i'm wondering how much work, time and difficulty of a 460 swap would be. it'd would be in my 91 f150 swapping out the 302 efi. i got a friend whose got one lying around and we got on that subject, so i'm just curious. Would it bolt up to the 4 speed with no problems or would i have to place in a different tranny? It's just a thought at the moment, and depending on the replys, maybe a reality..

you guys are awesome, thanks in advance

 

tranny bellhousing wont work. but the motor should bolt right in there with the 460 motor mounts. 302 and 460 have different air induction hoses. brackets, exhaust manifolds and exhaust y pipe are different. and much more.

 

so it's going to be more than just a simple swap, what about electrical? it's just a "what if" kind of situation. the 302 is doing me good, i just want some more power. if you guys have any suggestions of a better swap, or recommended parts for the 302. or if i should just go find a truck already with a 351 or 460 already in it.

 

well you can build up a 302 no dought but it'll take some money. you can cam it up a bit. you can set the timing to 16* as long as you use 91 or 93 octane fuel or whatever the highest you have is. hell, you can make it stroker motor if you want. you could do a chip but i wouldnt recommend it because mine has one and all i noticed was firmer shifts and smoother running. cai, and exhaust, swap the tranny with a 5 spd. and get a set of 4.10 gears. i really dont know where to start for the mods you can do, but if its just more power you want then i'd find a truck with a 351 in it. that way fuel mileage will be about the same as your getting and you'd have all the power you'll ever need. plus that 4 spd has to be killing some of your mpg and speeds. i'd find one thats automatic or 5 spd. i guess i should ask what kind of power your looking for? are you looking for just faster acceleration or pulling power or muscle car power? or do you just want it for the hell of it?

 

hey Matt,my 87 5.0 shifts like it's trying to break my neck!!I like the firmness,but how can I tell if there is a chip installed?To me it seems like there IS one,just because of the shift and the gears have been changed...I can't imagine the guy would've gone that far without a chip!Thanks!

 

the chip doesnt make a very big difference. i dont even know why i got one, i just had the money laying around so i decided i wanted to mess with my truck and just got one. but if you take a 13mm or 1/2" socket and ratchet and take out the 3 bolts holding the kick panel with the ebrake on it. you can access the back of the computer which is where the chip plugs in. it'll be easy to spot if you have one. it sounds like you either need a new tranny or a flush. unless you have a shift kit in it.

 

how much should a nice 5 speed run for that would bolt up to the 302? i'm wanting some decent power in the truck. i might go with a 351 swap then, save some gas =p, but give me some estimates on a 351, or a 5 speed manual tranny with some parts for a 302. i don't want to over pay for some parts that could be cheap

 

you can pick up a 5spd from a junk yard for a fair price. you can either stick it right in the truck or rebuild it first. a 351 will bolt right in but the y pipe for the exhaust and the brackets for the pumps and compressor and alt. are different and you'll need to find a pcm for it. i was going to do a lightning 5.8 in my truck but then the machine shop told me i would have to change up a few things whether its the lightning 5.8 or regular 5.8. so i got a jasper stage one 5.0 with a slightly bigger cam. other than that it should work. and you can still get a 5spd for it if you want. but if you want to keep the 302, just get a 5 spd and put 4.10 gears in the differential(s). fuel mileage will be better and you'll have alot more torque.

 

i'll take your idea on keeping the 302 and swapping a 5 spd in it with the 4.10 gears. i shouldn't rip my truck apart just yet for a new motor. and i miss driving stick [had a 93 subaru loyale.. funnest little thing to drive, yet way too underpowered]

 

"Subaru" and "underpowered" just go together. Their 2.5 flat motor just doesn't work for anything more than a small car, and I know older ones were even worse. Justy anyone? The original gutless CVT.

Anyway, you'll find a lot more mods/parts for the 302 since it was the main Mustang motor for quite a while.

The 351 is a lot "slower" motor than the 302, more suited to truck use whereas the 302 is better for performance. It's happiest right around 2-2500 RPM, wheras you have to wind the 302 up a lot more to get anything out of it, it's got nothing down low. I've never gotten my 351 past 4500 RPM, it's power just drops off past 4k anyway.

You have to decide if you want to make your current truck a "project" to swap in a 5spd and a taller axle and juice up the motor, or just find another truck with a 351. Talk to some junkyards and cruise the want-ads to figure out the price of "upgrade" versus a whole truck swap and decide if the difference is worth the time.

 

well right now, i'm thinking about buying a 88 f150 with a 300 with a 5 speed and combining the two. would the 5 speed bolt up to the 302, or would building up the 300 be smarter? i haven't bought the other truck yet, and it is just a thought. the 88 is a long bed reg cab with 4wd. rust on the doors and thats it. give me your thoughts on this idea..