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New Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2008
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 1
- Age
- 45
- Location
- Hill County, TX
- Vehicle Year
- 2000/1976/1976
- Make / Model
- Dodge/Ford/Ford
- Engine Size
- 318-351-351
- Transmission
- Automatic
Cheap engineless Torino headed my way, new radiator, new exhaust, and all sorts of goodies. So I'm thinking about gas prices and about how small an engine I can get away with in a 3800-4000lb car. The car came with a 351 originally (I assume a 351W but it could have been a 351C) and has an FMX transmission still under it. Car was driveable 3 months ago before the motor was pulled for a truck, so the transmission should be fine. 351 in 1974 had 158 horsepower and around 245lbs-ft of torque. The base 302 in the Torino had 141 horsepower and around 205lbs-ft of torque.
The 3.8 Essex V6 matches the 302's numbers in CFI form, and the various EFI/SFI forms do better. I think the motor would be a great swap into the car. A 3.0 engine is a little more anemic, but if I remember my 1975 351W Torino I had in high school which was a bone-stock grandma sedan, it had more than enough power and delivered 15-17mpg. I'm wondering if putting a 3.0 in this car would be worth any trouble to install and if it would do better mileage wise than a 3.8.
3.0 likes to rev, 3.8 likes to cruise. But can a 3.0 bolt up to an AOD or FMX transmission? I think the car has 2.75 or 3.00 gears in the 9-inch, so that won't let it rev well, will it? But if it'll bolt up to the stock FMX, it'll turn decent once up to speed without overdrive, right?
3.0 is fuel injection only, probably needs 2 or 4 cats, 2 or 4 O2 sensors, etc. What else will I have to put in to make it work? If the FMX/AOD won't work, I'll have to find an A4LD and make changes to the drivetrain, right?
The 3.8 Essex V6 matches the 302's numbers in CFI form, and the various EFI/SFI forms do better. I think the motor would be a great swap into the car. A 3.0 engine is a little more anemic, but if I remember my 1975 351W Torino I had in high school which was a bone-stock grandma sedan, it had more than enough power and delivered 15-17mpg. I'm wondering if putting a 3.0 in this car would be worth any trouble to install and if it would do better mileage wise than a 3.8.
3.0 likes to rev, 3.8 likes to cruise. But can a 3.0 bolt up to an AOD or FMX transmission? I think the car has 2.75 or 3.00 gears in the 9-inch, so that won't let it rev well, will it? But if it'll bolt up to the stock FMX, it'll turn decent once up to speed without overdrive, right?
3.0 is fuel injection only, probably needs 2 or 4 cats, 2 or 4 O2 sensors, etc. What else will I have to put in to make it work? If the FMX/AOD won't work, I'll have to find an A4LD and make changes to the drivetrain, right?
