Hi everyone, I am a long time reader first time writter. However I have a pretty complex question and am hoping for some help.

Here is the situation: I have a 90' F150 5spd w/5.0 302ci, I frequently pull my 19' travel trailer up Parley's Canyon, one of the biggest and steepest climbs in the state, and it does ok, about 30mph up most of the steep stuff and about 60mph on flatter parts.

I am looking for a bit more of a punch when pulling my trailer and going up to hit the slopes. I am interested in doing an engine swap. I would love to swap in a fuel injected 460ci. Now I don't know much about the 460ci but I would like to know what all would be involved..... tranny, computer, transfer case? Price is not really a huge concern as I have been planning on doing something major and have saved some money.

I need alot more power that's why I think of a 460ci swap but, what is your opinions on rebuilding my 302ci and put in some hi-performance parts (ie. cam, heads, headers) vs. the swapping in of another bigger engine?

 

well i believe that if youre gonna go for the 460 you will need the engine computer tranny harnesses sensors and you will also probably need to stiffen up the front suspension so it can hold the extra weight of the 460. for tranny your best bet for towing would probably be a c6 (someone correct me if im wrong). i have no idea how much this project will cost but you might also want to consider looking for another truck wth better towing capabilities. just a thought...good luck with the project!

 

Well unless your engine had MAF instead of SD you aren't gonna be able to do cams, heads etc because the computer won't handle the changes .

The easiest way to 50% more power would be a Kennebell Blower

Cost about $3800 plus installation

 

A big block swap will end up costing more money, but might be worth it in your case. Then again, you could probably sell your truck and get a comparable PowerStroke for the amount the conversion would cost.

Another consideration besides the 302 build would be to find a 351 to mod. Unless you're really looking for huge power gains I would say stick with a 302 and grab some extra power from mods. Even with mild and inexpensive mods, you could get upwards of 100 HP over what you have now. As an example, GT-40 iron heads (Explorer heads), a good cam and custom chip will net around 260-270 at the crank. I'm not sure of the rating on your '90, but that would be a gain of 50-60 HP over my '95 rating.

As for the speed density issue that UncBob mentioned, there is a fairly cheap way around that as well. From lurking on the NLOC boards I have learned about the EEC tuner, quite a tool. Guys are running blowers and big cams on SD! You might have to swap to a supported computer, but these can be had for cheap at the junk yards.