How much stuff and what kinda stuff can you name/list that you can add to these 5.8L egines to raise the hp/tq numbers? What about the 302's or should you not bother and get the 5.8L? Im used to a truck with 275hp/350tq and these 5.8L are only pushing 210hp/315tq with no miles.

 

Get an Edelbrock upper/ lower truck intake, afr 165 heads, cam....your choice, and you will get a real nice power increase. If thats not enough add a supercharger. Or be like one of my friends and hook up a T-76 turbo and run 15psi My friends Lightning absolutely flies iwth that turbo and the time for it to spool up is not existant, hit the gas and bam, instant 15psi and the bakc end is all sideways across the street.

 

Thanks for the reply. What else since im new to these ford motors. I need a list of things then I can research.

 

Lets start here... What year is it?
Is it speed density or mass air?
How much power do you want out of it?
How much do you want to spend?

 

Add to those starting questions these, too:

How many miles are on said engine?
What kind of tranny and rear gears do you have or want?
What type of use will this truck see?



The 302 and the 351 are both good engines, and can be tailored to your needs. It just helps to know what those needs will be.

 

Yeah, it would definitely be helpful if you stated your plans/needs for the truck, i.e. do you plan on street/drag racing, towing/hauling, off-roading, general commuting but need extra passing and recreational power, or maybe some combination of the above mentioned? This will determine whether you want to build your engine for low end, mid range, or top end power, or at least what you want to emphasize, also the appropriate gear ratio and tranny build-up recipe.

At any rate, I would say that if you have a 2wd and use it as a daily driver, then I would go with the 302 because of its superior fuel mileage and plethora of aftermarket parts for increased horsepower. If you plan on towing/hauling, or if you have a 4x4 and plan on lifting your truck, or you just want to go all out, then I would go with the 351 for its superior torque and block strength.

Just my .02.

 

Ya know, TF, that really is a sharp looking truck you've got there. Very nice.

 

Thanks PKRWUD!

 

ok basically I just want it to have as much power as my current truck which is almost not enough. My current truck pushes about 280hp/350ft/lbs torque. The truck is going to be used 80% around town 20% offroad and gas mileage is not an issue I get 9-10mpg now.

Ok to solve the main question which is more mod friendly speed dens or mass air? If im correct mass air was offered after 1994?


All I really want is a list of things that these trucks can have done to them so I can look into everything for example: intake, aftermarket mass air sensor, headers, ignition, rockers, cam etc..I dont want to go supercharged or nitrous either.

 

First of all, ignore manufacturers HP numbers. They are meaningless and may or may not reflect anything seen on the dyno. They are driven by marketing and politics not by reality.

Since you're looking at an F150 with a 351, you are also looking at an E4OD tranny. The E4OD underwent its last major upgrade in 1995, so 95 and 96 trucks are much more desirable than earlier years with this tranny. MAF is much more modification-friendly than S/D but you can do WAY more than most people think wuith an S/D system. In 96 you also get OBD-II diagnostics, which are not at all mod-friendly. Your best bet is a 95, one with MAF if they exist, one with S/D if they don't. I really don't know when 351s changed over but I think it was 96.

 

Just out of curiosity, what kind of truck do you have right now ProjectF150? I'm trying to think of a truck that comes stock with 280 hp and 350 tq and nothing comes to mind right now. Are these estimated power numbers or do you run your truck on a dyno? These are pretty good power numbes, but if you got a 351 with the right mods, you can definitely exceed these numbers.

If I were you, I would start with a 351 and I would go with the Edelbrock Power Package. This includes aluminum heads, truck intake manifold, tubular exhaust system, larger throttle body (which I think is unnecesary unless you plan to race or absolutely need top end power) and a beefier camshaft. Edelbrock claims a rwtq gain of 83 ft/lbs. with this package. The best part is, these mods. are 50 state street legal. There are also free flowing air filters from K&N, underdrive pulleys from March, ignition upgrades from MSD, exhaust systems that any local muffler shop could tell you about, and depending on which state you live in could heavily influence what you go with. A good site to get you started would be www.troyerperformance.com. They have a list of mods. for each area and will tell you for which engines/years they are compatible. These are the basic bolt-ons. Hope this helps.

 

Come to think of it, the lightnings werent rated that high. 240 hp ans 340 tq.