In keeping with the coolant leak prob i spoke of in another thread and the fact that my '97 F150 currently is destined to be an "off- road only" truck ( i have an '05 F150 daily driver), --- does anyone know any details of whether an old-tech engine can be swapped into these? Say a 302 or 351, or even a 460? I know anything is possible if you want to change every single thing on the truck, but i was wanting a relatively easy swap and did not know if the current transmission/transfer case could be used and if the bolt patterns on the bellhousing would even match some of those older powerplants . Mine is a 5 speed with a manual Tcase.


This would be a theoretical alternative to just replacing the 4.6, which costs 1500 at a local pickup salvage place, plus $700.00 to have someone install it who can plug and unplug wires better than me.

The inspection laws in my state are non-existent and , as i mentioned, this would be an off-road use vehicle primarily (hunting and going to the sand dunes)

I am also not wholly interested in this swap as a money saving endeavor, because i know that building a quality Ford small or big block eats up more money than a comparably built Chevy ----- but i was hoping this would give me a better foundation than putting in someone's junkyard motor of undetermined internal condition

 

Howdy and welcome!

Your 4.6L M5OD tranny will only bolt to another mod motor, so a 302 or 351w would need a different tranny, and a 460 motor would need a 460 tranny as it has a different bell housing yet.

If you are wanting to keep a stick, and go with a carb, I'd just see it as fabbing some mounts, exhaust, a fuel system, and some simple wiring. Would have to make a gauge cluster too. Obviously easier said than done, but nothin' a shadetree couldn't handle. Next step up would be a EFI system install from a late 80s, early 90s donor truck.

Now strap yerself in tight for the volley of "omg, why would you go old school pushrods. OHC forever..." posts. So I'll just slip in, pushrods and handshakers forever.

Adrianspeeder

 

adrian ill take
push rod > ohc for speed and perfomance
and ohc > push rod for daily driving (reliablity) and general power (towing/working)

 

There was a 97 - 03 F-150 reg cab short bed that had a 514ci big block swapped into it, along with a C-6. Physically, it will fit, but will take a lot of wiring to get everything to work like it did from the factory.