CHIEF Is Almost a 302!!!!!! 91 XLT SAS In the process of 302 and T-5 Swap!!

Hello Everyone!
It's Chief here, Aka: Tim. I started with this pitifull excuse of a motor called a V6 and even more of a dissapointment This POS A4LD tranny! This will all be a nightmare that ended real soon

 

[Chief34]

You took the words right out of my mouth.....
I think I am just gonna rebuild it though and leave it stock for now just so it wont cost that much and It will be easier to get through the smog ref. I want to do the 347 but it will cost some coin especially the way I want to do it. I need to recooperate from this experience first.

 

[Hartman]

Man chief, that has to suck. I know you'll bounce back though.

 

[P51DTUG]

Tim,
Running a 5.0 with open headers shouldn't be any big deal...I ran my mustang w/ open headers and o2 sensors disco'd for about 12-15 miles..didn't have any problems. It appears that the problem (unfortunately) is somewhere else (I'm guessing head gasket).
In weighing your options for the rebuild,
CHP has great products and prices. Basic rebuild vs. CHP 347 kit??

When I rebuild mine, I'm going w/ the 347 street fighter GT kit.

Sorry to hear about the magic white smoke escaping.

Jim

 

[azexplorer4by]

RE:

Sorry 2 hear, Let me put in alittle of advice, from experence, CHP's customer service sucks, had a friend that waited 7 months of run arounds and was out $2500+ in coin. Ended up taking them to court to get his cash back. 2nd you will not like a 347 in the explorer, these engines are stroked in 2 configs, either with a 5.4" rod, which in turn puts the piston pin into the oil ring area and with that it is a oil burner, or TMD makes a kit with a 5.315" rod that doesn't burn oil, but makes the crank to rod angle not exactly Ideal. My sugestions is a 331 stroker they have none of these problems. I have one (accually 327 CID, no overbore)in my '62 comet with a richmond 6 speed, on pump gas I make 441 RRHP and 468 ft /lbs of torque and to boot I have 60k+ miles on this set up over and it will still trip the lights at 12.0 flat and 130 mph.

 

[azexplorer4by]

RE: 331 stroker

I typed wrong. that was only 368 ft/lbs of torque all this was done on a chassis dyno. I checked my build sheet for my build-up and put it into a engine calculation program I have. The at the crank #'s are more impressive. It shows this set-up puts out 538 HP and just over 385 ft/lbs of torque in a RPM range from 0 to 7000.

 

[Chief34]

its a tough call, I am throwing around the idea and figuring out how much cost difference there will be if I stroke verse just rebuild it. I would definately like to stroke it right now since I am into the motor already but the cost is probably gonna be my limiting factor. I would like to get the thing running and then just build a short block stroker in my garrage while I can playt with my truck. This is what I think I will do because when I do stroke it I want to take my time and do it right. I dont want to have to wait nine months to drive my truck again! Besides I want to go all out when I stroke it....
-Aluminum block
-Aluminum heads, ported and polished, Titanium valves
and valve spring keepers.
-Top of the line pistons, crak and rods.
-Gt 40 intakes with a supercharger.
Then I will be able to move that truck.. ahh dreams are good.... Anyway back to the present... I'll have to figure this predicament out.
-Tim

 

[JoshC]

Originally posted by Chief34
Then I will be able to move that truck.. ahh dreams are good....

This coming from a man who has a 302 and a t5!

 

[Billy177]

i agree with you i would just rebuild this one and build the stroker right and get it just how you like it and also being able to save up and get better quality stuff.

 

[madmoose]

Truck looks good like the pictures. You were asking if the problem could have occured from driving with the o2's un pluged, well gues what that wouldn't matter the engine would be running on set perameters from the computer, so you are ok to run without the o2's. Also open headers wouldn't matter, might burn a valve though. I warned you about that large radiator. Did you bleed all the air in the cooling system? You could have had a air lock by the coolant temp sensor causing the ecm to send faulty fuel readings. Also keep a really close eye on the oil pressure, ford factory guages are ****, if there is any pressure at all, the guage will still read fine, when it could be low. Mine reads normal when I was having low oil pressure (20psi). Gas was dripping down from the injectors after shut down causing the oil to saturate with gas, giving low oil pressure. Pressure should be about 40 to 60 psi at 2000 rpm. BUY A MECHANICAL GUAGE!!!!! What about timing that would cause it to run lean? No check engine light if so waht code have the garage scan your vehical. I know my check engine light doesnt work but if you scan if there is codes there. Keep up the good work looks good!!!!

 

[Chief34]

Well, I havent torn down the motor yet but I am pretty certain that It broke a piston Ring. My freind , who is a master engine builder, and I both agree that it is probably a broken ring. We suspect that the engine always had a Cracked ring since I bought it from the junk yard, and that I just couldnt tell because the engine was so loud without the exhaust on it. We believe that the ring just finally broke when I actually drove it to the shop. I have completely rulled out the possibility that it was from the lack of O2's. I have also rulled out a burnt valve because my headers are long tube headers and that would not allow any cold air to reach the valves. Anyway, I should have something soon, I'll keep ya posted. Thanks,
Tim

 

[brnbomr]

you are my hero

 

[Chief34]

After, turning over the engine when I got the truck home I could hear a valve slapping. So I pulled the spark plugs out and sure enough one of them was smashed on the end. There was very fine metal in the oil along with some water residue.
Conclusion: engine had a sticky valve, piston was smacking it until it bent or maybe broke it, off cracking the piston which in turn cracked the block on the down stroke which accounts for the water and metal in the oil.

So longblock from Napa it is........ I'll let you know when I can get it.... any sponsors??

 

[Yomie]

Damn, that sucks, hope everything works out for ya

 

[Rick]

Dang, bad luck I was hoping you would get it going for Truck Haven.

Hopefully you'll find a good deal on a replacement.

 

[Chief34]

Thanks yall,
I am still shooting for tierra del sol... Napa has a Longblock for 1100.00 after exchange and it has a a 4 year UNLIMITED mileage. When I do get it it will only take a weekend to get it ready. thanks,
Tim

 

[Brett]

Tim,

Be careful of the NAPA and other parts houses exchange blocks!!! Many of them do not have matching parts. Often called a Hienz 57 motor. Some of them can get real bad. I would not trust one. You may be money ahead by getting a quality rebuild done w/ a different block....

 

[IAmTodd]

Its like buying a computer from K-Mart, You get what ever was left on the shelf collecting dust. And everything just thrown together.

 

[Savage Wolf]

great build, wish i had use the baggie idea for all my nuts and bolts, i still have all of mine, just have no idea where to put them

if you could, could you detail how you did the fuel line more, i want to do about the same thing on my truck, but trying to stay away from having to replace the fuel line all the way back to the tank

 

[Chief34]

Now common guys... Unless you but a longblock from the dealer that is all anyone is gonna do when they rebuild an engine. Unless you do it yourself. Bottom line is with a warranty like that who cares? For one, I wont have this engine for over four years anyway cuz I am gonna build a stroker... Two, if it did last for 4 years and was still running great it will prbably last for 10.

Anyway, back to what I started this thread for anyway which was helping others on their swaps .......

Savage wolf, I started by cutting the hard lines that come from the fuel tank down behind the frame rail. (Like right behind the fuel filter where they are hard lines.) Then I left the ford quick connect fittings on the hard lines that connected to the fuel rail. Those two hard lines that connect two the fuel rail are only about 20" long or so and they just go toward the passenger side, and bend straight down toward the crossmember.... Somewhere down by the passenger side header I cut them off and staggered the cuts a couple of inches so the two fittings wouldnt be rubbing on one another. I then installed two "-6AN to Hard line" hose ends. I ran the two -6AN fuel lines straight down to the crossmember and followed the crossmember to the driver side , which kept it clean looking.Once you get to the driver side just follow the frame rail back to where I cut them back behind the fuel filter. Now right here The fuel RETURN line just meets the hard line with another "-6AN to Hard Line" hose end. The Fuel FEED line needs a fuel filter. So I just got an inline filter with
-6AN male threaded ends. Then from the hard line it gets one "-6AN hard Line to female hose end" connection. Then screw the filter right on to that. From the other side of the filter you just need a "Female -6AN Hose End" to connect your line there.

This keeps everything clean and factory looking, as well as being able to keep the stock fuel rails which saves a lot of money.
You need about 8 fittings and 2 male-male unions.
And about 15 feet of fuel line. I think.

Ill try to get some pics for you here soon to clear this up a little bit and maybe a little drawing to map it out. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[pgrey]

HI,

I have a question and a comment. I have a '91 Explorer into which I've been thinking about putting a V8. How do you deal with SMOG? The requirements for trucks and cars are different. Because the car requirements are more stringent, does CARB OK a swap of a car engine/computer/etc... into a truck? They certainly won't OK a truck engine swap into a car. BTW, I live in San Francisco and also have a '93 Volvo 940 wagon with a CHP 347 and Tremec 3550II so I've dealt with CARB and smog referees.

My comment: if you end up with a 347, be advised that your T5 won't last long; especially with big tires and off-road use. Mine (a brand new T5-Z - the 330 ft/lb model) lasted about 15K miles. I put it in hoping it would last because it shifted well and was light but... no dice. First and fifth gear are notoriously weak on T5s.

Regards,

Peter