Blew a rod on my 86 F-150, 302 EFI, 4x4.
Engine code on VIN is stated as "N", but I am told that only means 302 EFI. I have been warned about making sure I do not get a car engine as a replacment, but an actual truck one. How do I tell then from the engine number, what it was orignally installed in to make sure I get an actual truck engine back?

 

Did they say what the difference between a car and a truck engine was? I can't think of any except maybe dipstick location.

 

It was mentioned that the truck engines are a less reving unit with higher torgue than the car engines. The car rev higher, but have less torgue and are a poor choice for a truck.

I never knew that, unless they meant only in industrial truck engines.

I mean, when you purchase a rebuilt block, how do you know what it came out of?

 

I cannot see what the difference would be unless,it is in the cam. If I were you, I would put in an RV cam anyway. The only other possibility would be higher compression, which would most likely be in the head chamber size. Usually, the cam is where the torque is created, unless you stroke the motor. Is your truck carbed or injected? If carbed, and you want more power, try a 351. Once you've owned and driven a 351w, you won't go back to the 302.
Rich

 

I'll agree with the above statement about not going back to a 302 after a 351W. In response to your question, I think getting an engine from a car is ok as long as you swap all the external stuff (intakes, EFI, wiring, oil pan, accessories etc) from the truck motor. Put in a truck cam (original spec. or suitable replacement) and put in a double roller timing chain and I don't think you should have any problems.

1979 F150 Custom: 75 351W, Edelbrock & Holley
1987 F150 XLT Lariat: 88 351W EFI
Chevy 454: waiting for a truck (Mazda?Nissan?)

 

The car engine will work fine. I have a 85 F150 302 EFI with a 77 thunderbird engine. I changed to the truck cam, oil pan, intake, etc. A 351 would be a better choice but I don't know if 85 EFI will work with 351w I plan to try it anyway.

 

Good luck getting that 351W to run in your 85. I think it should work ok. My 87 is running a 351W EFI on all the stock 302 wiring and computer and such and runs quite well.

1979 F150 Custom: 75 351W, Edelbrock & Holley
1987 F150 XLT Lariat: 88 351W EFI
Chevy 454: waiting for a truck (Mazda?Nissan?)

 

>Good luck getting that 351W to run in your 85. I think it
>should work ok. My 87 is running a 351W EFI on all the stock
>302 wiring and computer and such and runs quite well.
>
>1979 F150 Custom: 75 351W, Edelbrock & Holley
>1987 F150 XLT Lariat: 88 351W EFI
>Chevy 454: waiting for a truck (Mazda?Nissan?)

I'm also planning to dropping in a 351W in my 5.0 Bronco. What parts did you need to change in your 302 to 351W conversion? I tried using the search and couldn't find a source with the list of needed parts for the conversion.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-Apr-02 AT 11:29 PM (EST)]>Blew a rod on my 86 F-150, 302 EFI, 4x4.
>Engine code on VIN is stated as "N", but I am told that only
>means 302 EFI. I have been warned about making sure I do not
>get a car engine as a replacment, but an actual truck one.
>How do I tell then from the engine number, what it was
>orignally installed in to make sure I get an actual truck
>engine back?

86 Mustang and most car engines have short blocks with flat-top pistons with no valve reliefs cut into the pistons. These engines use E6SE heads with small valves and larger combustion chambers. '85 and '87 through '95 Mustang engines and the other Ford 5.0 HO engines have the valve reliefs in them and used truck heads (E7TE) with smaller chambers and bigger valves. The firing sequence on all HO engines is different than on non-HO engines. Kind of a mess for swapping.

Bottom line, try to get a 5.0 HO short or long block and swap in your cam and lifters.

Edit; The non-HO short blocks can be modified by getting a piston notching tool and notching the flat-top pistons. [link:www.totalengineairflow.com/|TEA] may be a source for renting this notching tool. It makes a nice solution because you'll get a higher net compression ratio with fewer valve reliefs in the pistons.

Best regards,