88 F-150 4x4 302 5 speed. I'm gonna lift 6 inches, 35s, and 4:10 gears. This truck will do very little off road, and very little towing (jet skis). I will drive some on the highway.

I plan on MAF conversion, heads, cam, long tubes and full exhaust all at the same time. Possibly more, but don't know where to start. Maybe a rebuild kit with forged internals, maybe roller rockers. I'm open to suggestions. I've got about $1000 budget for performance (excluding exhaust), and a pretty knowledgeable mustang guy to help (free labor)

The goal is to have some power and acceleration with the 35s, and I want it to sound great.

I've read that GT40 heads are good, but GT40P are better/cheaper/easier to find.

Someone help me out so I can buy some stuff!

Thanks guys

 

The $1k budget DRASTICALLY limits your possibilities. Heads will likely run you $200-$300, then another few hundred to rebuild them and have a good valve job done. The throw a can and lifters in there and your budget is basically gone already. The MAF conversion done with all JY parts is a few hundred dollars as well. I think you need to rethink your upgrades here. If you don't intend to wheel the truck, don't waste your money on the lift and big tires. That will easily save you a couple grand that you could put into the engine. Not to mention, a 5.0 will no kind of acceleration turning 35's, even with 4.10 gears. It's a car engine....

If it were me doing the build, I would ditch the lift, big tires and even the gears at first. Then I would throw a 351W in it, MAF swap the truck, put a decent cam and head combo on it and the full exhaust like you mentioned. Then if the budget allowed for it, an aftermarket intake. That will give you much more power that the 302 could dream of without going crazy.

 

Well the truck will be doing SOME wheeling, and I don't want to swap in a 351. If I were to increase the engine budget, what could be done? I really want to keep the 302, and I'm not afraid of throwing some $ at it.

 

4.10 gears is only enough for a 5.0 truck with stock sized tires and your budget is totally unrealistic.

The best thing you could do to the 302 is make a 347 out of it but that is money wasted when a 351 is a bolt in swap already has the displacement you need and has a far stronger block that will support future upgrades. Start with a stock bottom end and put heads, cam, and intake on it and do a MAF swap so you have a basis for the tuner you are going to need. This motor with 4.10 gears will turn 35's with some authority.

 

I understand, and $1000 is where I'd like to be, but if unrealistic, I can increase it, double it, whatever. It's only $, right?

Please clarify, are you saying to do these upgrades to my 302? Or get a 351 and upgrade it?

 

I'm saying get a 5.8 and upgrade it.. it's a far better truck motor and almost all same performance parts you would use on the 5.0 work on the bigger brother.

 

Great info thanks for helping.

I really want to stick with the 302, so the question is, with an increased budget, is building the 302 unrealistic as well? I don't necessarily have to have a ton of acceleration, but my old bronco (stock 351, 4 inch lift, 33s) was a snail. Just want to keep up with traffic and have a nice sound.

 

If you want to keep the 302 stick with it. It's your $$$ spend it as you wish.

The GT heads will work well (or the GTP's). New valves with good springs and retainers will get you started. Find a good dual plane intake. I'd call Mike @ Jones Cams. He's a specialty cam grinder that will grind EXACTLY what you need not sell you what's in stock.

A good quality MSD ignition will help lite the fire. Roller tip rockers are fine but not needed IMHO.

Just make sure you have a good running engine that will support the modifications you plan on making...

 

Found some heads on CL, $400 for GT40p, $600 for GT40. The ad states "heads are rebuilt with a fresh valve job and surfaces, guides and seats checked or repaired as needed. Assembled with new seals, springs, retainers, and locks, good for up to .600 valve lift hydraulic roller cam."

Good deal? Should I get the Ps?

 

The issue with the "P" heads is the spark plug angle. They come out of the head at different angle than the normal heads. Because of this there is essentially NO headers that fit without modification to the primaries.

 

There's a thread on FSB that lists headers that will and will not work with GT40Ps. There are also "shorty" spark plugs, but if it's going to be too much of a headache I'll just go with the GT40s. Are the GT40Ps better than the GT40s? Enough to justify more expensive headers/spark plugs?

 

Man, you really need to listen to Paul and some of these other old-timers (lots of posts) on here. They aren't trying to steer you wrong. If you're starting with a grand, they are totally right to try to steer you to a 5.8. Your old one may have had an issue as to why it was a "snail". If you're gonna build a truck, use a truck motor. In the long run you will spend a lot more trying to get that 5.0 to do what a 5.8 will do with mods. There's no replacement for displacement. Just my .02 I had a 95 5.8 bronco that would lift the front passenger side wheel off the ground. ALL in the tuning and airflow.

 

I'd sooner buy a pair and have a trusted machine shop do the work with new parts that you and the shop decide on.

 

I'm not going to get a 351. I want to keep the 302. I appreciate the help, and I understand that it's a good engine, but it's not the way I'm going with this truck. I just want help building the 302. So I'll go with the gt40 heads to prevent header and plug issues, and at the same time I'll do the long tubes, MAF, roller rockers, and cam. Any suggestions on roller rockers and a cam? Should I replace the pulleys while I'm in there?

 

Dude, stop being bull headed. Listen, read, read some more, then think about what you're trying to do.
If you're rebuilding the 302 completely, a 351 rebuild kit is only like $50 more. A good block core (all you need is oil pan and block because everything else gets replaced) costs like $50. You'll be upgrading your intake anyway, again, same price. And the 351 literally bolts in using all your 302 stuff. You're already doing maf swap so a chip isn't needed. You're already buying a cam, and headers are also same price....
So you're looking at between $50 and $200 extra for a 351, that has 10x the potential, and a good 50hp/100tq more than the 302, while using the same exact parts.
Do what you want though. It's your truck. We learn more from mistakes we make on our own, than mistakes others have learned from.