You have a 300 so what you have would work with a 351c or 351w. Anything that fits a 302 fits a 351w accept the crank rods and block and some fly wheels/flex plates and balances. Go to any mustang site and you'll find buckets of speed parts. If you decide to go 351m, and not just go to a 460. At least upgrade it to a 400, get higher compression pistons. Go to the 335 forum and there is a ton of info on how to build a good 400. a crank and pistons is all you need to make a 351m a 400. If your going to build a motor I vote do what you intend to run the first time. taking steps from a 300, to a 35m/400 then to a 429/460 is throwing money away fast. A properly built 400 will do great, a properly built 460 will do awesome. Neither will get you good mileage, so plan on a commuter car. I think at this point, as I stated earlier, you need to be honest with your goals. While it would be great to drive your (or in my case, mine) truck daily. It's just doesn't make economical sence. You need to separate toy from daily necessity. Do you plan to go to collage?

 

Well I do plan to go to college for diesel mechanics so the 460 will have to wait for 3 years. When I say a daily driver but a weekend toy I mean like a 6 days a week ( about 250+ miles a week), and I want it as a toy for the weekends, not every weekend just like 1 weekend a month, if that.

 

I'm sure their are some ford guy's where you live. Make friend's with them see what their running, go for a few ride's ask question's get a idea of what drivetrain combo's you think will fit your need's the closest and go from their. you don't have to build it over nite. Take your time read stuff, talk to people, most importantly LEARN FROM OTHER'S MISTAKE'S.

 

Motorcycle is the way to go if u want to pull off economical sense... if the 351M goes back together properly and the pickup has a good gear ratio it could get 14-16mpg

 

Most of the people around here that I know had fords but now have chevys. But there is one older guy I know that also had a ford but switched to chevy, god knows why, but he no longer has parts. He had also told me that he will help rebuilt/restore a motor with me because my dad is no longer around. He told me that if I want to do a 460 swap later down the line that my best be for now is to go with a 351M to have the right transmission in there and all i will have to do is mess with the stuff up front.

 

get on CL and see whats forsale around your area and go test drive some truck's. LMAO I'm sure you wouldn't be the first person to anything like that. I'm pretty sure some of these guy's that test drive some of the truck's I sell just take them out and waste the gas just for s***'s and giggle's.

 

If you really want to go 335 series engine then get a 400. It will at least make better low end torque, which is what you need to move a heavy vehicle. Your best mileage will come from your 300 but not by much, but better than any of the truck V8's.

Does your truck even run now?

 

Yea it runs great but I'm looking to change it because I'm stuck between a big block for the c6 tranny and a small block for the better fuel mileage.

 

There are no 351-BB, only the m and c midblocks, and the w small block.
The m and c midblock should have a similar or same bolt pattern as some of the BB's

Glad someone backed me up on that...
I don't think he would really be disappointed with the 351-m coming from a 300 I6...

IDK about that one to be honest... I think it's the same, but idk for sure...
The Windsor is a PAIN to find parts for used...

WRONG, if you don't belive me, then go try it yourself... To begin with, the width of the intake is different, and to be honest, Very few 302 parts will fit the 351-w... The Oil pan being one of the few that will interchange...
Personally I'd rather have the 351-m than the 400, there are a few different routes you can go with it, and the 400 is somewhat limited due to it's design...
when my 4x4 is done, it will be a winter driver for me, and my 2wd (with a 351-w) will be my DD, hopeing to have it near finished, and driving by the end of July...

Good Advice.

Good Idea, and I'm pretty sure I've encontured that a time or 2...

I think he'd be fine with a 351m... he's just looking for something to run long enough to get him through colleage, and around here, 351m's arn't real desireable (to most), so they normally go for pretty cheap in good running shape...

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I don't know where the comment about the 302 being unable to push these trucks was, but if it couldn't, then why would they have been included in so many of them from the factory, and so many modern trucks.

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I was talking to an older fella that i trade with on occasion, and he was telling me about the different motor's that he's run in trucks over the years, and he was swearin up and down that he got the best mileage/power ratio out of the 390 FE BB motors... He was claimin that he got 17 mpg out of a stock 2v 390 in a F350 with a 4-speed bulldog trans (it was a 4x4) Don't know how much truth there was to it, but I thought I'd pass the infor along...

 

351M and 400 are the same besides a couple of the internals. The 351M I built (.060 over, off-road cam, Edelbrock intake and 650CFM carb) is a torque monster. I got a 4 speed behind it and .410 gears... and I only get 6mpg no matter what I do. Also running duel fuel, pump gas and propane. Propane runs through just as fast but is only 1.92 a gallon

And whoever says a 302 won't run these trucks are crazy. 302's are some bad b****'s. If a 300 cubic inch pushes it, a 302 cubic inch will do the same, just doesn't have torque like a straight 6 or the FE blocks. My 79loan ranchero ran a 15.5 qtr mile with a stock 302 and a 79 ranchero's weight is 5500#'s or more

 

351M and 400 are the same besides a couple of the internals. The 351M I built (.060 over, off-road cam, Edelbrock intake and 650CFM carb) is a torque monster. I got a 4 speed behind it and .410 gears... and I only get 6mpg no matter what I do. Also running duel fuel, pump gas and propane. Propane runs through just as fast but is only 1.92 a gallon

And whoever says a 302 won't run these trucks are crazy. 302's are some bad b****'s. If a 300 cubic inch pushes it, a 302 cubic inch will do the same, just doesn't have torque like a straight 6 or the FE blocks. My 79 ranchero ran a 15.5 qtr mile with a stock 302 and a 79 ranchero's weight is 5500#'s or more

 

For some reason you had a double post (or at least it showed up that way on my end)

True, I'm just more partial to the 351 (don't really know why, i just feel like it gives me more options, as far as rebuildability (is that even a word?)) That sounds like a NICE 351-m you've got, is it true that you lose about 10% of your power when running on propane alone? My old man's got a 54' with a 351-C on propane, that were gonna put back to pump gas... and I'm just curious about that fact.

And THANK YOU! I don't understand why people say that, I've seen some 302's that absolutely amazed me, and there cheaper to make power with than many of the motors mentioned in this thread (as far as buying used aftermarket parts - intakes and such) 15.5 qtr mile ain't bad for such a heavy vehicle, and a stock 302! There's a customized "fishmouth" ranchero for sale round here right now, if i had a couple projects out of the way i'd be real tempted to buy it!

 

Thank you guys so much on the replies. It is still a toss-up between the 302 ant 351-M. Can you guys tell me what would be better for gas mileage, reliability, rebuildability (like Yeehaw1 said...is that even a word?), power off-roading, and aftermarket parts availability.

 

For what it's worth.. here is my 2 cents. Fix what you have now. Use it as your daily driver. Look for a '78/'79 F250 that you can fix up. You talk about driving 250 miles a week and only mudding once a month. Find another truck and build that one up to go playing with. When you have the toy ready for muddin, beg, borrow or steal a trailer and load up the toy and go out and have fun. Then when it does break, you can load it back onto the trailer and go home. The reason I say this is you are talking about pulling out the six and wanting to put in another engine only to pull that back out in a couple of years to put in another. Kinda sounds like a dog chasing his tail! Spend a little coin now and keep that DD going AND keep working to save up to building a toy. It will save a lot of headaches down the road.

 

That is a very good idea but I don't have enough to go around if I get another vehicle because I will be fixing a lot on this truck already. The transmission that is in my truck is trash so I would like to upgrade to a c6 so I will need to do an engine swap of some sort unless I can find a small block bell-housing c6.

Also, about a 460 swap later in the future, this truck will probably become the toy and no longer a DD.