I have an early 80's F150 4X4 with a 2bbl carb and multiple belt set-up but the block shows to be a 94-97 F4TE. Anyone seen this before? I have a blown head gasket and need to make repairs but I don't know what gaskets, etc. to buy.

 

I have seen, and have done it myself. When you have a old truck with a worn out engine, you usually have two options. 1. Rebuild what you have or 2. Get a used engine. When you get a used engine, you want the newest engine with the least amount of miles that will fit. In your example someone got a 90's engine (302 I assume?) and took the efi off and put the older engine dress on it, and dropped it in.

If you want to see what will fit and what won't, just go to a place like Online Auto Parts and Auto Accessories Store at PartsAmerica.com, and punch in a early 80's pickup with your engine and see what the part number is for the head gasket. Then punch in a later car or truck and see what the part number is for that engine's head gasket, and see if they are the same.

I don't remember there be any head gasket differences. The crankshaft is different between late models and early models(one piece rear main seal, different flywheel) different pistons (they used thinner piston rings), different cams(may have a roller cam and lifters in the later block) and possibly a different firing order if it's a HO out of a mustang. If it has the 351w firing order, then it is a HO. All this is for the 302. The intake gaskets are different too, and when I got a rebuild kit it included two different sets. I believe I used the later gaskets with the older intake. Just put them on the intake and then on the head, and figure out which one will seal the best.

 

Thanks. It is a 351W from a 94-97 Truck. The heads I just pulled off are E7TE. I don't know how to tell if it is a roller or not.

 

How can I tell if it is a roller or not? The distributor has been changed so I don't trust looking at it to tell. I have the heads and intake off. Please let me know ASAP what to look for. Thanks.

 

look for rollers on the lifters where they ride on the cam

 

ok, what is better? roller or non? also it looks like the distributor is for a non roller. if this motor is a roller will that hurt it? how is the stock cam in a roller? would it be considered mild, moderate, etc? I know nothing about roller motors.

 

IIRC: the water pumps are a different rotation for the newer motors with serpentine belts.

The gear on the distributor is different for a roller motor too.

Just something to think about.

 

well, I read a posting someplace that said roller motor distributors had a smooth shoulder above the gears and a non roller was rough. I replaced the distributor about a year ago going by the intake casting numbers not knowing it was a roller motor. I bought the distributor for a non roller. It seemed to work although the pick-up would always go out.

 

how do I determine what the cam is made of?

 

I hear conflicting stories on the cam dist gear compatibility. I asked a local Ford motor builder when I was swapping mine around, and he said don't worry about cam gear, Ford had a soft gear already installed on their roller cams. I ran mine 8 years with no problems. Then I read on the internet that there is a problem, and people with 302's should buy a gear for a 85 mustang and install it on their dist.

Does the gear on your dist look like it's wearing? They claim the roller cam gear is made of a different material and will eat the older dist gear up.

If you have the intake off, look down in the valley. If it has a roller cam, you will have this sheetmetal thing bolted in the middle of the valley called a "spider". It will be holding these "H" shaped looking things on top of the lifters called retainers. The top of the lifters will have flats on them, which fit into the "H" looking retainers.

I have heard a lot of the later blocks were cast for roller cams, but some of them had a regular cam from the factory in them. You will see little cast flat spots were the spider bolts down in the middle of the valley, but there will be no tapped holes.

 

Ok, so it is definately a roller. It has everything you said it would. My distributor gear looks fine to me. No wear visible. It is cast iron and from what I have read the cam is steel. Can't really afford another dist.
my question now is: hydraulic or mechanical roller? I want to get a new intake and carb and want to get the best fit to go along with the roller motor, plus later I want to replace the cam with a more aggressive one.

 

All factory roller cams are hydraulic. I know the 302's had different cams you could put in made by Ford, like a B303, E303, I think. You will have to do some research for the 351w.

You still have a truck, so the same rules still apply. Do not go too radical, and concentrate on low rpm torque. You should look for around a 600 cfm vacuum secondary carb, and a dual plane intake, either stock cast iron or aluminum. No single plane intakes and no double pumper carbs.