jeffp2152

I've read everything I could find about this swap and still have some unanswered questions:

Most people are talking about doing an EFI 351 swap. I would be swapping a carb'ed motor into an 89 LX with 5.0 swap....

1. Fuel Pump? The 351 I find will have a mechanical fuel pump mounted to the motor correct? Now do I just hook my normal line to that and not worry about my other fuel pump or do I have to take that one out?

2. Wiring? Computer? Really I won't need very many wires with a carb'ed setup but I still want to have pw/pl, radio, lights and all that good stuff... What do I do about that? Will that stuff all work without my old computer? Basically what do I need as far as a computer and wiring?

3. I have 2 grand to spend on this swap, what would you guys recommend... This is what I have so far...

Good Running Motor 500
Hooker Headers/gaskets 400
Ford Racing Oil Pan Conversion 200
Flywheel 100
Misc...(new plugs, oil...) 100

that leaves 700... aftermarket intake and carb??? a little bit of nitrous?

Thanks

PunchRacing

it depends on your definition of a good motor for $500. you might have to spend more depending on the way the inside of it looks. personally, i wouldnt put nitrous on ANYTHING unless i built it from the bottom up and know what it can withstand... new intake and carb wont get you far if the heads cant flow that much. everyone has a different opinion about how to build on a budget. i would start backwards, you are getting exhaust, then get heads, intake then carb. what are your plans for a cam?

jeffp2152

well i was thinking of saving up and getting a complete top end/cam kit like a lot of people do for 302's....

or, I was thinking of getting a cam first because then I can pretty much check up on most of the motor and put that in at the same time...

cccharleston

If it has stock heads a cam will be a waste of time and money. The stock heads will not flow enough air. Get the cam, heads and intake at the same time so they will match.

wrenchturner75

ok first the fuel issue, what i did when i did the swap was remove the factory in tank fuel pump and just used a piece of fuel hose (when you trim the hose remember to cut it on a slight angle so the hose does not suck itself fast to the bottom of the tank) and measure the length of the fuel pump and clamp it fast thats it! your fuel sending unit is seperate from the fuel pump so you can simply unplug the in tank pump. now your engines computer harness is completely seperate from the others. in other words when you remove your engines computer and wiring harness for it everything else will still work except for a couple of guages. speedo and gas guage will still work. good luck

wrenchturner75

let me add by saying the 351w is a torquey sob, you dont have enough coin for a good topend kit so what "i" would do if you dont already have any of these things, is a set of 373s, frame connectors, good set of upper and lower rear control arms, maybe even a set of drag springs and shocks. you already know you have to plant the power you have hell even a 500 horse 351 is useless if all it does is smoke tires. plus when you do save enough to redo the topend your gonna have a monster if it hooks! you could shave some weight by getting a performer intake which is perfect for a stock motor, and you could probably hide it all under the stock hood with a low pro air filter. if you do decide on getting a cam get one with a split duration that favors the exhaust side, you may gain some hp but as said before the factory heads are horrible with out some serious work which is pointless with so many good aftermarket offerings. the gains with factory heads is minimal at best.

jeffp2152

alright so the plan for now:

-find a good 351w bottom end, put my heads on it and reuse my pushrods(if they are good) and roller rockers/valve cover

-use the intake from the motor i find
-buy a carb because any old one will need rebuilt anyways and I want a good one
- other than that keep the motor stock for now

Wiring: starter, coil, alternator, igntion... only things that are gonna have wires going to them except for oil pressure/water temp/tach gauges

I'm confused on what you said about the fuel pump... Isn't the pump mounted to the fuel tank and if i take that out will i have a hole there? i'm unsure on this part

-Flywheel: I just use the 351 flywheel correct?

Thanks for all the input guys

wrenchturner75

yes the fuel pump is mounted inside the tank but you can simply remove the pump itself from the rest of the unit, and what youll be left with is a short metal tube, all you have to do is measure the lenght of the old pump and install a piece of fuel hose or you can also use tubing if you want so that it will pick up fuel at the bottom of the tank like its supposed too. then where the wiring plugs into the top of the unit, just simply unplug it. your fuel level sending unit is located a couple inches to the left of the fuel pump unit, this is entirely a seperate deal you dont even need to mess with it at all! leave it plugged in and your gas guage will work as it did. and yes youll need a 28oz 351 flywheel, but yea your idea of keeping the motor stock for now is a good one, hell you could score another 351w while the one you have is running and build that one the way you really want to, then when its ready just drop it in and go kill some ls1s

wrenchturner75

by the way and this is important! if your gonna use a 5.0 t-5 and bellhousing your gonna need a 157 tooth 28 oz flywheel! the 164 wont fit. ford motorsport sells a real nice billet steel thatll get the job done, i had to buy one for my 351 cleveland swap im doing now. i scored it from summit racing. youll need a m-6375-a302 an it cost 230 bucks but! i strongly suggest staying away from the e-bay pieces of crap! yea there like 80 bucks but i bought one and out of the box its warped and i cant use it! youll get what you pay for, the motorsport flywheel even has a removable weight so you could stab a 50oz weight on it and put it on a late model 302 if you wanted to. any other questions ask away.

jeffp2152

Sounds good, thanks for all the help wrenchturner75... I guess the only thing I'm questionable on now is the wiring... If I were to get a carbed 351w what kind of wiring do I need to do? Is there even a computer on something like that or is it just starter/ignition wires and the alternator?