351 EFI w/ Explorer serp dress and 4R70W

[chuzie]

I am looking at doing an EFI 351 swap using 5.0 Explorer front dress and 4R70W (4x4) transmission.

Since I am already running a stock 302, I want to reuse as much as I can during this swap.

My 351 candidate is currently carb and the block is a '79, so rollers are not in my immediate future without a cam swap and some work. Correct?

What is the deal with the 5.0 Distributor on the 351? I have read it needs to be longer so grab a EFI dizzy off a 351 EFI truck. True?

Also thought I read somewhere that the AC/PS bracket is not compatible to the 351 but not sure if that is the Mustang or Explorer bracket. Not sure. Didn't see mention of that in the Explorer Serp write-up in the tech section.

Came across something that mentions a 94/95 balancer could be used with the Explorer setup but that makes zero sense. Thoughts?

I know I can either rebalance my Explorer balancer with damperdudes or use a Bronco balancer with the Drivenautoparts pulley. I really want to keep my Explorer front dress since I am using a mechanical fan and I don't want to lose my spacing from the radiator.

One dilemma I have is my flexplate. Just bought a brand new 50oz flexplate for my 4R70W a few weeks ago for another problem I was working. I suppose I can have it rebalanced, but I also have a 28oz 164 tooth flexplate that is already on the 351 and was bolted to a C4. Is this flexplate compatible with the 4R70W? I know there are issues with backspacing (3/4" vs 1/2") but not sure if that is using an AOD flexplate with a C4 or a C4 flexplate with an AOD.

Does anyone see the need to do a shift kit for the 4R70W with the 351 upgrade?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

351w dress will not work on a 302. the deck height on a 351 is taller and the block is wider, there for it will not fit in the head bolts.
your next problem will be, you will need to make a oil pan. 351's are around a 1/4 wider at the bottom.
you will also need to make some sort of headers as well. you might run out of room, and may not be able to use 302 manifolds, or headers
351 distributor is taller and wider then a 302.
you will be able to use the heads from a 302, but no intake.
are you sticking with carb, or EFI? that will also be a major problem
do a search on this. it has came up plenty of times. years back when i swapped a 351w into my 81 carpi (which was a v8 car to begin with) i had these, and a few other problems. this will be even more of a problem, and with a few hidden things that you may not even think of. one might even be the valve cover hitting the heater/a/c box as well.
not saying it cant be done, but if you have enough money and time, anything is possible.

 

[chuzie]

302 Explorer dress on the 351, not the other way around.

Custom oil pan
Custom headers
Height is not an issue as I want to go with a custom hood.
Keeping it EFI
I can live without A/C if it becomes an issue.

Thx.

 

[tmsoko]

Here is the proper information, not miss leading like above. I progressed a 351w for my 1999 ranger several yeas ago but never finished.

1) the oil pan is custom, since the 351w runs bigger main bearings, not that the block is wider. I tried grafting a351w pan rail to an explorer "pan" section and gave up. Ended up making a 100% custom pan.

2) the cam sensor / oil pump drive must be modified. There are two issues here. First the 351w runs a larger hex shaft for the oil pump. 1/4" vs 5/16" I believe, so you need the lower shaft section from a 351w distributor to graft onto an explorer oil pump drive. Next, the hole in the block on a 351w is about 0.050" larger, so you need to address that. Remember to run the right type of gear depending on roller or non- roller cam

3) you cannot run a 94-95 stang damper. Best is to get a 96 bronco unit and swap on the explorer crank trigger wheel. I did not know about that damper when I did my parts, so I just had my rotating assembly balanced to use the explorer damper.

4) FEAD brackets will work fine. They bolt to the heads, so nothing to worry about except a longer belt and modification to lengthen the A/C lines, since compressor position is moved.

5) if you are interested in a set of headers to te this project going, I have a set of shorties that we're custom made by Roush to mount a 351w in an explorer. They made a few sets of these ack in 96 when they made a 351w explorer test vehicle for SVE. I bought these off a guy whole actually got the explorer 351w test engine from a local salvage yard...lucky find! They are not going to flow monster air, but will work better than anything else and not be a $1500-2000 custom set cost!

 

[snoranger]

Best is to get a 96 bronco unit and swap on the explorer crank trigger wheel.

Yeah, those are easy to find. It took me forever to even find the part #. Let me save you some time.... F6TZ-6312-JA.

 

[CDW6212R]

There is a source for a 28oz balancer with a trigger wheel on it already. Find Andy's thread where he built a 347 and added a supercharger. He used that 28oz balancer.

Why not just build a 351W roller block, and the 50oz assembly too? The cost to retorfit rollers to an older block is a bunch, it would be easier to begin with a roller 351W.

A shift kit for any Ford automatic is wise, they all need it, for reliability. If the trans is a truck model, check with any proposed shift kit company first. Truck VB's often do not work well with shift kits. For example, don't do a "J-Mod" to a 4R70W. The TransGo kit works fine with any of them, but not for high power levels.

 

[delexploder]

one of the guys at the shop has a 351 w with a cobra style lower intake and the rest of his setup is explorer parts and its all shoved in a fox with a 4r70 c4 hybrid. Its a lightning short block ( 1st Gen) and I think the lower intake is too but not sure. Either way its all parts that he had laying around and its very strong.