Hello All,

I have 2 questions.

1. can a 351 winsor gas engine be converted to fuel injected engine? and if so what would it take to do so?? my thought was if it can be done, you would have to swap-out the intake manifold ????

2. can a 351 winsor engine from a 4wd 1988 f-150 be swaped with another 351 winsor engine from a 1986 f-150 with 2wd.

please let me know

thanks,

Al

 

Yes, the swaps can be done but it isn't easy as I was going to do it and decided to wait.... for now.

The explorers and a few other Ford SUVs used the 5.8 which is a 351. You can just steal all the electronics from them and the engine or engine parts from those and then swap out your 302 EFI with the 5.8 electronics.

The benefits are a larger motor and a MAF EFI vs our older MAS system. The MAF will accomodate horsepower mods to the engine better than our MAS system also. This means if you put on headers, a CAM, high flow heads, cold air intake etc the computer will take advantage of those mods more.

Other than my motor being in perfect shape and my transmission just freshly rebuilt so no rush to swap it out, the main reason I am waiting is that the computer for the 5.8 also wants to run the EAOD transmission instead of our old AOD or C6 tranny which is not electronically controlled. I have read that others have done it but I wasn't thrilled with how they did it since most fixes for this problem were hooking dummy loads so the computer thought it was doing something or just ignoring the issue and leaving the wires unhooked.

I am hoping that someone will either come up with a simulator that makes the computer think the tranny is doing what it wants or I will trash my tranny and have a reason to switch to a newer EAOD one that will marry up to the newer 5.8 motor and computer system.

I want MAF in the worst way since I have already modified my power train extensively but it seemed like it was going to be a major job swapping harnesses, repinning the harnesses I didn't swap, finding a way to fool the new computer so it thought I had the right transmission etc.

Of course all this is to do it right. A shorter answer is that yes, you can do it. The 351W will bolt right in, will marry up to your tranny and fit fine under the hood. The firing order is different but that is easily remedied. The water pump also turns the opposite way so you have some accessory issues and will have to change the power steering, air pump and A/C drives, alternator etc also. (Some, maybe not all, I forgot which ones as it has been a while since I looked into all this.) But this is another nice thing about the newer 5.8 engine is that it is serpentine belt drive so no more of our little fan belts. -ggg-

DO a search here and on google and you will find others that have done it in various degrees and correctness. SOme do the bare minimum and some do it all out and right to include tranny swaps.

Good Luck and I wouldn't mind to seeing you come back and letting us know what you decide and your success method if you do it. I too want more grunt and am about to trade in my dream machine for a newer diesel to get it. After all the work I put into mine though, I really hate to give up the old girl.

Good Luck,

Lee

 

That's great info Lee, Thanks.

But! I won't be doing the work, that was a question from a guy who want's to buy my 351 gas engine and replace it with his 351 my 351 is from a 86 f150 with fwd he has 4wd. would he need to modify anything in order to install my engine from a 2wd vehicle, to his vehicle with 4wd???

Again Thanks,

Al

 

No he won't. The transmission is what dictates if 4WD can be hooked up, and since you're going with the same engine, the tranny won't move, therefore the transfer case will still be able to hook up just fine.

 

Zach,
I'm a bit confused here with the tranny won't move?
My engine is a carbureted 351 winsor engine. his engine is a 351 winsor fuel injection engine. so are you saying he can install this carbureted engine into his 4x4 truck without any modifications, or would he need to change the tranny to because of the carbureted to fuel injection difference.

I just need to be claer here, again Thanks.

Al

 

I believe both oil pans are rear sump, but just make sure they are. 4x4 needs a rear sump.

 

I think he was saying that as long as you aren't swapping trannies the engine swap will go fine. You can't swap a 2wd engine/tranny combo into a 4wd truck without other mods. You have to do some work to a 2wd tranny to get it to attach to a transfer case. Your friend will be fine for what he has planned though.