I just bought a 93 bronco with a 302 and a five speed for $500. It is one of the cleanest bronco's around here, believe me i was amazed when i saw the frame and body. Anyway i bought it from a guy that had it for two weeks and he tried pop starting it and it blew a rod through the oil pan (wtf???). Now i'm going to put an engine in it but i need to know the difference between the truck 5.0 and the 5.0 HO that came in mustangs. I have a line on a 5.0 HO for cheap with 80000 miles on it and i'm thinking i should only have to change the intake over. Am i right?? What other engines would fit with the fuel injection setup? Any help or info is appreciated.

 

If that 5.0 HP is going into your truck, you'll need the matching computer also...especially if that 5.0 came from CA.

There may be ways around this, but as a Californian, and ex parts guy, I can't begin to tell you the problems trying to get an engine to run correctly if the wrong computer is used. Especially if you use all HP electronic stuff.

 

go to the 5.0 engine section and see what is posted there.

 

Basically, a 5.0 doesn't "know" whether it's in a Mustang or a Bronco.
I've done the same sort of swaps. I find it simplest to just strip the engine down to a "longblock" and just swap EVERYTHING else over. For a fact the exhaust manifolds, intake, oil pan and pickup are different. Just swap it all and you won't have to worry about it. It's not rocket science, just get the needed gaskets, set the engines side by side and turn bolts.
Iffy things are the camshaft and water pump. Make absolutely your engine uses the "HO or 5.8/351W" firing order. The Mustang engine is. If your truck engine instead uses the older "302" firing order you WILL need to swap cams. On older engines this was no big deal, you could just swap spark plug wires around to whichever firing order the cam dictated. The EFI computer can't be fooled this way, I have tried. The cam firing order must match what the computer is designed for. Swapping the injector wiring around won't work either, tried it. Since both engines are roller cams, swapping them is no big deal like older non roller cams where you had to swap lifters too AND keep them in exact order. You can leave the lifters be with a roller cam. I know for a fact that 1994 trucks and Broncos use the HO firing order. I think, but can't be positive about 1993 models.
If both cams are the same firing order and you don't swap them, another consideration is you may be that the cam you will have is meant for a sporty car that weighs about 1000 pounds less than your truck. It may not be well suited. Then again you may like it even better. Up to you, just keep in mind it won't be the same cam grind.
The water pump may work, but check carefully that all the places where your alternator brackets and such mount are absolutely identical. Ask me how I found that out.
If you bought a rebuilt "long block" HO 5.0 engine for either the Bronco or the Mustang, the rebuilder would load the same engine on the back of your truck. They would expect you to reuse your existing intake, oil pan, distributor, etc.

 

Well that answers my biggest question. SO basically i should be fine with the long block. I was thinking of getting a different cam so i would just get one meant for a truck and that would solve the timing problem as long as i do everything else right. I'm guessing that there is a bump on the cam that the cam sensor recognizes for timing and they must be different from car to truck. This all helps me. THanks Guys! Any other info is greatly appreciated.

 

dont bother. your already out a motor so locate a complete efi 5.8 from the wrecking yard and swap that in. it will get the same mpg if not better, have more power and be a better building block for future mods. I did this very swap and was the best upgrade i could have made. the 5.8 will bolt up to your tranny and you can use the 5.0 engine harness on the 5.8. also if this bronco is equiped with mass air you can reuse the 5.0 computer as well.

 

93 was pre mass air, so if you are going to the 5.8 then you will need the computer and such. The 302 is a good motor, and has just as much potential as the 5.8 if not more, it will just cost you more since you are starting with less cubes. With the 5.0 HO, changing the cam to a truck cam is a good idea because your stock computer will not be programmed for the more agressive mustang cam, and wont be able to compensate because it will be outside of its operating paramaters. good luck.

 

Ok, i scrapped the idea of a 5.0 ho engine and i found a great deal on a 302 out of a van. It only has 74000 miles on it and supposedly runs good. I still want to put a different cam in it but i'm having trouble finding one for a truck motor. Summit only has like two options and jegs site is so confusing i gave up. Any suggestions on what cam to use for mainly street driving with minimal off road use. It will have to be for a fuel injected setup, what would work best? Thanks!!!

 

You have to be careful because speed density doesn't like radically different cams. The speed density computer doesn't like big vacuum jumps and so if you get a cam with a longer intake duration it will confuse the computer. You want a cam with that opens the valves a little more and lets more air in. (Sorry, I'm forgetting my cam knowledge)

I would suggest follwing Kem's advice and going right to the 351. If you want more out of the 302, then just skip it and get the bigger motor.

My guess on what happened to the previous motor is that it wouldn't start because one of the cylinders had water in it from a blown head gasket. When he pop started it, something had to give.

 

3 cams that I would recomend for the 302 are the following:

1) Crane Cams H-260-2 (Crane Part #363904), will give you a little more bottum end torque then the next one, like 10 lbs-ft.
2) Crane Cams H-266-2 (Crane Part #363934), which will give you about 8 more horse than the other one that I reccomended but less torque.
3) Crane Cams PowerMax 2020 (Crane Part #364215), which is a roller cam for the non-HO motors, good torque decent horsepower.
The only thing that I dont know is if the first two are roller cams like the stock 93 302 is. If the van motor isnt a roller cam then I think the first two should work for you. I am running an 88 speed density system in my 92 F150 and upgraded to a newer 92 long block with the roller cam and the truck runs smoother and with as much power as I had before, so i dont think switching roller cam to non and vice versa will make a difference.

 

Ok well its good i'm getting all this info before i put the engine in! Ok so the van engine is from an 88 e150. Would i be able to use this thing in the bronco. I'm not sure if it is a roller block or not, i haven't been able to find out by searching the web yet if it is a roller or not, and i don't have it yet so i can't rip it apart. would i be able to put a roller cam in it and use the roller lifters from the stock 302?? I guess i could try to find a 351 but how do i convert it to maf. Isn't there a kit from somewhere? Will the harness match up exactly? I'm starting to get a headache from all this!! hehe too much to think about but i greatly appreciate all of your posts and info. Thanks GUYS!!!!

 

tdvjensen those cams wont work with speed density. you must have a lobe seperation of 114* or more otherwise the computer will not run it.

wilevel2, the 5.8 swap is easy. i have an 88 bronco, i located a complete wreckingyard 5.8 for $800 but had low low miles on it and was the f4te block so finding one cheaper shouldnt be a problem. just locate an 88+ efi 5.8 from a bronco,f150,f250,f350 clean up to 95 at least. get an ecu from www.fordfuelinjection.com or grab the ecu from either of the rigs you pulled the motor from. you reuse your 302 efi harness on the 5.8 it will hook up exactly how the 302 did. i did this swap in a weekend by myself. and i increased my mpg in both city and hwy by 1-2 mpg. i can drive with stock gearing and 35s with same acceleration as my 302 provided with 31's and stock gearing.

 

Depending on what you want to do, the options are limitless between used 302's, used 351's etc. I know ford racing has a mass air flow conversion kit, both for the 302 and the 351. It uses an overlay harness with the fuel injectors, a new computer and a new air box lid with the new sensor. Most of the old wiring is still used, and in the instructions they tell you not to remove any of it. You can find them at summit racing, pre-1994 though because 94 and up were already mass air flow. The only thing is they arent that cheap, looking at like $700 for it, but you can then start taking your motor to a little bit more extremes like doing head swaps, more agressive cams etc.

 

I have had both 351 and 302 . I like the 302's but thats just me. I have had both at same time .And the 302 got average 2 miles or more better . In town or open road I don't notice any diference. The 351 was Only better if I was hauling trailer .(Hills) But 302 dose fine. The firing order changed in 302 in 94 to 351 order . good luck

 

speed density an handle head swaps, exhaust and intake changes just not radicle cam changes. mass air is not the saving grace, and will sometimes still require custom chip or tune to run that aggressive cam. and for a heavy 4x4 that doesnt always work to your advantage like it would in a mustang or other car.