Hello again,


Ok now, I am in very serious debate Over what motor and which will be plenty,Ok I have a 302 in a 1984 Bronco (4x4) is this enough motor?. I mean, be honest I am planing on rebuilding the motor because I am restoring the truck complete ! I will be doing some towing which is a fiberglass fish/ski and a Bayliner ski boat. What I really need to know is will this motor have what I need after I rebuild?, The reason I ask is because right now I would be lucky if this motor is pushing 100 horse because it is sooooo wore out (I AM JOKING BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN) and if I rebuild, it will seem like a total new motor to me because of the new rebuilt power. Or do I find a 351W and rebuild that motor THAT IS THE QUESTION or do I just rebuild the 302 for more torqe?. In the long run what do you guys suggest?. Again Please be honest because I am not a rich person by no means and if I have to buy a used 351W that will put me back a lot of money + the cost of rebuilding but if there is little tricks you guys know that will help me PEP up my 302 Please tell me.



Thank you so very much,
jhw8bjw

 

For the money, you're not going to find a better value than a remanufactured engine, whether it be a 351W or a 302. As I replied earlier, the 302 engine is only going to cost you $699 exchanged with your old one. The good thing about buying an engine from Autozone is that they don't really check what core you bring in, in other words, to upgrade to a 351W, all you need to do is tell them you need a replacement engine for an '84 Bronco, or any F-series truck that has a matching oil pan originally equipped with a 351W. It will cost a little more than the 302, but not much. In fact you can check at Autozone.com I don't want to sound like an advertisement, but I have one of their motors under my hood, and it was by far the most cost effective way to replace a motor that is begging to be retired. Keep in mind that it is not a performance rebuild, rather a stock replacement, designed to meet or slightly exceed OEM specs. They even have a pretty decent warranty package with them too, so check one out. I recommend buying the long block, and bolting on a Weiand Action-Plus intake manifold, or the Edelbrock Performer, and an Edelbrock 600cfm electric choke carb, #1406, which they also keep in stock at AutoZone for around $220. You'll need a new exhaust setup due to the increased deck height of the 351, but by the time you've got an Edelbrock intake/carb, and possibly new headers ($100), you're still going to come out less than $2000, which you'll never beat if you try to do it yourself. THe machinework bils pile up quick, and you run the risk of doing all that work, just to find damaged threads or cracks in block when you go to assemble it. Go the remanufactured route, and you'll come out with an OEM quality engine with a bit more power and economy from the Edelbrock induction. Good luck, and Happy wrenching, John

 

Thanks alot for the fast reply,

But I have a couple more questios if you dont mind?. On the part about the swap at autozone you lost me when you were talking about the oil pan and dont you think they will notice if I bring in a 302 and want a 351W want they will beable to tell?. And as to the Edelbrock stuff I already have a new 1406 electric choke model and the intake I figured I would have to buy a new one and the headers which ones do you suggest? remember I am not rich so I am looking for a good BUT CHEAP set also. WHat about torqe on the rebuilt 351W from autozone the main question I have is will it pull my boats good Being a stock motor?. and another quick question should i use a 2` adapter under my carb or a 1` inch and does it really help your torqe when you use the spacers?.



Thanks Again, for your help,
jhw8bjw

 

The answer is: it depends
I honestly don't know aboutthe oil pan, you may be looking at grabbing one from a junkyard, but the autozone motor won't come with a pan or valve covers. but you will definately be making great torque with that motor, it will be the same rating as the OEM specs for the vehicle it came out of. Then, with your new intake and carb, you'll have the basic bolt-ons you need to really be rockin'. Don't forget how great MSD ignitions are, you'd definately see a milage and power increase from a 6A box. And yes, this motor will definately pull any of your boats. About the spacer, it depends. Some engines like it, some, it ruins them. The only way to know is by trial and error. In general, a small (1") spacer will help midrange, but it may hurt you as bad as -22 HP in some applications. It all depends on internal resonance, as fuel and air is supplied in a pulsating action, due to the intake valve's cyclic opening and closing.resulting air/fuel dynamics depend on the wave characteristics of your setup, and predicting its behaivor requires a wave mechanics analysis, which is not appropriate for this discussion. (I'm A civil Engineering Major at the Citadel). I'd love to tell you more, send me an IM at "JFDGA03". Good luck, hope to hear from you, John

 

thanks alot for your 2nd post but i went to autozones web page and i could find nothing on rebuilds.as to the other question dont you think they will notice the engine difference?. so all i have to do is ask for a replacement motor 351W for a 1984 Bronco?

 

The answer is, No. I work there, and although anybody who knows their way around a parts counter should notice, they will still refund your core charge back to you. Technically, there will be a deduction, but I work there, and let me tell you that there is no manager I've ever met that won't refund a core for that reason, as long as they have a core to rebuild. They won't deduct anything from your core, but even if they did, you're still getting a killer deal on a good as new 351, and the core charge is probably only $160, and I can guarantee that you'll get it all back. Send me an AOL IM at JFDGA03, it's much faster to talk that way. John

 

For the most reasonable price, go ahead and get the 302 remanufactured long block from AutoZone or Advance Auto. I know Advance uses Recon engines and they do go through all the bolts, passages, etc. that you would tend to miss or not work with if you did the work yourself...that way you can just transfer your intake and oil pan and all your accessories like PS, A/C, Alt, and smog pump.

On the other hand..."there is no replacement for displacement" and the 351W is a nice engine.

I would, however, save the bucks on the peripherals and spend some extra on headers, MSD ignition, etc. Header recommendations: Doug Thorley,,they are on the expensive end, but then they will give you added low end torque, they fit like a glove, have great gaskets and flange thickness...you can even change your starter without taking the header off. And then you have the sweet sound of those headers...but, if you want to save money, the headers won't buy you a ton of performance for your application and once again you can use your old set up...if you go with headers, you're going to have to build the exhaust all the way back.

 

If you are going to keep the engine stock I would suggest to go with the 351w. But if you plan on doing upgrades in the future I would suggest going with the 302. The reason I say this is because you are not towing that much as far as weight. I assume that the rest of the time you are driving unloaded. The 302 will net you better gas mileage in the long run. And with the 302 parts are usually a little cheaper and easier to come by due to the fact that there are hundreds of 302's out there.

Another suggestion is to stick with the 302 and go with a newer one with the roller cam. It will probably cost you about 200 dollars more than the stock 302 but the power gain is worth it. I cant remember what the stock 351 nets for horsepower but the 1988 5.0 roller cam put out 285 hp!

And all you would need to do to swap it out would be to change the firing order and you would need to do this with the 351 anyways. Also with the 302 roller you would probably get more longevity with it compared to the stock 302 or 351!

Just a thought of course!

 

You'll never hear the Torque King doubt the longevity of the awesome nickel plated late 80's 302 blocks, they're almost invincible. I've read a story about a 130,000 mile teardown, and the factory forged pistons had no wear, and the cylinders showed less than .001" of taper. This is truly remarkable, and I've heard rumors that these bulletproof engines went out of production because dealers weren't making any money having to fix them. The only thing else I might add to the last comment is that the roller cam block has a slightly higher poweband than a truck replacement, therefore you'll sacrifice a little vaccuum and gas milage, but I doubt you'll give up any longevity, the 302 has a near ideal stroke to rod ratio, but you could always buy the roller motor, and stuff it with one of Competition Cams Killer Xtreme Energy cams, and then you'd get even more low end than the flat tappet motor. Get to your local AutoZone, the factory replacement is only $699, and I guarantee that all you accessories will bolt up, which I'm not sure about with the 351 swap. Good Luck, John