As some of you already saw this coming from my few posts questioning issues of squeezing in a 351 into a fox. I figured id make this the main posts. Personally I’m getting a lot of positive impute on throwing in the bigger 351. The only hard obstacle I see right now is the hood clearance as for the oil pan they sell a kit and the front assembly too.
Where I’m getting mixed opinions from is staying w/the EFI or going CARB. Knowing most of you on this forum I think most will say EFI but there is a difference in cost especially if I decide to up the heads and cam or even stroker it on a latter day. Gas mileage means nothing to me since the car is a weekend warrior. And a carburetor would look so nice under the hood. And it would make those hood scopes operational on the turbo hood but now im getting a hint that a carb 351 won’t clear either.
I'm in exactly the same boat and leaning exactly the same way, right down to the Chucky mounts :hick:. I've pretty much decided on going carbed with my 351 swap. I've only put 3k miles on the car in two years and it will never see winter driving again, so cold weather drivability and fuel economy aren't issues. Cost is, and the carb setup will be much, much cheaper than EFI. With a carb setup we're looking at a distributor, intake, fuel pump, cam and carb. With EFI we're still looking at a distributor, cam and fuel pump (stock pump and dizzy wouldn't be sufficient and stock truck cam would just be foolish), plus a very expensive intake, injectors, throttle body, MAF conversion, MAF computer, etc... The money I'd save over going EFI would pay for a set of TFS heads.
I also wonder about it clearing the stock hood, but if it won't clear the TC hood it should clear the stock flat hood as long as I use a reasonable intake and low profile air cleaner...
I've even considered making a custom air cleaner and connecting it to the hood scoops in a TC hood to make a ram air setup, but that would be way out in the future. Another idea I'd had was to cut a hole in a flat hood and use a 70's Trans Am shaker scoop/air cleaner assembly
On the day I went to look at Hillbilly Deluxe she had a carbed 351W in her. I can't give you a lot of details as I bought her without motor and tranny. I did manage to snap this pic of it and there was plenty of hood clearance to close the hood.
(http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/543325/fullsize/dscn3542d.jpg)
It can't be done.....You should sell me the motor:hick:
Thunder Chicken looks like me and you are going to be friends for a while now. You probably now this and saw this already but I found a good link for going from EFI to CARB. http://www.jason.fletcher.net/tech/efi-carb/efi-carb.htm
Paul no you cant have my motor actually I’m picking it up either Mon, Tues, or Wed from Lakewood JY It’s coming out of either a 94’bronco or a 97’p-up both not running but I’m rebuilding anyway
Thunder Chicken its funny you said "flat hood and use a 70's Trans Am shaker scoop/air cleaner assembly" cause I was thinking of using the flat hood and w/a high rise intake Carb and air cleaner sticking out like a circle track car or like sleeper car use to be like w/out the T/C hood. Shakers are assume.
Awesome?
I'm going to use a carb. With my Yates heads, running EFI would be very expensive. I have a very tall intake, but hope I can sit the motor low enough to clear the flat hood with a reasonable air cleaner.
i have a 351 in my 87 sport, with a victor jr intake manifold and a demon 825 carb, to use an air filter i need a hoodscoop or to cut the stock hood, without an airfilter or with the carb "hat" used for storage i can close the hood with no problems
I bought a 14" aircleaner(replica) for 67-69 camaro on ebay. It has a smooth dropped base and should allow a reasonable filter element and still be super-low-profile. You might try one.
I'm going to use an "airbox" and pull cold air from the cowl.
Just read some where that the 351 is 3 inches taller then the 302.
Starting to lose my patience w/the JY there again today and they still did not pull the motor I feel like pulling it my self. Though in there defense I do no them and they said they thought they had one aside for me and then they realized they sold it.
'Just read some where that the 351 is 3 inches taller then the 302."
Deck heighth on a 302 is 8.2", and the 351 9.2", so the vertical difference would be less than 1". But intake manifold choice will dictate actual hood clearance.
Maybe this link will help you out....http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod/engine.html
:birdsmily:
Haven’t updated lately but been busy sorry for that but for now my 351 project is on hold. Kinda annoyed I swear there’s 351 everywhere till I need one anyway time was going by to quick and the summer is almost over and I want to enjoy the car so I put the 302 back in the machine shop. Just got it back w/all the parts so maybe Monday ill do the reassembly.
I’m still going to do a few small tricks to it. And in the future I do plan on putting in a 351 Windsor motor possibly stroked. The more I think I’m probably better off doing it this way cause money should go other places in the car first. Like I might be buying a tranny, suspension, brake upgrades ect.
Im all for carbing the w engine. the extra height is built up in the block in combo with the upper intake to gain more than the 1'' short block difference.
THe hood will clear going carb,, you just have to make your own air clearner like you guys know.
the good part of going carb is you can leave your existing harness in tact incase you ever restore it back to the original motor. going w efi would defeat that in the long haul especially with cost.
now that you lost your tracking on the w,, you gonna stick with the 5.0 and do what?
I have been thinkin of instaolling the 5.8 as wel,but,I want to keep it EFI.It wouldn't take much to do the swap.By the time I'm ready,it'll have Mass Air,and I already have a good exhaust.All I need is a lower intake,headers,oil pan,and accessory brackets,and maybe a cam,depending on what I already have at that time..Unless I'm missing something.I would imagine that going carb would be a little cheaper,but I really like EFI.
Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum and it sure seems to be the place I need to be! I have an 88 T-Bird sport that I'm putting a 351-W into. I have been struggling with the choice of EFI or carb. I'm on a bit of a budget so I'm trying ti fugure out which is cheaper vs. which is easier to do. I originally wanted to go carb. but I wasn't sure how to deal with the fuel system (fuel lines, pump, etc.) and more so the computer (as in how to bypass it). It looks like a few of you have done this swap so some advice would be extremely helpful.
Carb is way cheaper and heres a good link to switch. http://www.jason.fletcher.net/tech/efi-carb/efi-carb.htm
here is my 87 with a 69 351 block and the t/c hood every thing fits great
Thanks for the info. Carb definitely looks like the much cheaper way to go. The car will be used primarily for drag racing so fuel milage is not a concern. One other question I have is where do you get subframe connectors for the T-Bird? Fox Mustang ones won't fit, will they?
they fit, just don't get the one's were they connect to the seats.
Bearmax looking real good underhood im jealous =D..i swapped the 351 in just never got to remove the wires and hoses in there its a mess,now i really want to start cleaning up now =p
BEARMAX was it hard to find an intake to fit that 351 69 block. There deck height is different then 70 or71 till present
But wasn't the deck only like .040" shorter? I doubt any intake would ever notice.
The difference is .023", surely nothing to get your panties in a wad about... IF you had heads that were cut more than .030, maybe...
Plus it was the '69 & '70 that had a shorter deck...
Putting a 351w in a Bird should be a piece of cake compared to a big block ...check out the install of my 460.
Stock TC hood...performer intake...1/2 phenolic spacer..14 x 3 Moroso air cleaner.
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s3/83-88T-BirdGuy/FrontofTCwhoodup.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s3/83-88T-BirdGuy/Elliottopofengineshot.jpg)
There's a surprising ammount of clearance to get at the plugs with the 460 in there.
Yes there is...almost easier than a small block.
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s3/83-88T-BirdGuy/Elliotw4602.jpg)
Hey bearmax, did you have any problems with the headers clearing everything? If not what kind are you running? Thanks!
:birdsmily:
big block, tasty... I need to learn more about a BB swap. Id love to have an EFI BB maybe sucking down a few lbs of pressure.