Nos681 wrote:

What would you do to a well running high mileage engine?

Think of high school, low buck, and little money build.
What should be changed?
What should be left alone?

I can hear my dad’s voice now…😂

If needed, I'd give it a bath to clean any dirt and crud.. Change plugs and wires then, drop it in an empty engine compartment  and drive.

"Put a big camshaft in it"!!  (keeping up my 'rep' don't cha know)
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh. you know I'm jok'in...right?
6sal6
I'd drive it until it DOES give problems

Last edited by 6sally6 (7/07/2021 11:20 AM)

Way long time ago when I still had brown hair I installed a 351w in my '66.  It replaced a, what I thought, was a tired 289 with over 200,000 miles on it.  It burned a little oil too.  The 289 was sold to a guy who put them into BMWs.  He did just that and drove into the sunset.

A number of years later I ran across him.  The old 289 was still running strong.  He was very happy.

The take away?  Put it in and go!

 

The engine I put in my 56 F100 had 300,000 miles on it.  I cleaned it, new rings and bearings and ground valves. Not perfect engine but good for many more fun miles.  Only real problem I found inside it was several stuck rings. That issue seems to be quite prevalent on later 5.0 engines having those really thin 1.5mm rings.

That said, it was 2001 5.0 Explorer engine. It probably would not have been a very good runner without the new rings.

Rudi wrote:

What’s it out of?
# of miles?
Do you have use for it if checked out and ok’d?
Got room to shelve it?
I save way too much stuff, gotta change my ways!😵‍💫

1997 F250 2wd auto
181,000 miles
Mustang…we like the 300 in the F150.
Sitting in a dry garage now

Was able to run it in truck from cold start before it was removed.

Everything looked good on gauges and didn’t see or smell any smoke from exhaust.

Now the big question…what cam to run in bone stock 351w?

Nos681 wrote:

Rudi wrote:

What’s it out of?
# of miles?
Do you have use for it if checked out and ok’d?
Got room to shelve it?
I save way too much stuff, gotta change my ways!😵‍💫

1997 F250 2wd auto
181,000 miles
Mustang…we like the 300 in the F150.
Sitting in a dry garage now

Was able to run it in truck from cold start before it was removed.

Everything looked good on gauges and didn’t see or smell any smoke from exhaust.

Now the big question…what cam to run in bone stock 351w?

 
If’n it were me I’d do a paintbrush overhaul and run it till it actually needs work.
The 300 six it too tall for a Mustang, good engine for sure, had one in an E150 conversion van with a manual 4 speed floor mounted stick.