[Big Bertha 89]

So currently I have a 89 xlt 302 aod bronco jacked up 7in on 35s

Been wanting to do a engine swap for awhile now and my main goals are to keep it street able but also offroadable aswell
I live in Florida so most of the time I’m mudding or just on some trails

The 302 obviously lacks power for a tank like a bronco so I’m interested in buying a donor truck with a 351w then rebuilding the engine with a edlebrock top end kit and possibly a turbo and a built transmission preferably manual or subsequent

So I’m wondering if anyone has done anything like this and how much would it run me (I’m 17 and work full time) I want to go the cheapest route I can while making a badass bronco that isn’t a fix or repair daily
Let me know your opinions or suggestions

 

[Jimmy Dean]

I run a 460 stroker in my 82, with bigger tires but lots of gearing, and it is more than enough power.

I got a 600hp motor built for about 3500 bucks, so it is possible, but it took a while. and the 460 swap had already been done, so I didn't have the expense of the swap kit (mounts, oil filter relocation, headers, oil pan, and more)

also, it would be difficult to get that kind of power and keep EFI in the 460, without spending alot of money.

and a really build 460 is more power than the axles can handle with big tires. so you'd be looking at axle swaps as well. more money. thats where I am right now.

for a 351W build, get a late model block from a yard for cheap, or aftermarket DART block for alot of money (2k). stroker kit, aftermarket heads, you could keep the intake, get the computer from the same donor truck, upgrade the injectors and have the computer reprogrammed. you should be able to get into the 400-450hp range easily enough. any more and you'll need axles, so I'd recommend the 460 swap in that case anyways. you could of course go to a carb, but may run into inspection issues to have it street legal, or aftermarket EFI, a number of routes to go that route.

 

[84mudhorse]

So currently I have a 89 xlt 302 aod bronco jacked up 7in on 35s

Been wanting to do a engine swap for awhile now and my main goals are to keep it street able but also offroadable aswell
I live in Florida so most of the time I’m mudding or just on some trails

The 302 obviously lacks power for a tank like a bronco so I’m interested in buying a donor truck with a 351w then rebuilding the engine with a edlebrock top end kit and possibly a turbo and a built transmission preferably manual or subsequent

So I’m wondering if anyone has done anything like this and how much would it run me (I’m 17 and work full time) I want to go the cheapest route I can while making a badass bronco that isn’t a fix or repair daily
Let me know your opinions or suggestions

So ....here is my two cents....first off if it is your only vehicle and daily driver then don’t take it mudding....I realize I’m probably talking to a wall on this but had to say it....so anyway...351 is a good place to start and you can run it mild or wild and have fun with it...I know a bronco that ran a 408 stroker motor that was bad ass....460 is probably a cheaper option overall because you can make more power quicker with less money...in the long run if want to play in the mud build your motor for maximum low end torque...that’s what you will need and you can get there quicker with cubic inches....

 

[Jimmy Dean]

So currently I have a 89 xlt 302 aod bronco jacked up 7in on 35s

Been wanting to do a engine swap for awhile now and my main goals are to keep it street able but also offroadable aswell
I live in Florida so most of the time I’m mudding or just on some trails

The 302 obviously lacks power for a tank like a bronco so I’m interested in buying a donor truck with a 351w then rebuilding the engine with a edlebrock top end kit and possibly a turbo and a built transmission preferably manual or subsequent

So I’m wondering if anyone has done anything like this and how much would it run me (I’m 17 and work full time) I want to go the cheapest route I can while making a badass bronco that isn’t a fix or repair daily
Let me know your opinions or suggestions

However, whatever you do. DO NOT do an LS swap. @84mudhorse

 

[Rspasoje]

So currently I have a 89 xlt 302 aod bronco jacked up 7in on 35s

Been wanting to do a engine swap for awhile now and my main goals are to keep it street able but also offroadable aswell
I live in Florida so most of the time I’m mudding or just on some trails

The 302 obviously lacks power for a tank like a bronco so I’m interested in buying a donor truck with a 351w then rebuilding the engine with a edlebrock top end kit and possibly a turbo and a built transmission preferably manual or subsequent

So I’m wondering if anyone has done anything like this and how much would it run me (I’m 17 and work full time) I want to go the cheapest route I can while making a badass bronco that isn’t a fix or repair daily
Let me know your opinions or suggestions

The cheapest way to get more HP, and more importantly more torque, would be a 351w swap, since you can keep the stock transmission. However, the AOD isn't going to last long behind a 351 if you are flogging it very hard without some serious upgrades, so if you do the 351w swap you need to first make sure the tranny is in decent shape and absolutely spend some time and money making sure you are keeping the ATF nice and cool. Adding a turbo is going to be VERY expensive, as there are a lot of things you'll need to improve or modify.
Before you do anything you really need to start with a feasible budget and realistic expectations. Making your Bronco "badass" is a pretty vague goal, and vague goals often end up with vague results. Rather than "badass" ask yourself "What do I want my Bronco to do better?" and then make a concrete goal about how you can achieve that goal, and once you've done that not only look at the path to reach that goal, but also consider <alternative> ways to get that goal.

 

[Big Bertha 89]

All of these are super helpful the reason I suggest a 351w is the ease of the swap a 460 would be my first choice but this is my first time doing a engine swap and want to keep it simple as possible and I do have a daily truck but when the bronco is running well I find myself always driving that unless I’m late lol
I know I can get a 87-91 year f series with a 460 or a 351w for not to expensive around here
I would say my budget is around 8k

 

[Big Bertha 89]

My end goal with my bronco is this
More power (400-700hp)
(500-700tq)
I want something that feels like I’m not going to die while I’m on the highway
I off-road weekly if not daily
I’m a first timer on engine swaps
I have taken my old 302 out and rebuilt it and put it back in and have replaced or rebuilt damn near everything on my bronco so I have knowledge

 

[Rob_64-365]

My advice is, don't ruin your Bronco...

Having traveled this road at 16 years old with a 79 460 Bronco on 38's, i did one thing in my infinite wisdom of immaturity... I ruined a really cool Bronco & made sure i was flat broke all of the time feeding it gas & parts to so I could go mudding... cuz that's the kind of stupid things 16 year olds do.

3 broncos later, my latest Bronco, an 86, is on stock suspension & staying that way! It drives great, & I am only making it better.

 

[Jimmy Dean]

My end goal with my bronco is this
More power (400-700hp)
(500-700tq)
I want something that feels like I’m not going to die while I’m on the highway
I off-road weekly if not daily
I’m a first timer on engine swaps
I have taken my old 302 out and rebuilt it and put it back in and have replaced or rebuilt damn near everything on my bronco so I have knowledge

those numbers are only reliably achievable in a big block.

lower your torque goals.

go for a 351W stroker. you'll want the 408 or 427. you will want a 95 or 96 block, that allows for factory rollers, which are about 600 bucks cheaper than aftermarket.

as mentioned, you'll likely need to look at a new transmission. a built AOD or built E4OD, or something newer.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Those are very lofty goals for a 17 year old with 8k.

Build a 94-97 351w. Bump compression to 10:1, add AFR185 heads and a comp 35-512-8 cam. Run the edelbrock truck intake and a really good flowing exhaust system. Thats gonna give you about 340 HP and 450 ft/lbs. This is almost my build from about 15 years ago. It was a screamer with 37s and 4.88 gears.

As a 17 year old, that is PLENTY of power. Been there and done that. Too much power and you might wrap it around a tree. When i was 18 i had to prove to a seller that i could handle the mustang he was offering. Even as responsible as i was, I did things in that car over the next few years that I wouldn't dream of doing now, at 32. Doing 150 on a public highway is an incredibly stupid thing to do. Managed to put 100k on that mustang before a grand marquis pulled out in front of me at 65mph at night. Then I watched a truck come within feet of slamming into me as i escaped the dark smoking (from air bag) car.

Just remember, with power, comes responsibility.

 

[84mudhorse]

However, whatever you do. DO NOT do an LS swap. @84mudhorse

Mmmmm yeah what he said...lol

 

[84mudhorse]

Your getting a lot of great advice here and we all know how fun it is to play offroad and go mudding...trust me....but it is expensive... from all the experience here on this site ....anything and everything has been done to these Broncos by someone on here and if We can help someone save a few bucks or time or headache we will. It’s a passion for all of us that’s why we are here. So float all your ideas here and absorb what you can. Remember your truck was designed with certain expectations in mind and when you push those expectations the whole trucks design begins to break down. So when you increase power... a weak link will show up somewhere and you will need to correct it....engine swap leads to tranny swap leads to gear swap leads to axle swap leads to suspension swap leads to frame support leads to.....increased cost...so plan accordingly...you may find $8k to be a drop in the bucket if your appetite grows...go in stages....

 

[Big Bertha 89]

I set my goals to high so I push myself realistically I’d be happy with 300hp and 400th and later down the road I’ll continue if I want but the cheapest option I found is a 94 f150 with a 351w and e40d for 500$ So a edlebrock top end kit and new intake and so on is it realistic I could do this swap fairly easily and not have to swap everything I already work 45+ hrs a week for shit pay (take 5) but have saved up enough that I can spend about 5k

 

[Big Bertha 89]

Those are very lofty goals for a 17 year old with 8k.

Build a 94-97 351w. Bump compression to 10:1, add AFR185 heads and a comp 35-512-8 cam. Run the edelbrock truck intake and a really good flowing exhaust system. Thats gonna give you about 340 HP and 450 ft/lbs. This is almost my build from about 15 years ago. It was a screamer with 37s and 4.88 gears.

As a 17 year old, that is PLENTY of power. Been there and done that. Too much power and you might wrap it around a tree. When i was 18 i had to prove to a seller that i could handle the mustang he was offering. Even as responsible as i was, I did things in that car over the next few years that I wouldn't dream of doing now, at 32. Doing 150 on a public highway is an incredibly stupid thing to do. Managed to put 100k on that mustang before a grand marquis pulled out in front of me at 65mph at night. Then I watched a truck come within feet of slamming into me as i escaped the dark smoking (from air bag) car.

Just remember, with power, comes responsibility.

Hell yeah that build sound like what I wanna do and yeah I know if I had over 500hp I’d probably a lil rowdy with her

 

[CZ Eddie]

Can you afford to save $1000/month for the next six months?
If not, then I'd skip the "built transmission" and "turbo" ideas and just concentrate on a 302 to junkyard 351 block swap and add some decent heads and exhaust and gears.

At 17, I couldn't afford a K&N filter let alone a turbo.

 

[Jimmy Dean]

I set my goals to high so I push myself realistically I’d be happy with 300hp and 400th and later down the road I’ll continue if I want but the cheapest option I found is a 94 f150 with a 351w and e40d for 500$ So a edlebrock top end kit and new intake and so on is it realistic I could do this swap fairly easily and not have to swap everything I already work 45+ hrs a week for shit pay (take 5) but have saved up enough that I can spend about 5k

you can do OK with that setup, but I am still going to advocate to hold out for a 95+ engine block for the roller setup.

 

[Jimmy Dean]

you can do OK with that setup, but I am still going to advocate to hold out for a 95+ engine block for the roller setup.

Let me expand on this. I do not know just how much you know about the specifics of engines and construction, but this will also be for anyone else reading who doesn't know.

With a flat tappet camshaft, the angle of the ramp cannot exceed the angle of the tappet, otherwise the corner of the tappet would dig into the camshaft and destroy it (remember, that cam might be turning 3k RPM at times....or more) So this limits how quickly the valves can get to wide open, and this reduces the total effect area under the curve, meaning that there is less time and area for air and fuel to get into the cylinder on intake, or for exhaust to get removed on that stroke. It also minimizes the area under the overlap curve for scavenging, unless you try to push the dwell times to the absolute limits (that is how you blow your intake off).

Roller cams can be much more aggressive, and gets rid of these issues. they are also more reliable (I know, more moving parts blah blah) and do not require zinc additives. The only real downside to roller cams and lifters are for extremely high RPM engines, the increased weight of the lifter can lead to valve float, but this is only an issue at RPMs it is hard to achieve with flat tappet due to the issues above, so it is not a significant issue.

Rollers also reduce the parasitic horsepower losses a little.

Now, if you want to get stupid silly on a build, solid rollers are the way to go, but you'll be pulling valve covers every oil change to set lash. do not recommend for a daily driver.

 

[Big Bertha 89]

Can you afford to save $1000/month for the next six months?
If not, then I'd skip the "built transmission" and "turbo" ideas and just concentrate on a 302 to junkyard 351 block swap and add some decent heads and exhaust and gears.

At 17, I couldn't afford a K&N filter let alone a turbo.

I graduated early so I work full time and make decent for my age but I’m dropping the turbo idea as of now I plan on the 351 and a built tranny since mine are in its last days

 

[BigBlue 94]

you can do OK with that setup, but I am still going to advocate to hold out for a 95+ engine block for the roller setup.

Ahem, its 94+, not 95. Thats why its an F4TE engine block: F means 1990s, 4 means fourth year after 90.

The comp cam i recommended is a roller cam, as are all comps starting with 35-.

Otherwise, I concur

 

[Jimmy Dean]

Ahem, its 94+, not 95. Thats why its an F4TE engine block: F means 1990s, 4 means fourth year after 90.

The comp cam i recommended is a roller cam, as are all comps starting with 35-.

Otherwise, I concur

isn't it a crap shoot on the 94 trucks though whether it is a roller or flat? hence the 95 recommendation, but. yes, he could locate and verify the casting number.