What would you use?

[enjenjo]

I recently bought a 2007 Ford E450 cutaway van. It has a cherry body, but is missing the engine and trans. I have a E4OD trans I can use, it currently has a small block Windsor bellhousing on it, but that can be changed. What would you build for an engine? It doesn't have to be a Ford, I have considered several, including a 351W, a 408 stroker, a 429 or 460, a 455 Buick, even a 6BT Cummins. Fatcat even suggested a 454 Chevy. I don't care about being emissions legal, there is no inspection where I live. I am just looking for decent mileage, and good torque for towing.

[Digger]

425 thru 500 ci Cadillac is a great towing engine.

[phat46]

How about a deisel? I don't know how hard they are to find in a junk yard, but it seems it would be great for towing although for some reason deisel fuel costs more than gasoline.
Or how about a 460 Ford? seems like it would be less messing around to put a Ford in a Ford.What engine was in the van to begin with?

[Bruce Dorsi]

I recently bought a 2007 Ford E450 cutaway van.

Depending on how much is cut away, you may get by with a Briggs & Stratton engine!  

[GPster]

My first thought was an early 401 Buick. If you're going to build it you could always have the cam ground to a profile you liked. I would think it would be easier to get the bottom end you would need with cubic inches than with computor help on the top. Of course the more I think about it I'd worry about how all the stuff is jammed together under the hoods and cowls of those things and maybe something with a front distributor might be handy. Isn't the 400 Chrysler/Dodge the made with the short block (in height) of the 361/383 ? The 413/440 tall blocks get so wide. I know my ideas are old but I like to remember back when things were simple and typing with two fingers was good enough. GPster

[UGLY OLDS]

Like the song says ....."With a little help from an adapter kit" ....  

 Besides ...You already know how to tune them    




Bob....

[purplepickup]

I recently bought a 2007 Ford E450 cutaway van.

Depending on how much is cut away, you may get by with a Briggs & Stratton engine!  

Bruce, a Briggs might work if it was a VW cutaway......plus a kick stand might help.....

[wayne petty]

hmm.. should be LOTS of room.... by the way... which engine did it come with ..

engine of your 2007 Ford E450 Super Duty Van:
Available engines
10 Cylinders S 6.8L EFI
8 Cylinders P 6.0L Turbo Diesel

the Vin S  gas engine or the vin P  turbo Diesel..

might make a dollar difference in what needs to be done to the fuel tanks and pumps... probably insignificant..

the rear end gear ratio difference might also be an issue..

[unklian]

472 or 500 Caddy.

[enjenjo]

It originally had a diesel, with a E4OD trans. The reason I am considering gasoline is the difference in diesel prices. the research I have done does not show enough difference in fuel mileage to cover the difference in fuel price, and the higher buy in cost.

I have a 500 Caddy, and thought about one of them too. I have a buddy who had one in a Chevy truck, and just loved it.

I have in my storage, a 500 Caddy, a 455 Olds, a 455 Buick, a 400 Ford, and a couple 454 Chevys. I also know of a 97 Chevy truck BBC with fuel injection, and a 4L80E that is available.

[wayne petty]

wow... what a selection of engine options..

the ISSUE as i see it is slightly up in the air...

durability at 1/3 to 5/8 throttle..  for hundreds of miles..  pushing a wall of van nose down the road.. how much you are hauling?

i am not saying the caddy won't hold up as many people have used them and they work great in pickups.. lighter than a small block chevy..    plus with adaptor plates one can use big block chevy headers..

i would think that making sure that the heads have induction hardened seats still.. or have some serious seats installed.. newer metals in the valves.. some brands have specials for propane and natural gas  conversions..

stabilizing the rocker shaft ends..

monitoring the exhaust with o2 sensors..

the hard part is to get the mileage..  as thats going to be IN fine tuning the idle transition restriction or circuit if you are running a carb..   but this is a WHOLE bunch of typing and requires monitoring the exhaust gasses at part throttle operation to get the best MPG..   perhaps i will type up some of my thoughts on idle transition circuit tuning..

having a decent cam..  other people have their favorites.. i like the american custom cams H230 grind..  have put that in several 460s and the owner thought i had installed a completely different motor..  got much better MPG in a fully loaded Dodge B300 /360 with a TQ..  almost 100 miles farther between driver looking for gas stations between whittier and utah..   i have not personally tried that grind in a 500 motor..

depending on the year of the 460 you have... when i was working on my 460 van.. i needed another head... the core supplier i went pulled out a set of fuel injected F3 castings... i did not get a chance to look at the differences between the D3 earlier carb 460 heads. but the exhaust port on that Fuel injected 460 head looked like the new aluminum edelbrock 460 exhaust ports...  they were beautiful ports.. but while i was toting out the earlier head... somebody bought the later heads and was gone with them by the time i got to the front..


oh  since a few weeks ago.. when i went through my 4180 on my 460 van.. it seems like my fuel gauge is broken.. does not move any ware as fast as it did before..  perhaps its broken. its nice not to need miles of hose from the gas station to go anywhere...


edit... oops.. i forgot you have a 400 ford not a 460..

the 97 chevy.. BBC  vortec.. be sure to check the distributer gear before you start the engine installation.. they tend to wear.. you might ask rooster about those..

for some reason... somewhere in oem emissions world.. they have gotten the idea that 12 to 15 inches of vacuum is better than higher vacuum readings..  

unless i am COMPLETELY WRONG...

higher vacuum levels equates to LESS air going through the motors... so less fuel is needed to reach proper air fuel ratio...
but with the OBD2 system.. they have to reduce the manifold vacuum to supply more air flow and fuel to keep the cats at operating temps so the secondary oxygen sensors behind the cats can fine tune the air fuel ratio. this might be why the fuel mileage has suffered in gas powered trucks.. they are looking for BIG horsepower numbers so they need monster size cats to handle the air flow.. but have to keep enough air and hydrocarbons flowing through them  to keep them working..  am i wrong??? i have thought for a while that exhaust flow should be heated either with a microwave magnatron to get it hot enough to keep the cat hot.. or with a grid headed by inductive heating to bring the air temps up to keep the platinum hot.. but that again is a whole other thread... perhaps in the future..

[unklian]

I also know of a 97 Chevy truck BBC with fuel injection, and a 4L80E that is available.

That would be real tempting.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I guess at this point, it does not matter , since the power train is gone.

the 2007 vehicle would have a 4R100 trans or maybe a 5R110 transmittin

[enjenjo]

I guess at this point, it does not matter , since the power train is gone.

the 2007 vehicle would have a 4R100 trans or maybe a 5R110 transmittin

I realize that Tony, but I was too lazy to correct it. It had a 4R100. I have a E4OD trans here.

[Carnut]

500 Caddy would be at the top of my list especially since you have one. but just under it would be a Mopar 440.