84 B2000 Mazda 302V8 Swap Project

Hello, I am in Memphis and I have taken on a project that is starting to baffle me. I bought a 84 b2000 with the specific intent to convert it to a ford v8 drive train. I have been all over the net and seen a lot of sites and forums the past four weeks. What I can't find is specifics for what is involved in converting the fame to accept a 302 install. I am not an amateur by any means and have built cars for over thirty years but this one is baffling me. All the forums I have seen address the swap in everything but an 84 which has a complicated cross member and original mount posts. I need help with what to cut out and eliminate. with the motor set in the bay after a lot of cutting and elimination I can't see how the starter will ever fit and not hit the steering link. If anyone out there has any photos of an 84 setup and what they did before dropping the motor in I would love to see them. I cut the top half of the curved cross member off and the two original motor mount towers. I have the motor at what seems to be the correct position and far enough back to bolt the transmission on but I had to remove the sway bar and the frag link is right where the starter would mount. please, if you can help let me know.

Wish I could help you... I have no clue on the swaps. Lots of good people on here though. Good luck with it.

Is there something specifically special about the 84 frame set up that I never caught. The later years show a simple straight cross member that you cut out. And the steering linkage seems to be up front instead of behind the cross member. \AM I SCREWED HERE? surely an 84 v8 swap has been done by somebody here.

the motor mounts being used seem to be simple to install but the 84 has frame mounts that are turned sideways or perpendicular to the original motor. I cut those down to get the motor to lower down into the bay far enough to get the trans to clear. I can handle making mounts but its the steering linkage and starter that have me worried.

I have been through a crap load of forum threads and can't find anything that addresses the 84 frame and what to do to get a v8 to fit the bay. because of the curved cross member the double sump pan that was on my motor won't work. It seems obvious that I need a front sump pan. Even then I am wondering if the pan will clear the curved cross member.

I'm screwed.....I just knew it............I'm screwed.
maybe I'll put a Briggs and Stratton in it. I'm not sleeping......................I can't eat.........................................

Doing a swap like that you have to be willing to do some heavy modifications. If you really want the V8 and it fits with exception of the crossmember then maybe it needs to be replaced/modified.

Good luck, Dan

I'm on board and ready to cut chop and weld whatever needed. It's just the obvious things I am seeing that I need someones experience to guide me with. The Starter hitting the drag link, and where in the world are the exhaust headers suppose to go.
I;m hoping somebody has some real experience with the 84 body and frame. there really isn't anything out there that applies directly to the 84

MustangII front clip?

If you are set on a V8 then maybe it's the only way.

If you just want power then a turbo F2 motor will be easy - and make up to 400+ hp

that's surely one way to go Angus. The aggrevating part is I read a bunch of forums where guys built these and never mentioned changing out the entire front frame assembly. it was just swapping mounts and minor mods. I just didn't realize nobody was talking about the 84 setup.