What to do with this? (ford Ranchero content)

In reply to NickD:

I can't find the Edelbrock top end kit. It isn't on the website.

Edit: found the one for the Cleveland. $4k isn't going to happen

In reply to singleslammer:

Okay, they don't make a "top end kit" per se, like I thought they did, but they do make Performer RPM heads that fit the 351C/351M/400M as well as a Performer 400M intake manifold.

Comp makes everything you need for the valvetrain, which is one of the huge bottlenecks of the 400M as the cam as supplied was tiny.

A big part of the picture is pistons, because the 400M had terrible compression by that point. The Edelbrock heads do have a 60cc chamber (nearly 20cc smaller), which should get it in a reasonable range, and you can use '71 pistons to also get some compression back or just have the deck milled and use thin head gaskets. T. Meyer Inc. also offers a flat-top hypereutectic piston set for $425 that with your 77cc heads would get you into the 9.3:1 compression range. Hot Rod built one before they became more popular, and they ended up boring the engine 0.010" over and using Dodge 340 standard-bore pistons but that required a ton of jiggery-pokery to make work.

The good news is that in '77, Ford beefed up the castings for truck use, so they added a bunch of material to the main bearing webbing.

In reply to NickD:

Good info, thanks

So it looks like I have a plan. I am planning to put one of these:

Under the Ranchero to make a FI one of these:

But more low, I am not planning on making it a mud truck but a modern(ish) driving Ranchero that doesn't suck in snow.

Oh yeah, I am going to look at a 97 Expedition (E36 M3tiest Non-PI engine) for $500 tonight.

Love this. I think the idea of a lifted Ranchero on an Expedition chassis sounds awesome. I wish I could find the really OLD picture I took of a similar year lifted brown woody wagon LTD with Boss Hog style horns mounted on the wood. That kinda nails the look you are going for. It was rusting away next to a tire shop for years.

My first thought when I read your initial post though was that this should be left largely as is and go for a Joe Dirt/My Name is Earl type of Redneck monstrosity with a lifted ass end, traction bars, and overly backspaced Cragars or slotted mags on it and a 460 swap. Like a 70's Street Machine that was left in the trailer park for the last 30 years and fired up again all of the sudden....

Belltech sells a pair of torsion keys for the Expedition chassis that will drop it 1-3 inches up front, giving the Ranchero a mean Mad Max meets 70s Street Machine appearance for $130 plus shipping.

I went and looked at a 97 Expedition the other day. Almost bought it but it had the enimic NPI 5.4l that makes a total of 215hp. I would like to find a 03-04 with the 4.6l. That gives me and all AL engine and IRS. I would like to limit my height increase as much as possible. Thanks for the tip on Belltech.

In reply to singleslammer:

Another thing to look at would be a mid-1999 to 2004 Lincoln Navigator. Those got a 5.4 with 4 valve heads making 300 horsepower.

Oh yeah, those are on my list. Anything in that platform with the 119"ish wheelbase.

The PI headed 4.6's have a history of ejecting spark plugs. I'd stick with either the 3 or 4 valve engines.

In reply to mancha:

3 valves have spark plug problems too.

Yeah, that is the dice I roll with this project. Nothing is perfect.

Coyote swap is the obvious answer, right?

Yes but that isn't going to happen in the challenge budget or as the first engine for the chassis swap. I want to take a running truck, slap it under the Chero, blow it up, THEN Coyote swap. OR 6.2L swap from a gen 1 Raptor!!!

Oh so I'm not the only one that goes into a project like this with a plan for what happens when the first version of the drivetrain explodes. Good.

Nope. Not alone.

Still waiting to lt1 swap the elky when the tbi blows....