Thread: Engine Swap - '92 5.0EFI/AOD into '66 Ford F100....

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Well, as the "self-appointed pic police chief" I've been cited by my self-appointed deputy (34-40 aka Mike) with this comment: "But now it's your turn!! I hear stories of pickups getting re-powered and maybe suspension upgrades.. and wasn't there a 36 Ford??? HMmmm.. maybe we should cite you for withholding evidence??"

I guess it's time I do this money-mouth.jpg



First, Mike, it's a '37 (in my avatar) that's patiently waiting on the next move while my truck gets a little extra attention.

Now, this is the '66 Ford F100 that is the topic of this thread.



Yes, Uncle Bob, it still needs to be lowered!


It still has the stock 352FE/cruiseomatic (with a couple of small changes - Edelbrock intake/carb, Pertronix II ignition, Hedman Hedders) with a Dana 44 limited slip rear end


It's my daily driver. The old FE is getting a little tired, using some oil, smoking a bit and has always been a major gas hog. Thus, it's time for some changes.....

Enter donor car:
A totalled '92 Mustang GT convertible, 5.0/AOD with 62K original miles verified by insurance company.


I bought the engine, trans, all wiring, computer, etc in an attempt to make this swap as easy as possible:


Now, the goal is to get everything figured out and sorta pre-fit in advance so HOPEFULLY this swap can be completed in a few days.....because, like I said, this truck is my daily driver and I need it!

Ok, I don't want to overload the first post so.....more to come in the next one.....

So, any of you guys who know these old Fords with twin-i-beam suspensions know that the '65 thru '79 have pretty much the exact same chassis from the cab forward. Thus, adding disc brakes, power steering, etc to this truck was pretty simple. When it comes to lowering these trucks, you can use aftermarket DJM or AIM drop beams or completely change the suspension with a variety of choices. I haven't made any of those choices yet and they aren't really the topic of this thread but I thought I'd mention it just to let you know it's all bouncing around in my head somewhere....

Ford started putting the 302 in their trucks in '69 so I needed a pair of 302 engine stands



I also wanted to detail the engine/trans before I install it:


Did you know Ford didn't paint these blocks at the factory??



I thought "Old Ford Blue" seems appropriate since it was the stock color for the FE



I picked up a nice set of JBA headers off of Craigslist

And "The Deputy" approves! Looking great but then you always did such nice work...

Are you going to run the air conditioner in the pickup?

After a lot of reading, it seemed the general consensus was that the factory intake was one of the weaker points of these 5.0's. The intake on the 5.0 Explorer is said to be almost identical in performance stats to the GT40 intake on the Cobra Mustangs. So I opted to pick up one of those, too. To complete the ensemble, I should have added the GT40P heads but I had to remember this is supposed to be a BUDGET project!!!


I decided to make it blue, too



I cleaned & repainted the fuel injectors, also added new o-rings, etc.



I removed the smog pump but kept all the EGR stuff in tact. Removing the smog pump required plugging the holes on the rear of the heads. I could have ordered a couple of "thermactor plugs" online for $10 plus shipping but opted to buy a couple of 9/16x3/4"long bolts(shortest I could find) and cut them off to the 1/2" length I needed.




I also swapped out the 2G alternator for a 3G from a '95 Mustang.

Removing the smog pump means a shorter serpentine belt.


I used this chart to determine what needed and the 84.5" belt fits great.

Originally Posted by 34_40

And "The Deputy" approves! Looking great but then you always did such nice work...

Are you going to run the air conditioner in the pickup?

Thanks, Mike! For now, the AC compressor is just there to make the serpentine belt work. Someday, I may install an AC. If I wanted to go old school, I have an old "under dash" AC unit from a '64 Galaxie the would be sorta "period correct". Not sure if I want it to take up that much space, tho!

That under dash unit in that pickup would be cool!

Ok, if you go fuel injection, you gotta have high pressure fuel delivery and a return line back to the tank. Well, my tank is still in the cab behind the seat. I read all the pros and cons for adapting that tank using the fuel pump, etc from late 80's F150s & Broncos. It would require a low pressure pump to draw fuel from the tank into an accumulator then the high pressure pump to push it forward to the engine. I bought all this at the salvage yard.


It would have all mounted neatly on the frame rail just below the cab. I had planned to silver solder a return line into the sending unit housing.


Then I would still have to figure out how to vent the tank to the charcoal canister or some other place....

But, my old friend, Dave W (IC2) LOVES to "encourage" me, challenge me, goad me into spending money I don't have for a "better" option.....

so I decided to move the tank under the rear of the truck. The problem I have with most of these conversions was I didn't want to have to lower the tailgate or lift a future tonneau cover to fill the tank. The filler tube in the bed floor was NOT an option for me!

I bought new tank from Tanks, Inc. for a '66 Mustang already set up with an in-tank fuel injection pump. I built a frame for it and mounted it to the rear frame rails.




As you can see, the goal was to put the filler hole behind the license plate....
I think it worked.





After painting the tank with black truck bed paint, you can barely see it under there....



And any future lowering of the truck should not be a problem....

As for the fuel lines, I snagged the entire fuel/return line system from the Mustang and reformed it to run along my passenger side frame rail. The fuel rails on the engine run to the passenger side. The charcoal canister will also mount on the passenger frame rail in the engine compartment.

More to come later but I've put off doing my taxes long enough.....

That tank setup is a slick idea! How did you make the hole in the bumper?

Yep, the tank work is top notch, and I really like the filler idea - very clean with that frame mount, and will work great. The old 352 looks good in there, but I think you'll like the 5.0 factory EFI setup and it should be very reliable for you, too. The old truck's going to have a rebirth! Thanks for posting some pic's!

Originally Posted by 34_40

That tank setup is a slick idea! How did you make the hole in the bumper?

Thanks, Mike! After I figured out where the hole needed to be, I used a 2 1/4" hole saw and hoped I was right!

I guess if it didn't work it would have been $150 mistake. That's what I paid for the repop bumper.....

Originally Posted by rspears

Yep, the tank work is top notch, and I really like the filler idea - very clean with that frame mount, and will work great. The old 352 looks good in there, but I think you'll like the 5.0 factory EFI setup and it should be very reliable for you, too. The old truck's going to have a rebirth! Thanks for posting some pic's!

Thanks, Roger! I agree the old 352 looks pretty cool. I also considered just swapping in a 390 but both engines are expensive to rebuild and adapting for any kind of OD trans gets really pricey. I'm excited for the swap and I'm hoping for a significant improvement in mpgs!!

Tomorrow.....the games begin.....yes, Mike, there will be pics.....

Well Randy, been waiting for an update, way nice job, all looks factory, its got my approval for whats its worth.

Originally Posted by 406Rich

Well Randy, been waiting for an update, way nice job, all looks factory, its got my approval for whats its worth.

Thanks, Rich! It's been a juggling act cause the truck is my daily driver. I've tried to get as many ducks in a row as possible but I'm sure there will be a few quacks along the way! I'm excited to git 'er done!

Originally Posted by randyr

Tomorrow.....the games begin.....yes, Mike, there will be pics.....

Thanks R2, you KNOW the deputy will be on duty!