Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Engine Tech => Topic started by: 302Bird87 on August 21, 2011, 09:59:27 PM

Title: Budget 302
Post by: 302Bird87 on August 21, 2011, 09:59:27 PM
Does anyone know how much i can do with the 302 before stock crank and rods will be a problem?

My plan so far:

Rebuilding kit
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FEM-MHP174-000/

Main Cap Girdle
Stock Cyl Heads
Cam and lifter kit(have not decided wich one yet)
Alu intake and carb
Aftermarked shorty headers and 2.5 inch dual exhaust

Other than this there will be new: bolts, waterpump, timing chain, harmonic balancer, rocker arms....

As i dont have much experience with engine building, im hoping for some info on choosing cam/valvetrain setup. The car will be mostly street driven, with some autocrossing.  When i took the engine apart, i found roller lifters, is this stock? Should i be looking for a hydraulic roller setup?

Vegar
Title: Budget 302
Post by: Kitz Kat on August 22, 2011, 05:13:11 AM
If this is a stock so 302 your going to be limited some with the heads.
Title: Budget 302
Post by: 302Bird87 on August 22, 2011, 01:35:33 PM
Yes its stock heads(not H.O). I know they will limit power gains, but they will have to do for starters.
Title: Budget 302
Post by: vinnietbird on August 22, 2011, 01:45:10 PM
If you're on a super tight budget, go to any salvage yard and find a 5.0 EFI Ford F-150 pickup and yank the heads. they have E-7 heads. Not the greatest, but a lot better than the E-6 heads. And pulling them from a truck is usually super cheap. The trucks are where Ford sourced the heads for the '87 and up Mustangs.
Title: Budget 302
Post by: tirefryr on August 22, 2011, 10:14:46 PM
Or you can grab the GT-40 heads from the 5.0 Explorer/Mountaineer.
Title: Budget 302
Post by: Kitz Kat on August 23, 2011, 04:58:50 AM
He's in Norway, availability might be tough.
Title: Budget 302
Post by: tirefryr on August 23, 2011, 05:21:39 AM
Doh.
Title: Budget 302
Post by: 302Bird87 on August 23, 2011, 01:54:44 PM
Kitz Kat: you are so right....

Im just gonna use the stock heads until i can afford alu heads.
I read somewhere that Ford dont recomend more than 400 hp out of a stock 302 block, and mine is not comming close to that kind of power now. Does anyone know how much the stock internals can handle?
Title: Budget 302
Post by: tirefryr on August 23, 2011, 04:02:58 PM
I've always heard the roller castings are good to 500HP, but I've seen many surpass this.  Of course they had main girdles, the valley girdle and all supporting equipment and tuning.  The sock internals are good for quite a bit given it's been well maintained.  I don't know about the 'birds, but the Fox Mustangs had forged pistons up until 1992.
Title: Budget 302
Post by: Haystack on August 23, 2011, 08:50:39 PM
Yes, hydralic roller cams. You will not get close to 400hp out of the stock heads. Try more like 200-300hp with a well thought through setup. At the wheels with an AOD, it will be a lot less then that.

Unless you want to try boosting it...

Your interals will be stronger then the block as long as you treat it right.
Title: Budget 302
Post by: 302Bird87 on September 04, 2011, 08:35:45 AM
Thanks for the info Haystack. It has a AOD now, but i want to put a man transmission in it. If i can get a man. pedal assembly.... Parts/donor cars are hard to come by here...