Engine Trade

[Hal Cogburn]

I have pretty much decided...right or wrong...to trade out my 5.0 Roller for a nice, mildly built, 289 or 302. So....I am looking for someone that wants and can appreciate the current engine and would be willing to take my engine...and replace it with something I want. My engine has, best I can tell from what the previous owner told me, about 4,000 miles. I have had no trouble with it...it starts very easy and has good manners in traffic. It was built, again according to the previous owner, to have about 400 HP....I don't know if how close that is but I do know it has plenty of horsepower. The previous owner works for Carroll Shelby Enterprises in Las Vegas so he had access to a lot of goodies at low prices. He was into horsepower and put what, in his view, only the best.

I will want a new, or very low mileage, 289/302 with a 4bbl carb....this coupled with some tall gears will provide us with a car that we can take on long distances....
I have posted an ad on Craigslist and have been getting a lot of responces...but would prefer someone that I either know or a friend of a friend...to make the swap.

So....if anyone is interested or know of someone please let me know. My other option is to buy an engine...pay to have it put in...and sell mine outright...which I might do......

Thanks
Hal

[pbrown]

Hal,

I have a thought. How about getting a 5.0 roller EFI engine and drop it in. That would get you the best drivability and would be a wonderful cruiser.

Maybe we could do an engine swap for a tech day.

[Nathan289]

Would a cam swap tame your existing motor down?
Replace the E303 cam with something milder like a B303 or what ever other roller cam you'd like..

The cost of a cam swap isn't nearly as expensive.. Just a thought..

Nathan

[Hal Cogburn]

Patrick...and EFI 5.0 would be perfect for what we want....but I don't have one....I guess I could buy one...and hope for the best...and then peddle my engine but....that would be a hassle...but might be worth it?

Nathan...a cam change was something I thought about but....you can attest to my limited mechanical skills based on what I'm sure you saw when we changed out the rear end on the Red Falcon in Colville. So....I would have to purchase a new cam set up (no big deal) and pay to have it put in...since I don't have many connections here my option would be the mechanic I use...and he is $75/hour and doesn't seem to move to fast...so it could run into bucks.

I posted an ad about wanting to trade engines and had quite a few responses...a couple sound good...One is a fellow in Kent that is a mechanic/machinist (I would confirm first) that has offered to build a 302 like I want....and do all the work etc to trade the engines. The other is a fellow right here in Enumclaw that purchased a 66 Mustang with a new 302 Crate engine...still under warrantee..with about 1100 miles. He would also trade out engines free for the trade. I will be looking at both of these options.....

Best I can tell the engine I have would cost a fair amount to build and if you like horsepower you would love it....but when it is all said and done just a mildly built 302 with some highway gears (man I would really love to have an AOD) would do us just fine.

Hal

[pbrown]

Hal,

Can you post the details of your engine?

[Hal Cogburn]

Below is some of the information the previous owner (builder) gave me..He told me...not sure if it was real or not but to build the engine and paying retail for all the part that it would run about $6k to build but...like a car that is used...values drop really quickly....
Engine:
5.0 roller with E303 Ford Racing Grind Cam
Edelbrock RPM Aluminum Heads.
Manly hardened push rods and1.6 Aluminum roller rockers.
All ARP fasteners and bolts.
The Harmonic Balancer is SFI rated.
Pete Jackson noisy gear drive,
Electric Holly fuel pump and Melling Oil Pump
Edelbrock Carb and Edelbrock High Rise Manifold
MSD Pro Billet distributor, 9MM Ford Racing wires, Blaster 3 Coil, MSD 6AL Box
Edelbrock High Flow water pump.
Chrome “Ford Racing” Valve Covers
Estimated Mileage 4000

[falcon cobra]

hal after reading your first post it looks like you have a 5.0 roller motor, and then patrick say's to put in a 5.0 roller, not sure what thats all about, then somebody thinks if you put in a B-303 it will be better, faster maybe, but not better at low speed, because a B is wilder than a E.... have a good day...john h:ROTFLMAO:

[pbrown]

Hal,

Change the cam, loose the gear drive in favor of a good double roller chain, and get a quieter Mallory electric fuel pump. Don't change the whole engine.

I'll come give you a hand if you have good tools. Or we can do the work at my place. It would take most of one day to complete the work and I think you would have a nice cruising engine when it was done.

[Nathan289]

Sorry,
i cant remember my Ford Cam specs.. I know there is a B, E and a X..
PLus a few more...

I agree make a few parts swaps and have what you want..

Nathan

[BillP 98201]

Nice to see club guys helpin each other......
Right on Patrick

[pbrown]

The B303 cam is the smallest cam in the Ford catalog. Then there is the E, F, X, and Z, in that order. You could always go to a Ford parts counter and buy a new stock HO cam.

[Hal Cogburn]

Thanks for all the information....Patrick, thanks for the gracious offer...it really sounds like the way to go. I think the dust will settle pretty soon and I can decide which way to go....there is alway a chance I guess with an engine swap that what I think I'm getting and what I really get could be two different things. Other than the hot rod sound....and really not decent gas mileage (although a carb adjustment might help that) my engine appears to very sound...starts easy and runs very well. I'm already planning on changing out the rear...if I stay with the engine like it is will go with a 3.25 set up...if it was de-cammed would probably go with a 3.0 set up.
I will probably be making a decision within a week....the local fellow with a pretty stock 302 crate engine (1000 miles) is willing to trade out the engines for the difference in value.

Couple of questions on a Cam Swap...
I assume it would help the gas mileage?
Improve vaccuum? (not sure if the tranny is getting enough)
No problem with needing to change carbs (I think it is a 600-650 cfm)

If I could get some knowledgable help in doing this...it would be great...I enjoy working on the old cars it is just my mechanical knowledge is lacking.

Thanks again
Hal

[pbrown]

Smaller cams generaly have better vacuum at idle. The cam you have is not that big actually. I suspect that if you just reduced the noise caused by the timing gears, fuel pump, and exhaust, you would like it the way it is.

I have a nive wide band O2 tool that we could use to determine your AFR and idle, cruiise, and wide open. You can then tune the carb with some real data. The Edelbrock carbs are great street carbs and are quite easy to tune. I's so easy that it can be tuned on the side of the road.

What is your vacuum reading at idle?

You can adjust the shift points at the tranny with an adjustable vacuum modulator. You probably already have one. A small flat screwdriver is all you need for that.

[Hal Cogburn]

I don't have a vacuum gauge so not sure what kind of vacuum it is putting out. I appreciate all the information and offer to help....I'm going to think about all the options and then move on. When it is all said and done just really looking for a simple, nice cruiser.
Met with the fellow that lives near me...he is into mustangs...has a beautiful 1965 Convertible and finishing up a 1967 Fastback.
He is wanting the engine to put in a different car that he does a little drag racing with.
He is offering up the engine out of the 67 fastback that is a basically stock 302 crate engine and a professionally rebuilt C4...he would do all the work related to putting the engine in. Basically I have an engine he wants he he has the engine that I want.....from what I have seen on his cars he does nice work and is very thorough.
But at this point I'm a little torn...I can spend the money to trade out some stuff on mine...would have a nice looking engine...would still have the higher compression etc....or.....just go basically stock....
Either way I will end up with a decent cruiser that we can enjoy driving.

Hal