Need Help Finding Engine,Transmission

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Meerkat

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Don't want somebody else's problems. Looking into buying new motor and tranny.

I checked on used vehicle's and they are all high priced so why buy another vehicle that will need repairs sooner rather than later.

Where would you look Adbance, NAPA etc,etc,etc,.
 
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What vehicle is this going in? A "new" engine and transmission normally costs more than the vehicle is worth (or would be worth, even with new engine & tranny).

A "new" engine and tranny can cost upwards of $7,000 - $10,000 + installation.

1995 E350. I don't care about the van being old. I sure don't want to get into dept for a new van and don't want a used one that will need an over haul like mine does now.
We have a good frame, chassis and whole basically new brake system on this van. Plus tinted windows, carpeted etc.. Plus to haul the camper we bought [ when we both lost our minds at same time on RV lot ] has a roll over safety 'Road Master ' on it too.
So either way we will be in dept for a vehicle. Motor and trans is already 25 years old.
 
Check the value of yours and then decide if it is worth spending a bunch of your cash on it.
My guess is your van isn't really worth the price of a new motor and transmission.
Actual trade in value will be less than $1000.
However if you are determined to keep it a I would look for a small independent garage.
Make sure to check them out very well before you give anyone your money.
I got burned on an engine and transmission swap.
By my brother's son no less.:mad:

https://www.kbb.com/
 
I have already set up to overhaul this. My son in law and son will come here soon as we get the parts. They just need a weeks notice.
They will do the heavy lifting and hubby will supervise.
Price tags are deceiving sometimes. I'm not about to get into dept for new vehicle, used one is just somebody elses problems for several 1000 dollars. so since I already have a good frame, rear end, shocks, axle, all good.Paint is good too.
 
For engines and transmissions you have a few choices.
With engines you can get factory new for a couple hundred more than a rebuild. The factory engine usually comes with a 1 to 5 year warranty while the rebuild will have a 30 day to 1 year warranty. The rebuilt engine requires you to send your engine in as a core. You can "freshen" your engine by having the block bored and having new pistons to fit the larger bore. You will need a new water and oil pump and a new cam and lifters. The nice thing about freshening an engine is that you can fit it to your use. raise the compression ratio to around 9:1 for a bit of added power AND better mileage. A high volume oil pump will supply oil at the same pressure but will make up for bearing wear as the engine ages. A larger oil pan will keep the oil cooler and make everything last longer. The new cam can be a roller cam - better mileage and power suited to how you drive. The down side is that unless you do the assembly the refreshed engine is likely to cost slightly more than a factory new engine.
You might be able to get a factory new automatic transmission or a rebuilt transmission but you have to be careful about rebuilds because most "rebuilt" transmissions are not rebuilt. Most often they are resealed and have new friction parts but the bushings are not replaced. I used to rebuild hot rod transmissions and I replaced all the bushings and thrust washers as well as installing new steel and friction parts. I would add to the number of clutches, increase the pressure slightly, increase lubrication and cooling capacity on every transmission I built. Since my accident and resulting disability I sold the business to my two employees.
Without knowing what year your van is it is impossible to provide you with any accurate pricing but for factory new engines you will be looking at $2500 to $4000 for an engine depending on availability and size. A C4, C5 or C6 auto is only available from the rebuild market and the best place I can recommend is Broader Performance in Texas if he is still in business. That is where I would go for a transmission. His pricing is more than fair and if you call before noon he will be able to give you exactly what you need. Do plan on getting the largest transmission cooler available to safe guard your transmission. An optional deep sump pan is also good for adding to the longevity.
If you have a manual transmission then David Kee is the man to go to.
Both of these transmission businesses will sell and ship to anywhere in the states and some export locations. Their prices are more than fair and quality is first rate. I can't recommend any engine rebuilders because I have always done my own engine work. I think I would check out local NAPA stores as some have in-house machine shops and their prices are competitive and quality has always been good. Check how happy people have been with the work and what their warranties are.
 
Will this 5.0 ,302 289,351 &^%)&*W fit our van? :ghostly:. I read that this is really a 289,302 5.0 engine called a 351 Windsor.o_O

So to skip the small stuff lets just call the thing a 5.0 302 Windsor.

Now far as interchangeable parts go hubby likes carborator better than fuel injection, so will we have to change throttle cable ,linkage, etc. Wonder of exhaust will need to be changed too to fit manafold??

mll-bp3023ctc_ml.jpg



https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mll-bp3023ctc/recommendedparts
 
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For engines and transmissions you have a few choices.
With engines you can get factory new for a couple hundred more than a rebuild. The factory engine usually comes with a 1 to 5 year warranty while the rebuild will have a 30 day to 1 year warranty. The rebuilt engine requires you to send your engine in as a core. You can "freshen" your engine by having the block bored and having new pistons to fit the larger bore. You will need a new water and oil pump and a new cam and lifters. The nice thing about freshening an engine is that you can fit it to your use. raise the compression ratio to around 9:1 for a bit of added power AND better mileage. A high volume oil pump will supply oil at the same pressure but will make up for bearing wear as the engine ages. A larger oil pan will keep the oil cooler and make everything last longer. The new cam can be a roller cam - better mileage and power suited to how you drive. The down side is that unless you do the assembly the refreshed engine is likely to cost slightly more than a factory new engine.
You might be able to get a factory new automatic transmission or a rebuilt transmission but you have to be careful about rebuilds because most "rebuilt" transmissions are not rebuilt. Most often they are resealed and have new friction parts but the bushings are not replaced. I used to rebuild hot rod transmissions and I replaced all the bushings and thrust washers as well as installing new steel and friction parts. I would add to the number of clutches, increase the pressure slightly, increase lubrication and cooling capacity on every transmission I built. Since my accident and resulting disability I sold the business to my two employees.
Without knowing what year your van is it is impossible to provide you with any accurate pricing but for factory new engines you will be looking at $2500 to $4000 for an engine depending on availability and size. A C4, C5 or C6 auto is only available from the rebuild market and the best place I can recommend is Broader Performance in Texas if he is still in business. That is where I would go for a transmission. His pricing is more than fair and if you call before noon he will be able to give you exactly what you need. Do plan on getting the largest transmission cooler available to safe guard your transmission. An optional deep sump pan is also good for adding to the longevity.
If you have a manual transmission then David Kee is the man to go to.
Both of these transmission businesses will sell and ship to anywhere in the states and some export locations. Their prices are more than fair and quality is first rate. I can't recommend any engine rebuilders because I have always done my own engine work. I think I would check out local NAPA stores as some have in-house machine shops and their prices are competitive and quality has always been good. Check how happy people have been with the work and what their warranties are.

Sheep D, lots of good info and thank you. I have been looking and posting . I will check out that site for sure " David Keys " and NAPA. What do you think about the one I put up?
 
What size engine do you have now? A 5.0 liter seems small for a 1-ton van. Might be a little under-powered. That's a 1-ton van. A 1-ton truck normally comes with a 6.0 or larger engine. Half-ton trucks now come with 5.3 liter (Chevy) or slightly smaller but turbocharged V-8's (Ford).

It has been a fantastic engine for 25 years and nobody can beat the gas milage on this van.
It has a 5.0 351 Windsor in it. It is a 15 passenger 1 ton. Just now having problems with missing and been working on it for about a year now. Hubby has done all he knows to do so he said just change both since they are both acting up. E350 XLT. C-4 trans.

This van loves to roll so that may help with fuel economy.



@SheepDog . I went to both sites looks like I'll have to call David Kee but found transmission and shipping price on BroaderPerformance site.


http://www.davidkeetoploaders.com/images/fplogo.jpg


https://www.broaderperformance.com/img/main/logo_broaderperformance.jpg?1530966375


c4-racing-transmission.jpg
 
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After arguing about his yesterday about getting into this kind of dept hubby decided to try one more time to fix it, plus he informed me it only has 116,000 actual miles on it and he has taken good care of it for past 15 years.
I thought it had over 200,000 on it but I had it mixed up with truck that is a 1986.

Change distributor cap, check all wires ' AGAIN ' , so far he has drained the tank changed fuel filter twice, check furl ejectors.
Has new drums, rotors, pads,etc,etc,etc, kept lubed and so will see.
 
If the van came with a 351 Windsor then that 351 Windsor will bolt right in as long as you swap over your accessories and sheet metal. The 351 Windsor is in the same family as the 221,260,289, and 302 (5.0) but it is a wider, taller block, uses a larger diameter crankshaft, longer connecting rods and push rods and different pistons. If it came with a 302 then the 351W may be a tight fit and room for exhaust is one of the biggest issues.
The 351 Windsor and C4/C5 transmissions are a great setup for long term life. You should add a transmission cooler - the larger the better. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that it will make the transmission run too cold. In the 40+ years I have been working on transmissions I have never seen one that was damaged by too little heat but I have seen that most are sent to early death by too much heat. The best operating temperature for an automatic is 170F. The "normal" operating temperature is 250F+. That hardens the seals in the apply pistons and they get brittle and crack. Once they crack the pressure to the clutches bleeds off and more heat is generated by the slipping clutches that also quickly wear out. Get the BIGGEST cooler you can find.
 
The 351 Windsor is a big block and the 351 Cleveland is a short block. I had the Cleveland in a 72 mustang and the Windsor in a 70 Fairlane.
 
The 351 Cleveland is longer and wider than the other small blocks and uses a completely different block, heads, and intake. The Windsor is still considered a small block but it is a couple inches wider and an inch taller than the 302. The Windsor uses the same heads but a wider intake. They both use the same head and bellhousing bolt pattern but different oil pan bolt patterns. The heads are not interchangeable without some machine work due to the different coolant passages.
 
If the van came with a 351 Windsor then that 351 Windsor will bolt right in as long as you swap over your accessories and sheet metal. The 351 Windsor is in the same family as the 221,260,289, and 302 (5.0) but it is a wider, taller block, uses a larger diameter crankshaft, longer connecting rods and push rods and different pistons. If it came with a 302 then the 351W may be a tight fit and room for exhaust is one of the biggest issues.
The 351 Windsor and C4/C5 transmissions are a great setup for long term life. You should add a transmission cooler - the larger the better. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that it will make the transmission run too cold. In the 40+ years I have been working on transmissions I have never seen one that was damaged by too little heat but I have seen that most are sent to early death by too much heat. The best operating temperature for an automatic is 170F. The "normal" operating temperature is 250F+. That hardens the seals in the apply pistons and they get brittle and crack. Once they crack the pressure to the clutches bleeds off and more heat is generated by the slipping clutches that also quickly wear out. Get the BIGGEST cooler you can find.

SheepD, will do for sure! I notice that the trans doesn't start slipping till it runs for awhile so imo as you said it is getting too hot. But also once we pull it over and turn off engine for a few seconds, it stops slipping again for awhile.
The missing is constant from start to finish but it is now less spitting and skipping since we drained all gas ,change filters, twice and plugs, didn't change fuel injector's yet but did test them on left side because right side of box is hard to get to till help arrives..
 
Performance engines sell for a lot more than street engines and they get less miles per gallon. With a 351W getting 385 HP you give up mileage and smooth idle. Your power starts rising after you reach 3000 rpm which is as high as a typical street engine will turn. To get the 385 HP you have to turn the engine well above 6000 rpm which shortens the life of the engine and requires much more maintenance. You want a 351W that makes up to 305 or so HP but no more. This can be done with 9:1 compression ratio, an "RV" type cam that has a smooth idle and is designed for good mileage. Most importantly with a street engine in a heavy vehicle you want the power at the low RPM end. Camshafts designed for idle to 4000 RPM are great for your daily driver even with a heavy vehicle. All my cars have carbureted engines and point type ignition systems. Using the older electronic ignitions keeps you from having to replace the points yearly but if they quit on you then you need to have spare parts to replace the sensor or amplifier to get back on the road. I just have to adjust the points and I am going again. I have to confess that the only electronics in my vehicles are the radio and the alternator. I rarely use the radio but then an AM radio is pretty useless out in the country. :)
 
Performance engines sell for a lot more than street engines and they get less miles per gallon. With a 351W getting 385 HP you give up mileage and smooth idle. Your power starts rising after you reach 3000 rpm which is as high as a typical street engine will turn. To get the 385 HP you have to turn the engine well above 6000 rpm which shortens the life of the engine and requires much more maintenance. You want a 351W that makes up to 305 or so HP but no more. This can be done with 9:1 compression ratio, an "RV" type cam that has a smooth idle and is designed for good mileage. Most importantly with a street engine in a heavy vehicle you want the power at the low RPM end. Camshafts designed for idle to 4000 RPM are great for your daily driver even with a heavy vehicle. All my cars have carbureted engines and point type ignition systems. Using the older electronic ignitions keeps you from having to replace the points yearly but if they quit on you then you need to have spare parts to replace the sensor or amplifier to get back on the road. I just have to adjust the points and I am going again. I have to confess that the only electronics in my vehicles are the radio and the alternator. I rarely use the radio but then an AM radio is pretty useless out in the country. :)

SheepD thanks again.
We are now hoping to study on the alternative to changing out engine. But we would both like to have the engine you speak of without the gadgets.
 
Sounds like you need a whole drive train @Meerkat.

The last used engine I bought was from Automotix. They had good customer service and answered all my questions. They charged me $1000 for a used engine for my Honda Insight, which included delivery. I had it shipped to a shop. The shop installed it for $800. I've had this engine now for 16 months and it's still getting me where I want to go.

It was better than going to the dealer. The dealer quoted $6,000-$8,000.

https://automotix.net/
 
Once you start modifying any of the components away from the factory design in your van you will discover that at least three other areas will be effected and it will cost more money and time to "fix".
The lower total mileage on your van is not a plus the age is the problem, one weeks time may barely be enuf time if you are just replacing the long block and transmission.
The type of "refresh" that you are trying to do only works if you the owner have the skills and equipment to be able to handle any of the warranty work once the help has left and believe me there will be plenty.
 
SheepD thanks again.
We are now hoping to study on the alternative to changing out engine. But we would both like to have the engine you speak of without the gadgets.
Awww come on! Don't you want a van that'll do a decent burnout?
Lol
 

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