1974 Ford F100 EFI 302 swap/build
 

I'm starting a thread to show my swap/build on my 1974 Ford F100. I recently purchased it and decided to update the truck and put a newer motor in it so that it is more reliable and efficient.

How it looked when I first got it.
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...0829001644.jpg

Here is how it looks after I cleaned it up and put some rims and tires on it that I obtained for cheap.
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...llofthe20s.jpg

Here is the donor car I am pulling the motor out of.
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...rdDonorCar.jpg

The donor motor in the car.
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...EngineBay2.jpg

Donor motor on the stand, startin a tear down.
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...eTearDown1.jpg


Here are some more pics...
1974 Ford F100 The Beast 2 pictures by bjsiebert0309 - Photobucket


I just pulled the heads off. Not going to do anything real special with it right away but want to clean the motor up, paint it, and put new gaskets in it at least.

Would love to do GT40 heads, intake and a cam but the budget isnt there and would like to get the motor in it and find out just how strong this one is before I throw more air at it.

Here is a list of what I want to do.
- convert motor from speed density to mass air, need to buy sensor and A9L computer from mustang.
- paint motor so that it is pretty.
- tuck wires under inner fender so it looks like a clean install.
- buy new timing cover since I cracked the original cover.
- paint engine bay in truck.
- put AOD from TBird in, figure out shifter issues.
- figure out how to convert the gas pedal to cable.
(I'm sure my list is longer, I'll add to it later.)

Well if anyone has any insights and wants to help out with some info that would be great! Enjoy!

I would suggest trying to find the fuel rails from a truck. They will come out of the back of the engine versus the front passenger side that the car has. Makes for an easier install IMHO.
I figured out my gas pedal and it works just fine. I didn't have time to take any pictures of it today but I will when I get home on Thursday so you can see what I did.
For the shifter, I used the stock column shifter when I put in the AOD but it needs to be extended about 3 inches. You could cut the current rod and weld an extension in or do like I did and just attached a 3 inch extension of flat bar stock onto the end of the rod then bolted it up. Works fine.
I use the Lokar TV cable. Installation is pretty straight forward and adjusting it is pretty simple. I haven't had any problem with it.

gas pedal mods for efi
 

Here is a picture of how I modified my gas pedal to get it to work with the efi cable. If you have any questions feel free to give me a holler.

Mark

http://streetslammer.poisonoilracing.../pedal1-sm.jpg

Good luck with your swap. I agree that you might get more efficiency out of the fuel injection, but I wouldn't exactly expect it to be any more reliable. There is something to be said for the inherent simplicity of the stock carb setup. Troubleshooting it does go back to the very basics, air, fuel, and spark.

Awesome pic. That will help for sure. Thanks Poison.

I think I may have worded it wrongly when I mentioned reliability. I agree that a carb may be more simple, but in my mind, with my experience I'm lost when it comes to rebuilding/tuning and dealing with a carb. I feel much more comfortable working on a automobile that has a ECU and 8 fuel injectors. :) I believe its just a generational difference that is coming about in recent years with younger persons working on cars that don't have a carb on them from the factory.

I do live in Duluth, MN where it gets nasty cold and in my experience (which is very little) a fuel injected vehicle is much easier to deal with in the respects of starting and running when it is real cold.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of advantages of fuel injection. I have toyed with the idea of putting a Holley Commander system on my truck. So far such a system has not been in the budget, and I keep coming back to the simplicity.

I have a 1992 Corvette which I have the capability to data log and tune the ECM and it is amazing what you can do. With all the proper tools troubleshooting is fairly straightforward, bust still maybe not as easy as the truck.

Carbs are a dying art, but properly set up and tuned, they aren't a whole lot of trouble in cold weather either. The choke on mine gave me fits until I figured out that it wasn't just an electric choke, rather it was an electrically assisted hot air choke and the hot air part was missing! I reconnected that and now it's ALMOST as good as fuel injection in cold weather. I just haven't had time and cold weather required to do the final tweaking. Granted my cold weather probably doesn't get as cold as your cold weather.

As I said before, good luck. Just do yourself a favor and do it right. I've seen many a fuel injection / engine swaps that are so hacked together that they have SES lights and don't run worth a crap. In that case what have you really gained?

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...1125001842.jpg

Picture of the motor as it stands after tonight. Tomorrow I will have the valve covers and upper intake manifold back from my work. I'm painting theses parts the same color as the exterior of the truck. Hopefully I can get some pictures up tomorrow night!

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...h_IMG_0213.jpg

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...h_IMG_0211.jpg

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...h_IMG_0212.jpg

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...h_IMG_0209.jpg

Painted the valve covers and intake manifold today. still unsure about the gold lower. Any suggestions? I'm hoping that when I get the fuel rails etc. on its not so bold looking. I have to do a bit of wet sanding now as I put a shirt over the valve covers and manifold for the drive home and I guess the clear hadn't set fully.... oh well.

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...1204002252.jpg

A picture for progress tonight. I took the bumper and grill off. I was VERY surprised as I broke NO bolts and rust was very minimal. Unheard of for living in Minnesota. started assembling water tube and bolted lower intake down. Cleaned up and painted my oil pan, I may have to buy a new one of these. Good to have progress!

For the cable swap on my truck when i did the IDI swap i made a connector on the end of the stock gas pedal link that allowed for a cotter pin to hold the cable in... a tad backyard, but cheap simple and easy. Hasnt let me down so far.

Thanks for the idea!

I like the project. Eventually I either want to convert the 302 in my to EFI or throw in a modular. I definatley think your on the right track with going the mass air and AOD route.

I'd paint that intake silver or aluminum color.;)

At first I thought the exact same thing, I really wanted to repaint it aluminum but my mind has changed. I got the fuel rail and water pipe along with all the bolts on, which are semi-flat black and it breaks it up just enough so that it doesn't stick out as much as those pictures make it look. Thanks for the input though, but I am keeping it gold!

I actually kinda like the metallic green, not so much on the gold. Have to see it when it's all put together. Gotta look better than it did regardless right?

I have got the truck fuel rail. if you want i will sell it to you for like $10 + shipping. So like $15 or how ever much it would be.

But any way cool build.:-X22 I converted my truck from efi to carb. But it is always cool to see stuff like this.