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Engine swap help

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Old Dec 27, 2025 | 06:54 PM
  #1  
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Engine swap help

Hey yall. Ive been a lurker on FTE a while and posted a few trucks a long time ago, seem to have lost my account

Anyways, I have a 97 F150 XLT with the 4.2 / Manual. I bought it in August, it had a bad motor. I took another 4.2 from a 98 auto and swapped it in. Drove it a bit, did fine for a month but it lost compression and runs like crap now. Started giving me IMRC issues as well..

So I picked up a 96 F150 EB with a 351W for a donor, truck was wrecked. It was an auto truck. My main issue is figuring out what flywheel the v6 uses. Im about to order a flywheel and clutch to swap, but im not sure if I need a 157 or 164 tooth, and if a 351W 164 tooth even fits in the M5ODR2 bell.

Any help is appreciated, TIA! -Paul
 
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Old Dec 28, 2025 | 08:47 AM
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M5 never came behind the 351W. It does work, pal has one in his '91 that was 302/M5 stock. Now 351W/M5.

All I remember is he is using the 11" clutch and swear both 28oz balancer. Probably just bought the 164 tooth 302 clutch kit
 
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Old Dec 28, 2025 | 03:03 PM
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Do post a build thread when ya do that (very good idea) swap.

4.2s grenade sooner or later due to the utterly weetodded intake manifold gasket design which killed many, many 4.2s.
Next one I get that fails will get upgraded to a proper Ford V8. Since my back and sciatica are already bad I'll likely go C6 though I like manual boxes.
If I didn't have automatic trucks my right shoulder replacement would have grounded me.
 
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Old Jan 26, 2026 | 09:34 AM
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Originally Posted by rabbitfabschassis
Hey yall. Ive been a lurker on FTE a while and posted a few trucks a long time ago, seem to have lost my account

Anyways, I have a 97 F150 XLT with the 4.2 / Manual. I bought it in August, it had a bad motor. I took another 4.2 from a 98 auto and swapped it in. Drove it a bit, did fine for a month but it lost compression and runs like crap now. Started giving me IMRC issues as well..

So I picked up a 96 F150 EB with a 351W for a donor, truck was wrecked. It was an auto truck. My main issue is figuring out what flywheel the v6 uses. Im about to order a flywheel and clutch to swap, but im not sure if I need a 157 or 164 tooth, and if a 351W 164 tooth even fits in the M5ODR2 bell.

Any help is appreciated, TIA! -Paul
I have 2000 4.2 4wd with 5speed manual my flywheel is this amd no flywheels at oreillys will line up.


 
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Old Jan 26, 2026 | 11:51 AM
  #5  
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Line up with what?

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...,flywheel,5348
 
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