I bought a 93 with a 2.3 that was originally from Florida. It's a running driving solid car and just passed inspection. What is the best way to conver it to a v8? I work with a guy that has a low mile roller 351 Windsor for sale. Should I find a whole v8 parts car or what route should I go? I would like at least 400 hp. I know frame connectors and a torque box kit is 1st. Would a good carburetor be an easier route? This is my 1st Ford project. I've always had chevys but always wanted to do a fox body. Thanks, Bill
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broncojunkie
Well-Known Member
A 302 is cheaper to do, if you're concerned about cost. A parts car is also cheaper. But if you're looking to squeeze hp out of it and don't care to spend a little more, a 351w is the way to go. Most factory 302's and 351w's suffer from heads that don't flow well, low compression, and lazy cams (HO motors have decent compression). If you're sticking with a 5.0, then you can gain decent power with some gt40/gt40p heads or aftermarket heads, if you want more power. With a 351w, the only real hp gains would come from aftermarket heads. Anything factory you throw on there would still be leaving a bunch of hp on the table. You'll want a cam for either motor, unless you're using a 87-95 mustang 5.0 HO. Those cams aren't terrible, but definitely still not as good as a well-matched aftermarket cam.
If you're wanting to go with a factory efi setup, you're going to need a lot of stuff. Plus, there's quite a bit of wiring to do. In the end, unless you use an aftermarket intake, explorer intake or gt40 intake, the 87-93 intake is cheap but doesn't flow well at all. You're much better off spending that money on a stand-alone efi system.
Other things to note: You'll want to upgrade to an 8.8 rear (4 cyl and earlier v8 foxes had 7.5). You may also need to upgrade the transmission. A 4 cyl t5 can be made to work, but may not last long depending on tire selection, driving habits, etc. A 351w swap requires a special set of headers, oil pan, and oil pump pick-up. Distributor and oil pump shaft are also different, so keep that in mind if you need to swap them (for instance, an efi distributor won't work for a carbed application and vice versa).
Just a few things to consider. Once you decide, let us know and we can give you some more detailed advice. I literally just finished a 4 cyl to 302 (331 stroker) swap recently and I'm working on a 351w (408 stroker) swap now.
If you're wanting to go with a factory efi setup, you're going to need a lot of stuff. Plus, there's quite a bit of wiring to do. In the end, unless you use an aftermarket intake, explorer intake or gt40 intake, the 87-93 intake is cheap but doesn't flow well at all. You're much better off spending that money on a stand-alone efi system.
Other things to note: You'll want to upgrade to an 8.8 rear (4 cyl and earlier v8 foxes had 7.5). You may also need to upgrade the transmission. A 4 cyl t5 can be made to work, but may not last long depending on tire selection, driving habits, etc. A 351w swap requires a special set of headers, oil pan, and oil pump pick-up. Distributor and oil pump shaft are also different, so keep that in mind if you need to swap them (for instance, an efi distributor won't work for a carbed application and vice versa).
Just a few things to consider. Once you decide, let us know and we can give you some more detailed advice. I literally just finished a 4 cyl to 302 (331 stroker) swap recently and I'm working on a 351w (408 stroker) swap now.
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Ok,thank you