So after I pulled the Bad Exploder GTP head motor, I decided if I was going to buy new headers I mite as well switch to a 351. I found that B.C. Broncos is making an adapter to run a 5.0 Upper on a 5.8 van/truck lower manifold. I made a horse with them for one of their adapters. So the hunt begins for a nice 351. Last week I see a 94 Ford wheel chair van at PIP the motor looks pretty clean and you can tell it has been worked on I also noticed it had 24 lb injectors instead of 19lb like it came with. then I notice it has a decal on the valve cover that said Dawkins Performance Services. Well I know Chris Dawkins pretty well so I wanted to talk to him about what had been repaired on the motor before I bought it, but I had lost his number. I do not really need a motor right now so I kinda forgot about it. I saw the van again this week so I did a little research and found his number on the net and called him yesterday morning, he returned my call in the afternoon. I asked him if he remembered working on a ford wheelchair van. He said yes he knew the van well and asked why I wanted to know. I told him I had keeping an eye out for a late 351 to swap into the PYL and saw the van in the yard at Pick N Pull. He could not believe the van was there. He had built the motor about 5 years ago for a good friend of his. His friend had passed away about 3 years ago. He told me the motor was a "little" more than a 5.8 it was in fact a 408 stroker motor that had been balanced/blueprinted it has ported heads and intake, He said it was a toque monster, He is going to try to find the build sheet when he get time He is developing a exhaust system for 427 cobras. So I got out of bed went and pulled the motor its sitting in the back of the ranchero right now!!!! SCORE!
Well its not a straight swap. I do have a few small SIMPLE issues to work out . have to find and swap oil pan to a front sump, and figure out how to adapt the 5.o front dress on to the 351. also have to decide on what to do about PVC system 5.0 is in manifold 5.8 is in valve cover.. got nice 5.0 cobra valve covers..they do not have provision for PVC may have to go with modified early non EFI valve covers. should get it on the stand this morning and see how it looks inside.
Good score, hopefully it's not in the graveyard for major eng. issues. But if it is you should be able to deal with that. As far as the PVC, I had a '90 Town Car,& that thing was buried in the back of the manifold, I changed it & mounted it in the oil fill cap.
Now your cookin' Carl. Ain't no substitute for cubic inches. Tech is nice and all but you still need a big arm to swing that hammer. When ya gonna' put one of those 302's on the lawnmower ?
That's OK. I looked at a rebuilt short block the other day, they guy wanted $1200. It was still wrapped in plastic, but had been sitting for 4 years. He wouldn't budge on the price and I can get a fresh one for not much more.
Here was first clues this 5.8 may be special Not what you would expect under the valve cover of a wheel chair van you can see the clearance work done for the stroking evidence of the balancing some shrapnel in front sump looks like a slinger went through timing chain what ever it was it went the timing because I found a indentations from the gears
