i posted this in the '87-'96 section but thought i might get a better answer here, i want to swap my 302 for a 390 that im thinkin about gettin (comes with a whole f-250), how well would that fit/bolt up to my '87 f-150's frame.
i also want to rebuild it and make so it makes at least 350hp, AT LEAST, so i would also like to know if its pretty easy to find all the performance parts for those engines like headers, manifolds, pretty much everything.

 

Yikes. First, the FE series engines went out of production after the '76 model year, so Ford obviously never put one in your vintage truck. That means you'll be experimenting with motor perches, accessories, etc. Also, what tranny do you intend to use? The tranny from your 302 will NOT work with the FE.

All that said, the FE is a good, solid motor, and will easily generate a lot more than 350 hp if built right. Performance parts are available, but they tend to be harder to find and more expensive than parts for either the 385 series big block (429/460) or the small blocks (289/302/351W). Conventional wisdom is that the 351M/400M are rotten performance engines, and little is available for them. The FE's are good performance engines, but they are an old design and somewhat hard to find parts for. If you really want a big block with lots of performance potential, and you want to put it in a late model truck, I think you'd be much better off going with a 460. 460 performance parts are very common and cheaper than FE parts, and you'll have far less experimenting and fabricating to do for the swap. There are lots of books and articles out there about how to put a 460 in your truck, and swap kits are available with everything you need.

 

wow, haha i dont think i want to do all that, i want a 351 to build up but i have found more 390's than anything so far. and i have heard that a 460 will be equally as hard and would have a posability of breaking my frame. hmmmm, back to lookin for 351's.

 

Mike, Drop me a mail, I have one in Durham.
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John

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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

I wouldn't say the 351M/400 engines are rotten performers just because there not the more popular engines. I suspect that most people shopping for a stock 351 displacement engine would chose a 351Clevland over a 351Windsor. Most after market performance parts for the 351W are trying to achieve the basic benefits of the 351C like large valves, large ports and canted valve heads. But 351C engines are hard to find so the next engine that has many of the same features are the 351M/400 engines. Granted the M series engines were just your run of mill work horse engine but Ford suck them in many different vehicles from Lincoln's to F-350's.

Many of the after market parts for the 351C will work on the 351M/400 like intake manifolds, cams, pistons, headers, ignition systems, etc. The M series has some added special features over the Cleveland and especially the Windsor that should make it more desirable for the truck world. The M series blocks are more beefy at the crank journal mains and the cranks subsequently have larger journals. I think all the M series blocks have the larger bell housing bolt pattern so you can attach C6 transmission.

I'm not saying the 351m/400 is the answer to all your performance needs but it can be a strong, reliable and cheap engine to build.

 

man this whole engine ordeal just keeps on gettin more confusin.

 

Orange Peel, I think your answer is do what works for you. Virtually any engine can be made to fit your application. It just boils down to how much work you want to put into it. Heck, I've seen big blocks in Porsche's.

Personally, I'd do a nice rebuild on a 351. That way you gain cubic inches and can keep most, if not all, of your original cooling, drivetrain, electrical, etc. equipment. As far as achieving 350 HP, no problem. I have an uncle who is pumping around 500 HP out of his that is normally aspirated with a single carb. Parts are plentiful and relatively cheap.

 

I didn't mean to say that the 351M and 400M were awful engines. They're just not generally regarded as good candidates for performance mods when compared to the 289/302, 351C, 351W, FE series, and 385 series (429/460).

I'm no expert on the 302, but I think your easiest swap to add cubes and performance potential would be the 351W. The 351M/400M, FE series, and 385 series all mean a lot more conversion work.

The 302 is a good motor, though, and can easily be built to generate 300+ horsepower if you aren't willing to mess with a swap.

 

i would build up my 302 but to me it would seem cheaper to do it to a 351 since they have more hp stock. so to me that would mean less money to spend, that and someone who answered one of questions regarding a 302 i found that made 347hp said that in cold weather small engines that make a lot of power dont run right.

 

The most popular V8 Ford down here is the 302/351 C
And there seems to be great support for it out of the states.

Maybe it is all upside down ?

 

Guys, Mike is a near neighbor of mine and his truck has to pass tailpipe sniffing at inspection time. I have told him privately that the 351W is a direct bolt in and probably the only engine that he could get to pass the test.
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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

I'm guessing that Mike (A.K.A. Orange Peel) and your self live in California. I've heard of tail pipe sniffing but don't know how they fairly test older vehicles. This must be less stringent then actual emission testing.

Well on that note if your carbureted, non-catalytic, 350+Hp engine is required to pass random tail pipe testing you have your work cut out for you.

 

John, I've never disagreed with you before on a question related to Ford trucks, and I won't start now. I think that's about the advice that I gave, too.

Oh, and these guys are in North Carolina, not California. Apparently, the tarheel state has a fair number of tail sniffers (er, I meant tail PIPE sniffers), too.

 

my friend who has a 350ho in his k5 barely passes the sniffer, the highest you can get is a 220 and he got a 217, i think i might of found an engine if i dont build one, its a 351 that puts out 405 ponies . so if i do end up with that, hopefully i will, i hope it will pass the sniffer. but i might still want to build one, im still debating about it every other thought.