Ok, I have a 1990 ford f150 s/c short box with a 302 and aod trans.This old girl only has 134000 Kilos on it(not miles).I mainly use it to haul my boat and car trailer around.She runs and drives like a new truck but lacks a little power with the car trailer on loaded. I have 2 mountain passes to go over and the truck handles it ok I just don't push it hard ,but I know there is still more power to be had,so here is what i was thinking of doing.Cold air intake and switching to mass air,Gt 40 heads,long tube headers with true duals,shift kit in the trany for towing,3.73 gears and maybe a cam of some sort.I don't think a rv cam has enough for what I am doing. Any Thoughts?

 

I'll give you my free advice, since you paid for it.

Mass Air and Cold Air Intake: Yes to both. I am not a fan of the speed density system used stock on those trucks; it isn't as good at metering air/fuel requirements as a mass air system.

Headers: Make certain that you get a good set that are made for RV/towing applications. I would look into Thorley Tri-y's myself, but smaller tube 4 into 1 headers will work just as well, with a properly sized dual exhaust.

GT 40 heads: Pass on these. They are more performance oriented than RV/truck oriented. If the stock heads are good, you're good to go. If you do go with an RV cam, I would recommend a rebuild of the stock heads with mild bowl work and port cleaning. This will do as much as you need in this application.

Cam: A good RV cam is about what the stock cam is. If you are looking at RV cams, look at something like the Comp Cams 252H or 260H; no more than about 195 to 200 degrees duration at .050" lift. Personally, I would stay with the stock setup, as camshaft swaps are a PITA with the engine in the vehicle.

Gears: Here is where you can get some good 'bang for the buck'. What I would recommend here is to go with a a gear that is equal to the tire diameter divided by 7 to 7.25 to get better torque multiplication for towing. For example, with 30" tires, you would be looking at a 4.10:1 gear.

Transmission: I tend to steer clear of shift kits, as I have seen problems occur with these , especially on 'used' transmissions. They are best left done as part of a 'thorough' rebuild. What I do recommend is a good auxillary transmission cooler, preferrably one with its own electric fan. I also recommend a transmission temperature gauge in the outlet line as close to the torque converter outlet as possible, so that you are reading the hottest fluid temperature in the transmission. Try to keep this temperature in the 175 degree range.

The 5.0 litre/302 can be a decent towing engine. It is definitely not blessed with low end torque like a 5.8 litre/351 or the 7.5 litre/460, but with the right gearing and help, it can do an admirable job.

I am sorry for the long post, but I hope this information helps.

 

Bottom line - all your mods should have increased torque in mind, not horsepower.

 

Thanks for the info guys.I have the headers,cold air intake and mass air conversion ready to go.I am not sure if I want to go with 2.25 or 2.50 exhaust.Iknow the truck heads are better than stock heads.But with some of the pulling I do wouldn't the gt 40 heads give me a little more flow underload.When I am pulling up the mountain passes,I put the truck in 1st or second which ever it is comfortable with and try to keep it at 3000 rpm or a little less.If I use one of the cams mentioned and the gt40 heads with 2.25 pipes,wouldn't this combo give me more pulling power(torque)Than say the stock heads with the cam and pipes?Now here is the kicker guys,I have a 351 windsor that has a complete rebuild,030over,flatops,e7e heads rv cam,3000.kilos on it.I bought it in a project car but when you close the eng hood with the carb and aircleaner on it you can"t shut the hood due to the 351's deck height and I really don't want to punch a hole in it.(1984 mercury capri hoods are hard to find)I also have another 351w(core)that came out of a 1992 f150 with all the brackets(see where I am going with this)I am tossing the idea around about installing the 351 in the truck and the 302 out of the truck into the capri and installing the gt40 heads on it with a slight bump stick. Ideas,thouhts,opinions?what do you think?

 

How much work are you willing to do?

Personally, the 351W in the truck would be a no brainer for me, the extra 1/2" of stroke will help in torque output (just like the 4.6 vs 5.4 Tritons). And the 302 in the Capri would work fine.

As for building the 351W, I think you are on the right track with it so far, just keep on this track and you will be fine.

It would be a lot of work doing the engine swaps, but it just might be worth it to get the extra torque for towing.

 

Mr.Bill,The 351w has all ready been built and was installed in the capri,after it was broke in.My question was,with what has been done to the 351w,would this setup give me what I am looking for? The only thing I would have to get for the swap is the 351w headers for the truck.The young fellow that I bought the capri from had ordered the headers for the 351 into a fox body.They are bbk long tubes.Sure would be nice if I could use them on the truck

 

I would have to see what camshaft is in the 351W before I could tell if it would be a torque build or horsepower engine build. Usually, a 351W in a Mustang/Capri of that era is a horsepower buildup, as you don't need the low end torque to pull a light Mustang like you would a pickup.

 

Sorry Guys,My computer crashed.Mr Bill,The eng in the capri is not original,it came with a 3.8 V6.The young fellow who had it before me had a 351 windsor rebuilt and started to install it into the capri when he smashed up the car he had installed the 351 originaly.He told me the eng was bored 30 over rebuiltE7E heads and a rv cam installed.I am now thinking of installing this eng into my truck.As it will have more torque than the 302 and will not be working as hard.He told me the eng ran smooth with no lobe at an Idle.So as of now It looks like the truck gets the 351w and the capri gets the old truck motor.I will be installing long tube headers and true dual exhausts.What would you guys see as a good pipe size for this eng. 2.25 or 2.50.

 

Go with 2.25" exhaust pipes, an X pipe if practical, otherwise an H pipe, and Magnaflow mufflers (part # 11215), with exits after the axle. This would help in the torque department very well, and sound great IMHO. Good luck with this project.