The 302 in my '84 f-150 lost oil pressure and ***** the bed. The bottom end is now trash. I can get my hands on a good 87/88 efi302 ho from a mustang and would like to use that in my truck. I dont want to have to deal with the fuel injection since my truck is carburated now...so i was thinking i could use the ho shortblock and heads with my intake, carb and accessories. Has anyone done something similar? Whats involved? Any problems with the intake manifold not fitting on the ho heads, ignition, engine mounts, transmission fitment (c6), etc...?

Thanks
Kyle

 

you answered your own ? there. but you will want to swap over a cam suited for your truck. dont use the cam currently in the motor it was made for hi rpm power and it will kill your low end torque. everything else just swaps right over from your old motor. you will need a new oil pan to .

late

 

Thanks Kemical
Thats it tho? the only problem encountered swapping from efi to carb, from ho to non and from car to truck is the lack of low end torque? Wow. I guess I can just pick up a mustang bumpstick to put in for a little more grunt then.
If anyone else has any more info/hints they would be greatly appreciated.

 

Oh and one more question...can I just use the oilpan from the truck on the ho engine? If not, which ones will fit the engine when it is in the truck?

 

Yes. you will also need to use the timing cover from your older motor to i believe. Basicly use everything off of your old motor onto the ho motor. Call comp cams they can line you up with a good cam.

 

What about the ignition? People on corral.net seem to think that using the stock distributor already in the h/o engine wont work with carb because of vaccum advance or whatever. They say to convert to duraspark II and use a dist. from an 85 gt. Does my truck already have the duraspark II? And would the h/o dist. not be compatible with the rest of my truck's ign system?

Sorry about the stupid questions.

 

The EFI motors use a distributor called TFI. This distributor won't work on a carbed motor. However, The 85 Mustang 5.0 HO with the four barrel carb, used a duraspark distributor with a vacuum advance. The 85 Mustang distributor also has the correct hardened steel drive gear needed on an HO motor with the roller cam design. You can't use a regular duraspark distributor with a roller cam, because the drive gear won't hold up, and changing drive gears isn't pratical. So for a carbed HO, the 85 HO distributor, or an after market replacement for that application is called for. I believe the 85 Mustang distributor should work fine with your existing control box and coil.

The 85-95 HO 's used a special cam design that used roller lifters. This roller cam is actually excellant for low end tourqe. I wouldn't change cams at all. The stock HO cam is about as good as it gets for low end and midrange power. The roller cam design allows more agressive profiles that increase the RPM range without sacrificing low end tourqe or drivablity. The HO roller cam has a duration of 266*/266* (214*/214*@ .050 valve lift). Lift at the valve using 1.6 ratio rockers is .444/.444". As you can see the HO already has a cam that should work well in a light duty truck. Additionally you don't need to worry about getting the lifters, lifter retainers, pushrods, and rocker arms right, because of a cam change. Although when using the HO cam, you will need to rewire your distributor cap to the 351w firing order.

The Mustang 5.0 has a rear sump pick up oil pan design, different from the more common front sump on Fords. You will need to install the truck motors pick up tube on the new motor's oil pump and re-use the old motors oil pan.

 

thanks p51, thats exactly the info i was looking for. have you done a similar swap or do you just know your stuff?

 

Well I don't know that much compared to some, but as poor farm boy I had to do my own wrenching all my life. Iv'e had trucks with 460's, 351C's, 400's, Dodge 360's, and have learned to hate GM and Toyoda with a purple passion. I havn't done your particular 302 swap. I just helped my brother put an EFI 5.0 into a Jeep though. I have owned over the years, or still own the following 302 power vehicles:
85 Mustang GT with carb, 86 Mustang Gt with EFI, later swapped in a 93 Cobra motor(my brother had this one once and chopped the wiring harness in two with the fan. I spent two months sorting out the electronics, but now I know it like the back of my hand) 95 Cobra, 96 F150, and my mom had a 87 Crown Vic. The 85 mustang is my toy, so I Iave been through this motor about four times trying different combonations. It's not exactly stock.

I pull horse trailers quite a bit, so most of my "truck" experiance is with Ford F350 trucks and Dodge Cummins that don't use 302's, although I have found the 351w properly set up, is up to the task.