351 swap decision

[viridionplague]

so ive been thinking about doing the 351 swap, i know what parts are needed and things like that but ive been wondering a few things

ive been looking around for short blocks, originaly i was gonna save up and get a nice DSS short block but those run around 3500 alot not to mention the other parts to do the swap

i also found TRE performance, they sell a 357 block for just over 1000 bucks http://treperformance.com/Block/Ford357w.html
and a 408 for around 2500 http://treperformance.com/Block/Ford408w.html,

anyone have any feedback anout these guys?

2nd thing i was wondering is if it would be a good idea to keep the cost low and getting the swap done and working the kinks out, then saving up money and doing a high end engine build, or spending more but only doing it once by getting the stroker kit and stuff now

the thing is that the stroker kit runs around 1500 buck extra

another option would be to find a used 351w engine and have it rebuilt by my shop maybe cheaper?

im probably gonna be running my stock cobra heads for a while and i think thats gonna be the biggest bottle neck

as far as i can tell the cheapest i can get the swap done is around 3000 but what kind of power can i expect from keeping it a 357

guess i dont know, help please, lol

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

Shopping/opinion thread. Moved to Talk.

 

[BlackVert]

since you are on a budget and keeping the stock cobra heads, i'd say do this:

- get a jy 351. there has to be a local jy with at least one car/truck/van that has a 351
- buy my intake for it (eddy lower, typhoon upper). i'll sell it cheap
- call comp and tell them what you are doing and ask for a cam
- - probably something like a xe-262
- get that into the car. the nickel and dime stuff will eat through the budget pretty fast

at that point, you'll have great low end torque, but it will suffer on the top end. probably take a nose dive at about 4500 rpm. then start saving again for better heads and intake. you may even decide you don't need to stroke it.

 

[sn-95matt5-0]

theres an eddy performer set on corral right now for around 300 i think. it has the truck lower and the performer upper.

i bought mine as a complete 351w from a e-series van for $400 intake to oil pan. i took it to a machine shop that was recommended by several people at the dragstrip and for about a 1000 he bought all my bearings, pistons, gaskets, oil pump, timing chain, arp rod bolts, he machined the stock rods, crank, bored the block over, vatted it and balanced and assembled the whole short block for me.

so in my shortblock i have about 1400 in it so far.

i also bought a ford racing swap oil pan, tci flexplate, and ford racing 28oz balancer(i had to get one for balancing and it was the cheapest one i saw), i'm running a lightning maf and 39 lbs injectors(thanks punisher302) and a comps XE282HR-12 cam (thanks blackvert) and if my deal goes through after the holidays i will be running ford racing sportsman heads, and probably a victor jr intake. most of my decision have been influenced by my budget.

 

[sn-95matt5-0]

nvm about that performer intake it just sold, i keep an open eye on corral and i see alot of very good deals there

 

[viridionplague]

1400 but its just a rebuild 351 and you can get the shortblock from tre for 1000

 

[sn-95matt5-0]

i know but it was one of those things that just ended up being that much. i bought motor planning to stroke it. money went short and i couldn't afford the stroker kit. so i did the best i could do with parts i already had. i really spent most of my money towards the machine work and labor i got 500 in actual parts and then about 500 in the labor.

 

[viridionplague]

i see what your saying, did some looking on ebay for just a used 351 engine and found this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD...emQQcategoryZ33615QQihZ006QQitemZ160190265464

only thing is i think its for a carb, anyone know how hard to setup EFI would be?

 

[Guero]

i see what your saying, did some looking on ebay for just a used 351 engine and found this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD...emQQcategoryZ33615QQihZ006QQitemZ160190265464

only thing is i think its for a carb, anyone know how hard to setup EFI would be?

All you would have to do is put an EFI intake and bolt on all your EFI stuff to it....

 

[parchisi]

All you would have to do is put an EFI intake and bolt on all your EFI stuff to it....

Yup. The only real difference is the intake. Everything else should bolt up. never messed with a carbed engine, but there may be soemthing with a fuel pump eccentric? I dunno, but just use the timing cover off of your 5.0

 

[viridionplague]

well if thats it, good deal, ill just get a diffrent intake and bolt the EFI stuff on

anyone think 3500 bucks for a 400hp engine is a bad deal to my door?

i know the cobra is rated at 240 so although ill probably redo most of the stuff in the future at least ill have everything in place instead of undertaking everything at the same time

kind of a low cost bug check now, then go for the real power later aka 600+

 

[sn-95matt5-0]

i didnt see on there where it said wat kind of heads that motor had.

did i just miss it or do they say?

 

[viridionplague]

it dosent say, so i would assume they are either stock rebuilt heads or slightly ported or something