S351 MInor Tune Up Help

[homeplate5]

I plan on doing a minor tune up on a 97 S351. The car only has 11k on the odo so it doesn't get used much.

Anyway, as I got into pulling a spark plug I come to find out that the part # is no longer used. Can anyone help me with the following specs:

plugs - heat range, gap, current part #
plug wires - current part #'s/brand to use
rotor/cap - ditto

Trying to keep the beast as stock as possible.

I had no problems re-oiling the air filer and changing out the fuel filter. If anybody has some other tips on things to do while wrenching on the car I'd appreciate it. The car has never given me any trouble to speak of.

Lastly, I can't seem to find the motorcraft FL300 oil filter any longer. I'm told that the FL-1a is a larger replacement for it. Anybody have insight on this?

Thanks in advance for your help.

kd

[HOLLYWDHOMICIDE]

First of all.....KEEP ALL THE ORIGINAL PARTS!!! Even if you take them off! Check with Joe at Chicane...310-782-0063 or Mark at Performance Autosport...804-784-8851.....e-bay can sometimes be your friend.

[Dave]

Do what Mark (I try to remember who people be?) said above.

With that, at last ditch try a Ford Dealer parts counter for the FL300.

The Motorcraft FL-1 is an easy filter to find. Used on a percentage of the V8 cars from the 1980s and 1990s. There is also a FL-1 HP filter, and a line of Ford Racing filters that you can buy by the case.

I don't know if the later 351 cars used Motorcraft plugs, forgive my ignorance, but if they did... Going back to the Ford Dealer, were they able to cross-reference your current plug to an update or design change? I can recall with my old SHO, Ford updated the electrode (I believe that's what was updated) and they changed the suffix trailing the part number. So, my OE plugs were obsolete, but there was a direct updated replacement.

An aftermarket plug can be cross-referenced as well using a company product catalog.

The neat thing about contacting the above people, they might steer you to better than OE tune items.

Good luck! Feel free to post your findings from Joe or Mark LaM.

Quick Filter Search (http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=700+401103+115+4294818380)

[hattrick]

I can' tell if the 97"s used the same head as the 95's or not. The book only states they were aluminum which is also what is stated for the 95's. My 95 came with the Edelbrock Peformers (1.60 & 2.02 valves) and had 6025 in the head casting. According to the Edelbrock instructions for this series head, the plugs must be "14mm x 3/4" reach gasketed seat" which is of course a longer threaded plug. Both before and after the rebuild, I used the Autolite 3923 which is readily available. I have also switched to the K&N oil filter. I believe the P/N is 3001.

[HOLLYWDHOMICIDE]

Summit Racing sells the Motorcraft Oil Filter FL300. It's $4.95 plus shipping. Look it up in E-bay. The correct plug wires will also show up from time to time. Be Patient and keep searching!! Good Luck and I'll watch for you also......Mark

[S351r]

The FL 300 can be bought at Autozone. The FL1A will fit. Its a pain to get in there but, will work just fine. As for the plugs run autolites. I have the number in the car. I'll post it tomorrow. Its really cold outside right now! For plug wires buy the Taylor 10mm. I will track down the part number. They are who Saleen used originally and they are what you would receive if you ordered them from Saleen in the late 90's. The distributor cap is from a 94 F150 from Ford. The 96-up cars used Trick flow heads which use a differen spark plug. The Ford dealer has no way to check for the correct stuff for these cars unless you knwo how to manipulate the system yourself.

[homeplate5]

I heard from Mark at Performance. He said that for a stock S351 Windsor head he uses Autolite 3924 with a .028 - .030 gap (much smaller gap than what Saleen specs.)

The distributor cap/rotor come from a standard 302/351 Motorcraft part number, and the wires are standard Taylor brand.

When I pulled the old plugs they were Motorcraft AWSF32C. They worked great for 5 years and had normal greyish/red deposits on them. The wires are 8mm Taylors and look like they are still in good shape. I went back to the original paperwork on the vehicle and it says the car comes with NGK plugs for the trivia crowd.

Anyway, I want to thank everyone for their assistance in keeping my garage queen in top shape.

kd

[S351r]

They say NGK but, that was not the rule. The 3924's are the ones I use. I usually go with a autolite racing plug. The smaller gap is because if you run the saleen spec gap it most likely will blow the park out.