much trouble! Keep it simple......