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Engine Options - The F Word!

scottystills

scottystills

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jun 7, 2009
Posts
376
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Location
Calgary, AB
Well completely not K5 related, but I've come to trust the opinions of the K5 family, so here goes. Don't roast me! :D

Spent the last couple years helping a buddy of mine rebuild a 68 Bronco. 289/C4/D20, all rebuilt, now has a 9" upgraded locked rear and a D44 front. All that damn F$@# stuff has really hurt my head in between better projects on my buddies' Chevs.

Long story short, drowned his engine and tranny. C4 is toast and the 289 has some pretty crazy noise coming out of it. There maaaay have been a little "nah it's not that deep" coming from me, but that's neither here nor there.

Between the group we've narrowed it down to three options to get him on the road again, and I thought you guys would have some good input considering you probably hate working on the f stuff as much as I do. Luckily we have a very good fabricator in the family, so gives us some flexibility.

Option 1 - 351W
As it happens buddy has a 351W and C6 sitting in his garage. Condition unknown. We've since stripped the engine and it's not bad. Needs a little machining, hone or small bore, turn the crank, bearings, pistons, etc. We'd already ordered everything we need to put it back together before we thought about it much more and they're waiting for pickup but we're trying to decide if we should return them and go another way.

Engine - Here, but parts total around $1200 (cam/timing set, dis, gaskets, intake, etc etc etc)
Machining - Estimated around $1000 for machining, pistons, and lower assembly (gets warranty)
Transmission - Unknown condition, est $1000 for rebuild of C6
Transfer case - Need to source round pattern ford 205, probably $300ish
Eventually TBI - $2000
Total without TBI - $3500
Total with TBI - $5500

Option 2 - New Chev 350 drivetrain

Engine - New crate 350, basic, $1500-2000
Intake and accessories - Very low est $500
Transmission - probably pick up a rebuilt th400 or 700r4, have core, $1000
Misc - $500 (fuel lines, odds and ends, steel, etc)
Transfer case - 205 probably, $300ish
Eventually TBI - $2000
Total without TBI - $3800-4300
Total with TBI - $5800-6300

Option 3 - Used Chev drivetrain
Proposed looking for a donor truck. A mid 90s half or 3/4 ton Chev that I can test drive that's running decent and has a tranny that doesn't need an immediate rebuild. Already has TBI that I just need to adapt the wiring in (lots of time on my part, but free). Obviously these numbers are fairly optimistic.
Truck - $1000-1500 (quite a few around at the moment)
Engine basic fresh - $500
Misc - $500
Total with TBI - $2000-2500

Which way would you guys go?

Here's the disaster of a truck and its owner. I know you guys like seeing the grill we're talking about!

 
All I saw was blah blah, then oh sweet bronco.

And then I thought, I want more pics of that sweet bronco.


Sweet bronco :thumb::popcorn:
 
Deuling said:
All I saw was blah blah, then oh sweet bronco.

And then I thought, I want more pics of that sweet bronco.
Click to expand...

Ha! You see sweet Bronco. In my mind all I can think of is where it came from. To give you a little history... I get a phone call from a buddy that he brought home a sweet 68 bronco for a project. I get all pumped, go to his house to check it out, and this is what I find.





All I could do not to beat him to death.
 
A few pics of the progress over the years to pique interest lol. I'm sure I have some of it done too, can't find them...











 
Other than that ther tar bein' backards, I got nuthin.
 
I actually like those old Bronco`s :thumb:

And I have to agree with Martin.

If it was me I would keep it a Ferd.
 
I agree with the EFI 5.0 conversion, that way you can keep it all pretty simple. Even going to a 351 from the 289 is a problems since the 351W has a taller deck and is both wider and taller than the 289/302. This means headers wont fit, pulleys and brackets will probably not be useable, distributor, intake etc etc all different. You can pick up a good running 302 EFI for around $1K or less, get a stand alone computer system and a fuel pump kit and you will probably have less than $3K all in.
 
Stroker 302.

I don't like the 351 idea. Those engine bays are small cooling has to be perfect for a 351 to work there's just not enough airflow in that engine bay.

Kinda of same thing with the C6 way bigger than the C4.

So I would find a mustang or Lincoln 302 injected already and rebuild the C4

Or an LS motor swap

I would not do the 351
 
5.0 Explorers should be littering the junkyards as well.

Martin
 
The only reason we're thinking both the 351W and the 350 SBC is because we have the 351 and it's in decent shape already. So if we're staying Ford that's what'll end up going in. The one we have though is carbed. If we go find another one, it's just introducing more cost and in that case might as well go Chev drivetrain because that's what we know. Our little crew consists of my K5 6.2, buddy's K1500 6.5, the damn Bronco, a Suburban 350, and a K30 454. There's a few Jeeps too, but Jeeps aren't trucks, so they don't count. Besides, moving him to Chev trans/tcase means we've already got a stockpile of parts.

Have a few better carbs than what was sitting on the 351 obviously, but EFI will be in its future if it end up going in.
 
Thinking more though, could always find an EFI 351 and pull the throttle body and electrics off it. Not knowing anything about the Ford systems though, might be a challenge for me (being the only electrics guy) to know whether I've got all the components or not. Will have to check some Ford forums to see what needs to come off.
 
max 02 said:
Didn`t see you are in Calgary till now.

Cool! Where do you guys go wheeling?
Click to expand...

Yessir!

Mostly Waiparous and Mclean Creek. Up by Rocky Mountain House and down to Oldman/Dutch Creek. Waiparous is easily my fav though. That first pic was out at Mclean last summer. Planning a run down to east WA this summer.

You ever make it a little south for wheeling? I keep meaning to PM Russel and go north but keep either running out of time or breaking my rig! Hopefully this summer though.
 
scottystills said:
Yessir!

Mostly Waiparous and Mclean Creek. Up by Rocky Mountain House and down to Oldman/Dutch Creek. Waiparous is easily my fav though. That first pic was out at Mclean last summer. Planning a run down to east WA this summer.

You ever make it a little south for wheeling? I keep meaning to PM Russel and go north but keep either running out of time or breaking my rig! Hopefully this summer though.
Click to expand...

Nice!
I haven't had anything worth wheeling for the last 14 years! :doah:
We are out Near Lacombe and are dairy farming, we got no good places to go out that are close to go and play even for a few hours and we just don't get much time to go and play. I miss going , but that's Ok!

You should get a hold of Russell for sure... great guy!

We have hosted a Ck5 party for the last 3 years at our farm on Septemper long weekend... not thinking it will work out for this year but if it does I'll pm you!
 
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