[tony1955]

I have a friend with a 56 Ford Fairlane. It presently has a 289 mated to a fordomatic. I want to remove both. Replacing them with a 302 and a C4. Does anyone know how difficult this will be?
In advance thanks

 

[Pony]

It should be straight across. The 289 and 302/351w motors are all in the same family and share the same motor mounts. I'm fairly sure the fordomatic and C-4 have the same mounting distance also. You can double check the trans mount distance with a tape measure to be sure. Trans linkage may hook up the same also but I don't know for sure. All and all it should be an easy swap with few if any problems. Good Luck.:thumbup:

 

[tony1955]

thanks I didn't think it would be that bad...but it never hurts to ask. I want to try and get the new motor and trans built prepped and bolted together, and be able to make the whole swap in a weekend. I think that's realistic....

 

[fred56]

Goof

I answered your question but submitted it as a separate thread. Sorry. But as I said the conversion was easy and only required a driveshaft made up and Hooker headers from A Ford Ranchero with 351W and 4 Spd. For shifter I used a floor shift(B & M Z-Gate) it worked flawlessly.

 

[Max Keith]

engine swap

the engine swap will be pretty much straight across as the 289 and 302 are the same external dimensions and use the same motor mounts. You will have to alter your driveshaft due to the difference in tranny lengths, and front yokes. One other thing you will have to do is change out the shifter as the single range Fordomatic shift linkage will not work with the C-4.

 

[red65mustang]

go bigger, more torque?

you have plenty of room to bolt in a 351 Windsor and a frame to handle the torque,
beef up a C-4,
3.50 gears/9" rear

improve the brakes........

 

[Max Keith]

56 Ford

Dittos on what red65 said. The 351w would be pretty much a bolt in job, as it uses the same mounts. The 351W is only 2 inches wider, and about 1 1/2 inch taller, the same lenth as the 289/302.
You would gain 50 cubes, and only add about 65 lbs to the front end weight. What he said about brakes goes double for me.

 

[hellboy1956]

to say it will be easy if youve never did that type of aplication is not true i just did this to my car i have a 56 i put a 289/c4 in mine to put it in will be easy but all the other stuff you need and have to do to make this work is the tricky part first off you need late model ford truck motor mounts for a 302 that is all that will work#2you need to see if your car came with automatic or standerd you have to use a automatic crossmember becuase the manual one wont work,you must use a c4 tranny mount rubber and then you must have the small long bracket that bolts to the tranny and cross member for 55-56 ford you can get one new at national parts depot for 27 bucks you must have this or it will not work becuase that bracket is what lines everything stait from the radiator to the rear end#3 you have to remove power pump steering if you have ,it will hit the frame and you cant line motor mounts up correctly#4you have to change harmonic ballincer pully to a flat style or it will bind up and hit the sway bar. then you must heat up the front sway bar and bend it forward towards the radiator just bend the part in front of the pulley abought 1/2 inch every thig should work fine#5 for exuast if your 302 has the exaust pipe on it leave them onand cut them17 and 1/2 inches below the donut you must run exaust though the frame holes or this will cause your flange at the donut to bind up and it will leak, on the rear cross member it will also hit#6 drive shaft check you rear end in the car and see if it has thread in bolt or u bolts if it has threaded bolts you must have a drive shaft made you need a yoke for c4 and a stock drive shaft for 55-56 ford if you have a u bolt style u can use a drive shaft out of a 66-67 ford fairlane it will work with no probelms well thats the correct way to make it work when i first started mine everybody said it would mount right up untill it didnt work then nobody new nothing abought old fords charrish al this info i just gave you becuase it cost me 2,900 bucks to find out the hard way

 

[woodz428]

to say it will be easy if youve never did that type of aplication is not true

If it has 289 as he said, instead of a 292 as was original IT WILL be fairly simple. The 302 will be a direct bolt up to the mounts that are already being used, so much of the work you mention in your post was already done and won't need any changes. The biggest thing will be the trans mount and driveshaft and it shouldn't be that difficult either.Sometimes things are made harder than they need be. I have done these type swaps, I do it for a living.