How tuff is the swap? Has anyone done this? Is it even worth swapping with the M5OD? I have heard differing opinions and just curious. Eric

93 F150 4x4, Dana 44 IFS, Ford 8.8, 300 I6, M5OD, BW 13-56

 

The M5OD probably can't take it. Ford never offered it behind the 351, possibly for emissions reasons but more likely because it's just too weak. There's guys on the Ranger boards complaining about blowing them up. You're probably looking at converting to a ZF 5 sp. or a T-18/9 4 sp. if you change to the 351.

Other than the tranny, it should be pretty simple, just find a "donor" vehicle of the same year and get it's engine, radiator, computer, wiring harness and whatever sensors you can find.

 

the swap from 300 to 351 is not hard, but it is involved and cccosts money. check the archives in this and the engine sections and you will find lots of advice on the subject.

 

It's a difficult swap, but if I can do it, most anyone can. My biggest problem was getting the front mounted accessories back on my 351. Radiator is a problem, had trouble with the oil pan. You need new motor mounts (frame and engine).

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

Eric

Its not a tough swap, or overly expensive. You need to find a donor with the proper acessories already on the motor, a set of frame mounts from a F-series (the ones that sit on the crossover), a proper rad (top and bottom hoses are reversed between V8 and I6). As far as the oilpan goes, there are two main types: double hump(car) and single hump(truck),the car pan will work so long as you don't mind oil running over the cross member when you change oil.

Good luck

RCC

 

I have some components for your swap you may be interested in. I have Motor mounts, Pulleys, P.S., Alternator brackets, oil pan, oil pickup, etc. off an 84 with a 351. If you could use them, let me know...I need to move this stuff.

 

OK, let me explain a little further. First, you probably can't use the brackets and pulleys fromt he '84 or maybe you can if he has the serpentine system. So let's address the front accessories. First you have to determine the harmonic balancer for the front of your engine. There are two or three out there and they all are enough different that the result will vary the position of your crank pulley by up to 1 1/2" and...everything else will need to line up against the pulley. Then you go to the water pump and there are a number of choices. If you have a serpentine belt, then you need the reverse rotation pump and you have to decide whether you need the short water pump or long water pump to line up with your crank pulley. Once those are chosen, you need to make sure that all the other accessories line up with what you've chosen. I got so messed up, I ended up buying the complete bracket set in polished alluminum (pulleys, altenator, A/C compressor, and power steering pump) from Zoops at a whopping cost of around $1200 (but it looks awesome and fits nice, except for the power steering). They will also sell you the correct water pump and everything else as a kit to make sure it lines up correctly (my mistake on the PS, but I got it to work anyway and it still looks great). Highly recommended if you can afford it...but they do not have any way to add an air pump if you need it. Otherwise, get the complete setup from the junkyard. I did this also, but ended up buying from the same year, but an F250 instead of F150,,cost me $240 and I ended up not using it. It would have fit, but it would have added a full 70 lbs. to the front of my engine.

Ok, now oil pan. You need a rear sump, probably the double hump. The front hump is only enough room to house the front mounted oil pump and you need an extended oil pickup to reach the rear sump. Don't worry about the front cross member getting oily, you cannot remove the front plug anyway, it will sit about 1/4" off the cross member!! PAW sells the double hump kit with oil pickup and dipstick for around $130 (a great deal!!)

Now, look at the top end. You need to get the wiring harness and ECU to match your 351 fuel injection. I don't think your 300 will work. Once again you can either find the setup from the junkyard or purchase a kit new (very expensive also). The radiator is easy and I recommend removing your stock fan and replacing it with an electric fan. It's a cheap gain in hp, you have more control of your cooling, you increase the life of your swater pump, and it cleans up your engine compartment (leave the shroud off, it's not needed with the electric fans).

The frame mounts: After removing your frame towers from the crossmember on the 300, you need to check the frame mounts on the driver's side. You can get new frame mounts from Ford for about $70 a side. The driver's side mount has two holes to go over two rivets on the crossmember. These holes need to be either drilled out to fit over the rivets, or the rivets need to be drilled out and then fitted with bolts through your frame mount and crossmember.

Now, with all that said, mine was a carburated swap in an '82; so some things may be a little different. Mine was also a 2WD and the 4WDs may have some different clearances. I'm just sharing some of the problems I had.

Oh, one final thought. It was a lot simpler for me to pull the tranny along with the engine, mounting the tranny to the new engine and then dropping it back in together again than trying to match the engine back to the tranny while hanging from my cherry picker.

Good luck,

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

The accessory, accessory bracket, pulley and timing cover nightmare that Slik is referring to is what I sought to avoid by buying a complete engine from a wrecked '90 model. I just didn't have the interchangeability knowledge needed to piece all this stuff together from various sources. I think I came out ahead after reading about the trouble that Slik had.

DannyP
89 F-150 4x4 former EFI I-6 now carbed 351W, Edelbrock heads,cam,intake,carb.
MSD 6A, ZF, Sterling 10.25 with 3.55L's.

 

DannyP,

Yeah, hindsight is wonderful, but you won't see too many engines that are as pretty as mine; Yeah, I know, all luster, no muster; but it scoots pretty good.

Say, how do you like the Edelbrock heads/Cam; wish I had gone that route, but...maybe in the future? And how about the swap from EFI to carb? Was it difficult, and how do you like it?

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

Thanks, some truly useful information. I talked to clifford performance, but it looks like it is cheaper to get V8 torque from a 351, rather than beefing the I6. Has anyone swapped in a C6 or C4? Any info on putting the transfer case onto the C4 or C6? Thanks, Eric

 

Slik,
The Edelbrock package works out pretty good, tho I am undecided yet as to whether I like the Edelbrock carb better than the Holley. I just won a Q-Jet on Ebay that I might play with as well, I've had good luck with them in the past. The Performer cam has the low end grunt needed for a truck, plus it winds out decently, tho I am sure the free breathing heads helps it out in that regard. I wish I had spent the extra bucks and converted to a roller cam tho, it seems I am never satisfied;-). I may yet do the roller cam thing, whenever I get the extra cash. Boy that 393 stroker kit sure does whet the appetite too hu?
The carb setup isn't as user friendly with cold starts as EFI, tho my wife drove my truck for a week recently and didn't have any trouble with cold starts. One reason why I don't own a diesel truck yet is that on the farm, if it got below 30 degrees, you had to plug the old Ferguson, IH, or Allis in before they would start. I know these trucks have glow plugs and seem to have overcome this problem, but I still don't trust them just yet.
One more thing. This contractor I know that is doing work for my company says he was doing some work for another local company that made what he thinks is MAF sensors. He said they cost a little over a dollar to produce!!! Just how much do these things cost at the dealer? If this is true, there should be protests all over the country over price gouging. I don't mind someone making a profit, but give me a break!!!


DannyP
89 F-150 4x4 former EFI I-6 now carbed 351W, Edelbrock heads,cam,intake,carb.
MSD 6A, ZF, Sterling 10.25 with 3.55L's.

 

Hi! I'm the guy with the parts... The truck came with conventional belts, standard rotation water pump, the harmonic balancer goes with the parts, the oil pan is the "double Hump", "rear sump". I really don't know what this stuff will work on, but for $200., you might want to take a chance.

 

Dang, where were you when I needed the parts? Great deal, if you're running conventional belts like I did. Could have saved my $1K and a lot of headache!! (Gotta keep reminding myself that my engine is real pretty though.)

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik