I need some opinions. See inside.....

[squeak93]

I am purchasing a 74 351 windsor from a good trusted friend for 125 only missing the carb (he bought an 03 mach 1 and no longer has a use for it). I have done a ton of searching here and other sites that were linked to in my seached (been reading for the past 4 or 5 nights at home and work)

My questions are:

The motor is obviously carbed right now, my 92 (virgin car) is obviously FI. My main problem is that if I build this motor they way I want it, it will take a few grand and a year to do so. What I want to know is, can I use my stock 19's with maf and throttle body and upgrade over time as money allows or should I take the cheaper route and go carbed. This is my second car, so reliability is not such an issue. (I know a well set up carb can be just as reliable as FI) But humor me. I have read as many tech as I can shake a stick at right now and am thoroughly confused right now. I was going to go carbed and switch the motor over to roller cam. But now I am thinking a nice flat tappet with fuel inj is the way to go for overall cost to get it in the car running. (I know I need some conversion parts but those are needed no matter which way I go, so we'll forget about that cost for now)

I know in the long run the fi is going to cost more but then again be ten times more reliable than even the best of carb set ups. Plus its kick arse to have a fi 351w in a fox. I am much more familar with fi than carbs but have a ton a knowledgable people a phone call away. (tons of good mustang guys around here).

What I need is opinions, I am on the line going either way right now and need some input to sell me either way.

What I need is ruff guestimates on which one is the cheapest to get going.
Keep in mind the bottom end will be rebuilt either way, so that is not part of my concern. I need to know which is more realistic. I am pretty good with a wrench and more than capable of the swap and build on my own (never done my own yet but have helped put together and 11 sec 351 not so long ago) So I have knowledge but need opinions. Please no flaming, as I have searched the chit out of this and other forums trying to find the persuasion to go either way.


I want to get this motor in the car for 1500, that will have to include the swap parts, most can be found in local bone yards and we have a Mustang only yard here as well, (missouri mustang, free plug) I know fi, I will have to buy upper and lower intakes and a new dizzy for the 351. Can the stock 5.0 fi stuff work for now? I know its going to need bigger injectors, maf and such. But for now I will just port the e7's off of my 5.0 (unless the 74 heads are better ).

But with carbed, I just need a carb, lower and dizzy. Buy those right the first time and they are bought. but there is the whole switching fuel pumps, lines and all that junk, not to mention hacking up the factory harness.

Sorry this is long but any input is needed plz.

(I'm kinda tired so sorry if this reads out of order or funny, tried to proof read it but, well, I'm tired)

I have also been told by a trusted friend that I dont have to buy the conversion roller lifters (that are like 450 or so) but can instead take the spyder valley (or what ever its called) out of my 302 and drill and tap it into my 351. I would assume this is true but how relaible is it and is it something for the average joe who knows how to use tools? Too many questions too little time.

 

[5.0ina66]

You can't go roller in that 351W block without buying all the conversion stuff, which is over 1k and really not worth it IMO. The lifter bores are too short to put in stock 5.0L stuff like your buddy suggested. There are 2 ways to do a roller conversion, use conversion lifters and a 5.0 cam or 5.0 lifters and spyder and a reduced base circle cam.

Who says a carb ain't reliable? Anyway, I'd probably got carb at least at first to keep it simple, because 351W EFI lowers are f*** expensive (the truck ones won't work which means you gotta buy a Trickflow or ect.)

As for the heads, I'd use the 351W heads, I've got '75 351W heads for my 5.0 and they are just as good as the earlier 351W heads with the exception of the huge ass smog bump in the exhaust. As long as you want to port them yourself and they don't need a lot of work, go for it! You can have nice heads for $600 or so this way!
HTH

 

[squeak93]

Anyone have some suggestions on cam choices or brands..... I'm not to familar with tappet cams.


Also, is there any cars other than carb'd mustangs that I can sourse extra parts like the fuel tank pu and other small chit that seems to nickel and dime u to death?

 

[squeak93]

opinions please, not too much first hand info doing a seach for carb'd 351w's.

 

[408gt91]

you can go carb like 5.0 said or go efi and just use a flat tappet cam that has the firing order of the fuel injection.thats what i did before with a mexican block.its really a matter of time and money.

 

[squeak93]

Got the block # its d4ae605

That means its a 74 correct?? D meaning 70's, 4 obviously for 74.

What does that mean for the heads? Good, bad or just ok??

 

[5.0ina66]

The 74 heads are so-so stock, the smog bump is fuggin huge, and the combustion chambers might be big (I haven't CC'ed mine and I can't find any good info), but when ported they will beat up on aluminum heads.

 

[squeak93]

Did you replace the valves or leave them stock to keep the velocity up?

What type of rockers do u run? I'm a newbie to 351's but assuming most of the 5.0 stuff will bolt even to the old heads. Only question is do I run different type of rockers with at flat tappet compared to a roller cam? (keep the motor a flat tappet instead of converting)

 

[5.0ina66]

Did you replace the valves or leave them stock to keep the velocity up?

Bingo, IMO the 1.84/1.54" in the 351W heads are enough for the 351W
and perfect for a 302.

As for the rockers, roller and flat tappet can use the same. These heads are stud mounted rockers Vs. the pedestal mount on a 5.0. You have to convert these to screw in studs with a cam above .490 lift so it doesn't rip the studs out.

 

[squeak93]

That was my line of thinking as well.

On a side note, I finally got the motor on my engine stand at the shop and damn, those exhaust ports are BUMPY!!! Needs a lot of porting to flow well, but can already tell that there is a ton of material to work with.

The more I think about it, the more I know I made the correct choice!

(after all, $125 for everything minus the carb is a great deal)

 

[ryankenn]

you can go carb like 5.0 said or go efi and just use a flat tappet cam that has the firing order of the fuel injection.thats what i did before with a mexican block.its really a matter of time and money.

Is there a particular way to tell if it has that firing order? Going to Crane's website and following the product links to a 74 351W gives a huge list, none of which seems to indicate the firing order.

I'm watching cams on Ebay right now for 351W's and have no idea what the firing order is. I assume the bulk are setup for the original carbed setup.

 

[squeak93]

As far as I know, 69 and up 351's have the same firing order as HO 5.0's. Its the non HO 5.0 blocks that are different.

Might want someone else to back that up though.

 

[ryan218]

do you plan on a power adder? supercharger or a turbo? if so go efi....

 

[squeak93]

Plan only a shot of the funny stuff later on down the road once n/a gets old. Don't really want to put a blower on and get into driveablility problems. The main reason that I'm switching to carb is most of my sensors are shot, the wiring has been hacked by others in the past and its cheaper overall anyway. trying to see the 11's all motor as cheap as possible.