What are reasonable options?
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What are reasonable options?
I'm looking at buying an inexpensive local truck, '95 XL F150 4.9L 4x4 stick shortbed. Truck is in beaut shape but tons of miles, engine is running OK but can see its going to need rebuild or a swap soon. Not sure of the diff gearing yet. I'm going to primarily use the truck for daily driving and occasional local towing of my 21' boat and a 8' utility trailer. Also need to access high locations on bad roads in the winter.
Whats an ideal set-up? Should I be thinking of an eventual V8 swap? What's the easiest reasonable cost motor transplant? Or should I stick with the six and trick it out, whats possible along those lines?
Sorry to let my '94 F350 crew lb powerstroke go but needs are changing . . . kids gone, moving to a small space, big boat gone, diesel prices way up, etc. Also need something newer, a '95 is newer than a '94 isn't it?
Whats an ideal set-up? Should I be thinking of an eventual V8 swap? What's the easiest reasonable cost motor transplant? Or should I stick with the six and trick it out, whats possible along those lines?
Sorry to let my '94 F350 crew lb powerstroke go but needs are changing . . . kids gone, moving to a small space, big boat gone, diesel prices way up, etc. Also need something newer, a '95 is newer than a '94 isn't it?
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
The 4.9 is a great work motor and often outlasts the vehicle it's in, if it has good oil pressure and doesn't make any mechanical noises it may just need some new gaskets. With a 3.55 rear alxe that truck will easily do the jobs you're asking and get pretty good milage to boot.. unfortunately these I6 trucks often come with 3.08's or even 2.73's that make OD uselsess and dead starts and reverse manouvers with a heavy load really hard on the clutch. 3.55 was a common gear in many V8 trucks however and an axle swap is pretty straignt forward.
Swapping in a V8 is not trivial, the wiring harness has to be changed, engine towers and mounts, rad and a bunch of little things. The 5.0 is weaker at the rpms you'll use most too so the 5.8 is the better option, but it won't get the milage the 300 will.
Swapping in a V8 is not trivial, the wiring harness has to be changed, engine towers and mounts, rad and a bunch of little things. The 5.0 is weaker at the rpms you'll use most too so the 5.8 is the better option, but it won't get the milage the 300 will.
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Approx 280k but apparently mostly hiway cruising. haven't driven it yet but the owner says its lost a fair bit of power last couple of years and oil consumption has been creeping up. Sounds like an overhaul and a gear ratio change might make it everything I need? Are these the same basic engines as the 300's in earlier trucks? Overall the truck looks like a low mileage, always garaged creampuff so perhaps rings, seals, valves and I'd be good to go . . . ?
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Bend,OR
that motor being efi i would find a similar year efi 300-6 and do a swap over. that would get you on the road quickly and you could then take the current motor and freshen it up as money comes in. any 300-6 with 100-150k miles would be a great candidate since you could get 50-100k miles out of it easily.
as for the gear swap just locate a TTB D44 center section only (3.54 gears) and rear 8.8 complete with 3.55 gears and swap over. this would take a day or 2 at most and cost less then $300 on the high side.
as for the gear swap just locate a TTB D44 center section only (3.54 gears) and rear 8.8 complete with 3.55 gears and swap over. this would take a day or 2 at most and cost less then $300 on the high side.
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that motor being efi i would find a similar year efi 300-6 and do a swap over. that would get you on the road quickly and you could then take the current motor and freshen it up as money comes in. any 300-6 with 100-150k miles would be a great candidate since you could get 50-100k miles out of it easily.
as for the gear swap just locate a TTB D44 center section only (3.54 gears) and rear 8.8 complete with 3.55 gears and swap over. this would take a day or 2 at most and cost less then $300 on the high side.
as for the gear swap just locate a TTB D44 center section only (3.54 gears) and rear 8.8 complete with 3.55 gears and swap over. this would take a day or 2 at most and cost less then $300 on the high side.
(ya got me thinking). . . or maybe freshen up a good used motor and only do one swap
I see there is a 6 cyl forum down below, probably some discussions there on some tuning and performance mods? Wonder what is possible . . .?
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,285
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From: Bend,OR
yea go check out the 300-6 forum guys and start asking questions. i think getting a junkyard motor and going thru that would be the ideal solution since its already out. not sure whats available for hop up stuff for the efi 300 but those guys below should know.
also check out fordsix.com and cliffordperformance.com
also check out fordsix.com and cliffordperformance.com
