please help!!!!!!
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 264
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From: Tulia, Texas
please help!!!!!!
hey guys i have a question about an '86 f-150 ive just aquired..i wanted this truck because its the old body style which is my favorite but has the later model fuel injection..HERES THE PROBLEM..the thing runs wonderful but i just found out that it has alot of blow by and some rattling in the bottom end when you first start it up,i understand this '86 is an oddball, something about it having flat top pistons and some other differences that no other years had...i have the option to get an '82 model 302 thats pretty fresh for just a couple of hundred bucks to put into this truck but would it be worth it or would i just be better off overhauling this one?
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
Yes, '86 was an oddball year, but I don't think this truck would have the fabled 5.0HO motor, the one with the flat tops and E6 heads. It's far more likely this motor has dished pistons and E5 heads. Look for a capital letter stamped into the head at one of the top corners near the valve cover, the letter R signifies '85, S = '86, T = '87.
The '82 motor would swap in but will probably need a cam change, and you don't want the stock EFI cam either.
The '82 motor would swap in but will probably need a cam change, and you don't want the stock EFI cam either.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 264
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From: Tulia, Texas
what cam would you recommend for this '86 engine if i just overhaul it? i might as well just over haul this one instead of changing cams in an old engine,atleast ill know what i have...this is what i want to do with this truck....cruise,be some what peppy, and try to get the best mileage i can out of a 302,and occasionally pull a 20 ft bumper pull travel trailer
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario
The Comp cams 31-255-5 is the one I suggest a lot, it's a short duration high lift cam that will make the most of the stock heads and valvetrain, and it's SD EFI friendly. Combine it with a set of longtubes and you'll have a significantly stronger motor. If it does turn out you have the E6 heads, substitute a set of E7 heads on the motor, and rebuild the bottom end with flat top pistons with valve reliefs, that wil put CR a touch over 9:1.. about 1/2 point better than the stock motor and the same as all the later motors.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,071
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From: British Columbia
Hi Paul,
Very interesting that there is, "a capital letter stamped into the head at one of the top corners near the valve cover, the letter R signifies '85, S = '86, T = '87".
I know the T is on (all?) E7TE heads, but what casting numbers are on these others?
Is the 85 E5TE, and the 86 E6SE or E6TE? Did this lettering system only start in 85?
With the difficulty of identifying installed Ford heads this info could be very useful to a lot of us.
Very interesting that there is, "a capital letter stamped into the head at one of the top corners near the valve cover, the letter R signifies '85, S = '86, T = '87".
I know the T is on (all?) E7TE heads, but what casting numbers are on these others?
Is the 85 E5TE, and the 86 E6SE or E6TE? Did this lettering system only start in 85?
With the difficulty of identifying installed Ford heads this info could be very useful to a lot of us.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario
I have a pair of all 3 of those heads in the shop and noticed this. It doesn't appear the capital letter thing is consistent for all years... though I have not seen a lot of newer or older castings. The first 2 letters of the primary casting number signifies the year the casting was first molded, this is consistent for all years and has never changed. E5 is '85, E6 is 86, and so on.
