1974 ford courier engine swap
Asked by GuruD9NVVN Aug 26, 2023 at 01:53 PM about the 1974 Ford Courier
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Looking to swap a triton 5.4 or an ls 5.3 into
the truck any tips or recommendations on
which would be an easier build
3 Answers
You better do some measuring, those are large engines and the courier engine bay is small. In all my years I have only seen 1 V8 in a courier and it was a 260 out of a Mercury. The guy said it was a total nightmare. And that’s old school engine.
As 1974 predates smog checks, you can put anything into that car and never have to suffer smog checks again..... Ford to me has always been problematic, and literally Factory Over Rated Dogs, but then you're not racing. I'd trust the Chevy LS 5.3 WAY more than the Ford 5.4, but honestly, you can do a lot better than either. Your Courier's a Mazda, and pretty small, and a newer engine, like a new crate engine that's smaller, like a V6 or an I4, would likely serve you better in the long run, and provide more power than the original, with much better fuel economy.
