i just got a 71 f-100 with a 360 and c-6. the motor is shot, and i think i would rather have a 351W or 302 in there instead, due to the lack of aftermarket support of the FE motors. can anyone give me some details on a swap like this, i.e., motor mounts the same? will the C-6 work? anything at all would help...

thanks in advance.

 

with a swap like that you will probably have to change almost everything. The engine mounts and towers are different and the C6 from the FE won't work you will need a C4 for the 302/351 block or try to find a small block c6 if you really want one. the drive shaft will probably have to be altered and all the linkages (throttle,tranny,etc. will have to be modified or changed). My truck came from the factory with a 390 FE/C6 that the previous owner invested over $2,500 (not including engine/tranny) into swapping it to a 351W/C4, which I have invested $2,000 swapping it to a 460 big block. So it can be done but it is costly to do. The FE motors do have some good aftermarket support though, I know a guy with a mildly built 360 running 13 1/4 mi at the track with under $3,000 in the motor. Summitracing.com carries parts for the FE from carbs to rebuilds.

 

Welcome to FTE! You will find a lot of great information here.
First, I must disagree with you on aftermarket support for the FE motor. Perhaps someone confused your 360 with another brand, but the 360 is part of the FE (Ford Edsel) family of engines,which includes the 330, 352, 360, 390, 406, 410, and the famous 427 and 428 engines.
These engines are so much alike that all you need to do to your 360 is change the crank, the rods and the pistons (a crank set) and you will have a 390 or higher. You can use the same heads as well, and there are great aftermarket supplies.
Check out the FE forum here at FTE there are a lot of guys more knowledgeable than I who live there!
Changing to a 302 will leave you disappointed, I think. It is better off in high RPM usages, and a truck needs power, not speed.

Changing to anything other than an FE motor will require a LOT of alterations. You would be best to find a donor truck to get the complete setup you want, to make sure you get all the parts. Things like engine perches, PS and alternator brackets, water pump and crank pulleys and the like come to mind.
The C6 will not fit; the bolt pattern is unique to FEs. Niow, if you should get ahold of a 351 C6, then you can transplant most of the innards from the FE C6 into the 351 C6. But it is probably best to get it rebuilt professionally anyway.

Hope this helps!

 

any FE performance websites? parts, and the like?

 

With the right camshaft, the 302 works just fine in these trucks. I should know. I have 3 with 302's, and 2 with FE engines. I like the 302 and AOD transmission combo. Lot's of power, and pull down 25 miles per gallon. Let's see an FE do THAT. LOL Aint going to happen. The closest to stock one, is stock bore 302, with Edelbrock Performer intake and cam kit (cam, lifters and springs), and self ported 69 302 heads. It gives about as much power as a stock truck 390, in a muchlighter package. With 3.25 gears and an AOD out of a Lincoln with the lower 1st gear, I tow a 6100 pound (dry) boat on a triple axle trailer. Almost every single weekend for the last 3 years. No overheating problems, and I don't have to run high rpm's. It pulls right from the lower rpm's, all the way to about 5000. Oh yeah. The cam is advanced 4 degrees. I know, I know. Do the same work to a FE, and you have a real stump puller. At how many gallons per mile? lol.

 

I have a stock '73 302 2V and a C-4 with a shift kit in my '67 f-100 and the setup works great. I tow a two place car trailer to auto auctions about twice a week with the truck and can honestly say it pulls as strong as my f-250 with the 360. I used the orig. trans. crossmember from the C-6 and perches from a 73-79 truck which I found in a junk yard. I reccomend the swap, it's not that hard. I also agree with stevef100s,
my f-100 even without an AOD still gets about 18mpg, it only got about 10mpg when the 352 was still in it.

 

Here's a shortcut to the FE Forum:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/f...?s=&forumid=51
There are others, but this one covers my needs very well.
I got lots of help from the great guys there over the last couple of years while I built up my 390.

Summit caries quite a few parts.
DSCmotorsport.com has a pretty good supply, too.

ALSO, search around this site and check out the sponsors websites.

 

anyone who says there is no aftermarket for the FE cant say they tried too look very hard, also if you are going on level ground sure you CAN get 25 with a 302, but there are people on the FE forum who have got in the 20's as well, just depends on how the person drives and how well their vehicle is tuned. as already stated by mlf72f250 there are many companies that sell FE stuff includings companies that this site doesnt allow to be posted

 

I just did a reman on my 302, new Edelbrock Performer carb, Comp Cam designed for my driving habits, static & dynamic balance (to me the most important of all engine mods because your motor runs strong and sweet at all rpm's), long tube headers w/3 1/2" collectors, and a few other mods. The C6 is off a 351, bolts right up. So do C6's off the 300 6cyl. Crossmember should be fine. 302 engines run like a 2.75" stroke - all torque. The smaller motor weighs a lot less, runs more effectively, and out-performs FE motors in a number of owner-friendly areas - fuel economy, longevity, weight, and wide power band. Big blocks are fine, if you have a reason to run one, but frying tires on unloaded pickups can even be done by a stock 300 6cyl, so let me ask, where's the glory in that? Most 302's are 200K mile motors, that's pretty strong.

 

I did this with an 86 5.0 EFI. It is pretty easy if you have a harness, I made my own, but over all it is straight forward. I also went with an AOD behind that. If you need any suggestions or have questions please ask.
Robert
72 F100 Ranger XLT W/ 86 5.0L EFI W/ AOD
www.geocities.com/krazdndenver