If I replace the 5.8l 351, and I would need more performance- DDriver, what would be the top 3 engines?
My thinking is, I do not have a mechanic/engine rebuild specialist- and the rebuild has to be done correctly- so I think about the replacement thoughts

DF

 

I would recommend looking for a longblock kit if you don't want to overhaul the current motor. I would avoid the cheapie ones you often see in the local ads for $700-$800, even if you know for certain it's a reliable company. My experience with those has been you get what you pay for, and they don't last very long. Your local auto parts stores often carry engine kits, too, that you can check on pricing. Expect to pay around $1500-$2000 for a decent longblock with a good warranty. You could also get a crate engine if you want to replace some of the other engine parts. I would still rather search some more for a good machine shop that you can talk to and go over exactly what you want done. But you often don't have the time or space to work on the rig yourself, either. My 84 Bronc had a NAPA LB kit installed right before I bought it, and that motor lasted about 3 yrs/20K miles. I found several vendors of engines and kits doign a Google search for Ford engines or 351 Windsor. I finally decided I'd had it with past problems with the 351W's, and found a 460 cid motor to swap in it's place. JSM84

 

How do you like the 460? Well, I do not want problems. Although a rebuild could go off without a hitch.

 

WHile I haven't had the 460 running in the Bronco yet, I did drive the F-350 for a bit before pulling the motor. There's plenty of power and much more torque than the 351W. But my Bronco is going to be a trail rig only, so a 460 may or may not suit you for a daily driver. Are you looking for a replacement 351W, or open to other engines like the 429/460? Something you might consider is the EFI you have now. IF you install another 351W or rebuild your current one, I don't believe you can get too radical with the internal parts, unless you customize the control module/computer. So, if you were to install a stroker smallblock, your stock ECM may have trouble running it. IF you install an EFI 460, you'll need to swap the ECM and splice in a 460 harness. It's alot more work than a carb swap was in my case, and I'm also converting the EFI motor to carb. But if you provide some more info on what engine you want to look for, it may help narrow down the choices, JSM84

 

The 460 will definetly not be nice on fuel, which is a growing concern as fuel prices keep going up. I recconmend Gopher Engines. They make a really nice long block assembly that I am currently running in my 92 F150, and know of a few other people that have used them as well. They definetly put a lot of care into these motors when they put them together. There is still no replacement for displacement, and 460's are very good motors. I have one in my 79 bronco, and i know of another guy that also runs a 460 in his 79 bronco and they do very nicely for torque. Fuel mileage isnt there though, but you have to sacrifice that for performance. with the 460 you will need to change the transmission as they have different bellhousing patterns as the 5.8 motors. Factor that into your dicision as well. Other than that, the 5.8 is a wonderful motor that would be in my top one of two choices for that truck, as it has a wonderful aftermarket of parts and accessories for it that the 460(choice two for daily driver) unfortunatly does not in these newer trucks, and the other upgrade options for motors is very limited since you already have one of the larger gas motors offered in these style of trucks.

 

Good ideas... 351W replacement is what I was kicking around but it's not like I'm swapping out wiper blades.. so, input and experience is always the process for me.

thanks
Dutch

 

One of the vendors I checked on while searching for another 351W motor was Jasper Engines. I also found Rhino Engines, and Rebuilt Auto N' Car engines. I don't have any experience with these, but have heard of good reviews of the Jasper motors and kits. You can also look at vendors like Jeg's or Summit Racing, or check through the FTE sponsors listing. There's also Ford Motor Company or Motorcraft. A re-manufactured engine will run about $2k, and a new crate motor close to $3K and above. As a comparison, my local machine shop can rebuild my present 351W block complete for about $850 with new parts i nthe heads and block.

 

Da#$%* !! It... What I'd give for a good machine shop!!! I saw Rhino, Powerperformance2000? I'll check Jasper.... Maybe I'll drive to the Lone Star state- leave her fly back and drive my "other rig" while your people operate.... Or maybe rebuild this one and buy a new crate- sure , why not have an extra engine on hand... LOL!! I guess the rebuild isn't that complicated. What do they do- bore, replace pistons, cams, heads, gaskets--- that about it? Anyone have a link to the nitty gritty on a "standard" rebuild?

Happy Holidays

 

Some of the basic machining items done are MagnaFlux the block to check for cracks, bore the cylinders out around 0.030", shave the deck on the block for the heads so you have a flat surface, replace the freeze plugs, new camshaft bearings. Extra work might include align honing the main bearing caps, balancing the pistons and crankshaft, modifying oil passages, etc.

A short block kit is just the block, with pistons, cranshaft, bearings, camshaft, timing chain. A longblock adds the heads with new/rebult valve seats and guides, valves, springs assembled. May have left something out, but you re-use or replace your original intake and exhaust, alternator, and other accessories like A/C, radiator, water pump, and so forth.

Parts to rebuild a stock motor are not expensive, but will add up quickly if you upgrade anything like the camshaft or pistons. The real killer is goingto be labor to remove and install the motor. Average shop price for that is about $1200-$1500, if you want to pick up the vehicle and drive it out the door.

One last suggestion, if you just can't find any machine shops locally. I'm 99.9% sure there's one within 50 miles of you. Just ask the guys at the auto parts stores. They will often recommend a shop, and usually will tell you if their work is good or not. JSM84

 

Thanks posting Guru- The long block vs. short block or the rebuild of original are all interesting. I see what you mean about the labor taking a whack at the price- ouch!.
Of course upgrading always adds up- yikes! Sound like open heart surgery...

If I rebuild the stock motor- sounds like I have a few more options in how to tweek it?
Why would I want to upgrade camshaft and pistons? What does that do for me? When you say upgrade- do you mean get a "better quality" piston/camshaft? Or are we talking upgrade for performance sake only?

The 351 suits me fine.

 

Avoid jasper, autozone I Have friends that didn't get 30000 miles out of them.And I went through 2 trans and law suit before got right. And a local shop quit selling them because of hassels. I went with Ford remans if problem I take whole truck out and let them fix it (no I haven't yet). Those other places. Are like put it in mail and will look at it. I have put over 100000 on several Ford remans and no problem yet. Do it or have done where you can relay on parts used locally Good luck

 

By "upgrade" I mean using better quality parts. Either stronger materials or added performance, often both. The camshaft, for example. You can use the stock one, or upgrade to an RV or 4x4 cam for more torque or pulling power. You should stay close to the stock specs, not getting too far away on lift and duration, or the ECM will have trouble and you lose some vacuum. More lift/duration keeps the valves open longer to allow more fuel into the cylinder. Forged pistons, or hypereutectic, difference in strength of material. Do you need those things?? Probably not on a daily driver. I would still use Motorcraft/Ford parts when possible, or go with a Ford re-man/crate motor like suggested. It's going to cost much less to have your engine re-built vs buying another one, as long as your engine block and heads are not cracked or damaged. JSM84

 

Hypereutectic- I had to google that word... Daily driver in mind, I do not need max towing. I want to stay close to specs- lift and duration, etc. and want to avoid ECM trouble. I'll start the research to find a quality rebuild shop. I just moved from SoFla to Jacksonville...so.. Obviously, I would like to scratch out a little more HP- 25-40 or so... maybe that can derive from upgraded intake manifold...

 

Remember that if you substantially increase the engine horsepower, it puts more stress on the rest of the stock drivetrain. A gain of 20-30 HP should be O.K., but you likely have that from the aftermarket exhaust and throttle body. I think one of the best mods you can do is make the engine "breathe" better. More air in and out, should get more power. That uses more fuel, too. A huge step up is to swap the stock heads to something like the GT-40's or a Mustang-motor head. But then you get into using larger injectors, ECM changes, etc. to handle the extra fuel flow. The weak link in your Bronco may very well be the E4OD transmission. A good mod is to add an aftermarket fluid cooler for it, as excess heat will shorten it's life. IF you can find a decent shift kit for it, that will often give you more "seat-of-the-pants" feel to a faster ride. Basically reducing the amount of slippage when shifting gears.

IF you search or browse the 351W engine forums, you will find tons of mods that others do to the motor. You still have to keep in mind that the Bronco weighs about 5800 lbs, so you need a bunch more HP over stock to feel like a drag racer. hopefully, some other folks will reply to yuor post here and give you some advise. Fordfuleinjection.com is also a good site to search for tech info on your EFI motor.

Finally, can you describe what reason or problem your having that makes you want to replace the engine? You can often just replace the heads, or re-build the bottom end without having to get a whole new engine. But if it has over 150K miles, burns oil or knocks, or has really low oil pressure, the main bearings are likely shot. One of the weaknesses I detest on the 351W is the oiling system. I've had several die or break due to a failed oil pump, without warning.

 

I have no beginning acceleration. That is, if I am merging onto the interstate from the ramp at say- 30mph- I don't have much to get me into the 60mph range- unless I stomp on it and hit the passing gear. She feels good humming along at anything over 65-80- maybe from the 56mm TB... I don't go there often but I feel get-up-and -go more "top end?" - if that's the correct "identifier". Add to this the noticeable loss of oil that started about 15k ago. No smoking of oil. Just down 1/2- 1 qt every 500-
Probably what I should expect after 195K actual. So, I really do not need to just swap out motors. Maybe a rebuild would do it.
I changed out the tranny fluid with R** Line-D4ATF at 130K. Not wanting to get caught in one of those situations where I need to change "this and that" every couple of months for the next year.... Trying to stay ahead of the "curve" without overdoing it. Also need to stay within a budget...