Vannin' Home Forums General Discussion Readers Rides Bandvan's '78 Ford Econoline 150

Glad you guys dig my big nosed Ford, thanks for the compliments! Ive got some ideas on what to do with it over the winter build season.

Munz, its been an ongoing project just to get it roadworthy (something I know you understand haha), it was gonna debut at LMDW but technical difficulties set that plan back. IM shocked I even got it out to any van runs this year (provanity and frostbite), because I really like my chevy as a road tripping van and it saw the other 5 runs I did this year. Something to be said about that bow-tie reliability

Hahahah dont let the ford guys here you talk like that!!! What your a ford guy lol Yes I've brought a few back from the dead and that is 1/2 the fun of vanning.

So i guess throwing a GM 5.3 LS motor and 4l60e in it is really gonna mess with peoples heads.

Are you talking about your ford? Cause the sound of that is messing with my head but I like the way your thinking!!!

All I know is this 351w isn't gonna last for ever, and I want an easy 300+ horses and overdrive. Food for thought; not my fault GM makes better, easier to find motors haha.

Here is my advice- If you want overdrive and easily available parts, swap to a 302/AOD combination. Alternatively, get the 351W rebuilt, install an Edelbrock power package (cam, intake, carb [but get the 500 CFM carb]), rebuild the C-6 trans, and install some form of aftermarket overdrive. Gear Vendors is the biggest name in town, but if you dig around you can find others.

I suspect the easiest and cheapest route for you would be a 302/AOD swap. But overdrive with 3.2 gears would lug the motor pretty bad. Heck, I have 3.55 gears in my 89 Ford and I would spin 1700-2000 RPM going 65-75 MPH down the highway.

My 351 already has the Ebrock power pack on it with at comp cams "rv" cam in it. Without head work its about as good as its gonna get.

Ive looked into an aod swap but Im not sold on that transmission. C6 rebuild and gear vendors is gonna run me just as much if not more then a decent used LS motor and 4l60e. Yes there is some fab work involved but im not bothered by that. Just kind want something different that performs good in a bigger vehicle, (5.3 is in damn near every truck gm made after 99) and is known to do over 350 horse with intake and headers out of the box.

Why a 500cfm carb on a powered up 351? I have a 600 on mine now and it runs great.

My chevy has 3.55 in it and I get what you are saying, its nice to turn that low at 70 but if you live anywhere with hills, the trans is constantly kicking back to 3rd gear.

Cheap is nice but Im going for different. Its just a thought, I know it rubs people the wrong way

500 CFM carb improves fuel economy and throttle response.

I don't know why you think a 351 won't perform. I have had a 351W H.O. in first an 84 Ford van and then my current 89 Ford van. This motor combined with the C6 it was originally built with has propelled both vans to over 100 MPH and performed great. When the motor was carbureted in the 84, I ran a 450 CFM Holley Economaster carb on it and got over 20 MPG on the highway if I drove the speed limit. I converted it to EFI when I swapped the drivetrain into my 89 van and my fuel economy dropped to the low teens. A set of 351 HO motor heads would help with bigger valves. I think a rear axle gear swap, a motor freshening and bigger valves would be easier and cheaper than installing an engine and fuel system out of a much later model Chevy vehicle.

Why not save yourself a headache and avoid ruining a nice van and just buy a Chevy van? I've never ben a fan of mixing and matching motors and chassis. You end up with a frankenstein mess that is very difficult to make work right and maintain. There are lots and lots and lots of small things you ned to consider when swapping a fuel injected motor and computer controlled transmission into a earlier year vehicle of a different make.

They make plug and play computer and wiring harnesses for all chevy motor and Trans combos so all you really have to do is fab the install. I'm not a huge fan of breed mixing when it comes to body parts but I'm such a chevy fan that I love chevy drive trains in everything hahaha. A friend of mine has an Econo pick up with a small block chevy and it's awesome, I have my eye on that one ;-)