Have 1978 Courgar with 351w,Gonna put it in my 1982F150 4x4.
Now knowing that I need a rear sump oil pan, went to junk yard,found 1984 F150 4x4 with 351w in it.
Removed pan,and oil sump pickup tube. Got home to put oil sump and oil pan on Cougar 351w, only to find out some differences. Here's the deal;the sump oil tube wouldn't mount correctly,.Cause->the stud from the 351w in the junk yard has a 7/16" diameter monuing bolt as compared to the Cougar 351w which has a 1/2" diameter bolt.
Corrected this by drilling hole in mounting bracket to 1/2".Now comes the trouble, the oil pan from the 1984 351w will not fit the 78 cougar 351w, cause -> the two rear oil pan bolts for the 351w from the 1984 are 6" on center, while the 78 351w two rear oil pan bolts are 6 3/4" on center.
All the rest of the holes line up and the front of the oil pan will match up .
Other differences noticed, 78 351w has 9/16" nuts on the connecting rods. Where as the 84 351w has 1/2" nuts.The main cap bolts are different as explained earlier.
So who knows or can advise me as to what oil pan I need to fit this 78 351w with a rear sump, so it will fit in my 1982 F150 4x4 truck?
I'm sure some one will say I got the pan off from something else other than a 351w, sorry but not so.And yes they are both 351w motors.
Sure would like some insite to this problem.
Thanks,
Tom

 

Well, I'm not aware of a change, but it doesn't surprise me. I ran into a lot of that when swapping engines. I would stay with an '80-'86 pan. Talk to Moroso or some of the other oil pan companies and they can tell you what years will fit and that should give you an indication of when manufacturing specs changed. But, the junkyards have swap books that should be able to get you in the ballpark. I would also suggest that you put on a new oil pump and pickup while you have the bottom open on your engine.

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

Heck, call up a local Ford dealer. If you get the right person, they can look up the interchangeable years also.

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

I'm looking at the new oil pan (rear sump) that comes with the dipstick, pickup, and bolt that I used on my swap in the PAW catalog. PAW sells the kit for $125 and it says it fits '79-93; so it looks like they changed the pans in '79.

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

Slikness,
Thanks for all the help!
Now just who is PAW?
Ford dealer is checking and the local junk yard is toooooo computerized they don't even have a clue that ford changed the rear main diameter.
And hence forth the oil pans are different.
Well when I get it figured out, I'll let ya know ,so you can put it in your things to remember place.
...Tom

 

PAW is Performance Automotive Warehouse. Their catalog costs $5, but it's about 300 pages thick and loaded with good info.

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

How do I determine what motor I have?
is it a 351w, or 302???
Where do I find the numbers?
Or is there some other way to tell?

 

Hey Tom,

Are you sure you don't have a 351M in that Cougar? The 351C was only built from '70-'74 but the 351M was produced from '72-'78 and it's considered a big block. An easy way to tell is to measure the bolt pattern on the bell housing. The top bolts should be a little over 7" apart on a big block and around 5" on a small block.

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

Slik,
Yepper they are 5" apart.
And yep this is a small block, that much I do know. But whether it's a 351windsor or a 302 I'm not sure.

Tom

 

Also
the block casting is about 1" higher at the timingchain cover, which should mean it is a 315w, which was made that way because of the longer stroke than a 302 or a 289

 

I am not sure when Ford went to the one peice rear main seal but this could explain the difference in the rear of the oil pans.

DannyP

 

Tom,

I just measured my spare pan (front sump)and I gave you wrong dimensions (I had my pan turned backwards on the bench). The front pan bolts measure 6" center to center and the rear measures 6 3/4" center to center.

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik