302 swap for 351c

i have a 1986 ford thunderbird with a stock 302 and c4 tranny im trying to find out what all i might have to do to put my 1978 351 cleveland in it?

Bellhousing bolt pattern is different, motor mounts are different. Lots of the usual little things involved with every swap, linkage, wiring, brackets, coolant hoses, etc. I'm not all that familiar with an '86 bird, is the oil pan sump in the right place???

ok i have a windsor also would that be an easier swap money wise

was a 351 cleveland still around in 78 ? make sure you dont have a 351 modified ( 351 M ) .. cleveland is a small block .. 351 M is a small block with big block bolt pattern

windsor is practically a bolt in .. .. just get a rear sump oil pan

the 351 modified has a taller deck--same as a 400 but with the shorter stroke

351W would be a lot easier, only difference to the 302 Windsor is the deck height is taller on the 351 making it wider at the valve covers....But they'll fit, and so will a 460 with a bit of "adjusting" in the strut tower area.

351 C is a easy swap, it's a small block just like the 351w and 302 or even the 289.
The motor mounts should be the same. But if you have a 351 Cleveland I can garentee
you that it's not a 78, the Clevelands were only produced about 3 1/2 years. They went from 70 to 73 1/2. Also do you know if you have a 2 bolt or 4 bolt main?
It's easy to tell if you have the good heads or not, look at all 4 corners around your valve covers on the head there should be either a 2V or a 4V in one of the corners.
2V is for 2 barrel heads and 4V is the big 4 barrel heads. The 2 barrel heads are better for the street, 4 barrels are for all out racing.
Oh if you have what you think is a Cleveland and it is a 78 it is probably 351 or 400 modified and the bolt patern on those are big block hook up's to the trany's and won't fit
your small block set up. They are in th cleveland family and use the same heads but they are big block. not small blocks like the cleveland.
If the letters on the block are not D1 or D2 or D3 it is not a cleveland but probably a Modified 351 or 400. which are big blocks and the have taller decks then the Cleveland.
It's easy to tell the 351M from the 400M, remove the number one spark plug and bring it up to top dead center. Now stick a straw in the spark plug hole and mark the
straw even with the spark plug hole. Now turn the crank to bottom dead center with the piston all the way down mark the straw again. Now take the straw out and measure
from your first line to your second line. 3 1/2 inches is a 351 and 4 inches is a 400, see how easy, thats it.
Kurt

Or since your '86 Bird is a roller cam 302 aka 5.0 Why not build it? there are a ton of aftermarket parts available as well as 331 and 347 stroker kits at almost the same prices as the stocker parts.Stop by www.sbftech.com and do a ton of reading there,you will learn a lot.