I know i know you dont have to tell me.... the 300 is a truck engine, great low end power and the 302 is a car engine. To let you know I have tryed the 300 route and ended up spending about 3,000 rebuilding it and putting performance parts on it and it just wasnt want I wanted. Dont get me wrong it ran like crazy and was reliable and I love the 300 but it just isnt what im looking for. My plan is to get a newer model roller 302 from about a 93-97 explorer at the junk yard. Im going to tear it apart and have it checked for cracks. If everything checks out ill home port and polish the heads then have the machine shop dip them along with the block. I want to leave it stock bore but will bore it over if needed. Im going to get a carbed 302 timing cover for the mechanical fuel pump. I want to use a wieand stealth intake with a holley 4160 carb. Im going to use some shorty headers and will probably have too dimple them for the spark plugs but im okay with that. The last peice to the puzzle is the ford racing e303 cam with trick flow valve spring kit for ford small blocks. This will all be buckled to a c6 and a 2.75 rear with 31 inch all terrains in my 80 f100. What are yalls thoughts on this build. What stall should i use for a daily driver?

Thanks, John

 

I think you'll have a truck that won't pull. That rear gear ratio is too high (low numerically) for that engine. A 302 doesn't have the stroke to have the torque at low RPM, so you will have to wind it to get any power. But you can't wind it with those gears and those tires.

If you are getting an engine elsewhere anyway, why go with the little 302 when you can go with a 351W. It is every bit of the bolt-in the 302 is, meaning it isn't really, but you'll have a lot more torque due to the stroke. The same money in a 351 will get much more power down low where you need it, and you might be able to pull the 2.75's - but I don't think you'll like them even with a 351.

 

I dont plan to pull anything at all. It is going to be a daily driver and i hoped to fix the loss of low end grunt with a higher stall tourqe converter. Maybe a 3,000 stall? What do yall think would be best?

 

If you don't like how the 300 runs with those gears, you are going to hate a 302. Adding a higher stall converter is just going to make it even more unhappy and make lots of transmission heat as your crusing rpm will be well below torque stall. That E303 cam will make things even worse.
What works in a car with a 26" tire doesn't work in a truck with a 31" tire.

My 300 was very happy with 2.75's and 31's, but it was hooked to a 4 speed.
You should go to a 3.50 gear no matter which engine you put in there if you are keeping the c6 and the 31's. I would gear it before I did an engine swap.
Since you have a 9", it is plenty easy to just swap out the chunk, and 3.50 geared ones are very common.
As Gary said, skip the 302 and go to a W, it bolts in just the same, and parts are just as available; go with a 96-7 block from a 250/350 and you will get yourself a roller cam engine as well.

If you insist on the 2.75's, follow Ford's land yacht recipe and do a 460/C6.

 

Well while im at it, does anybody want to buy some 300 parts?

 

Do as was suggested and change out the gears before ditching the 300. With the right gears you might like it. And, I second the 3.50's.

 

I second the recommendation to go with the 351W/5.8L. I have one in my 94 F150 with the E40D trans and 3.55 rear end. Pulling an empty 1800 lb car hauler behind it, you hardly notice that it's there. I've hauled El Guapo from Nashville to east Tennessee and while the extra weight bogged me down on long grades, I was still passing 18 wheelers.

As others have said, to run that C6 and 2.75 gears, you need low end torque, so be careful with the 5.0L and cam. Both the 5.0L and 5.8L will necessitate the different frame mounts, different radiator, and wiring harness, so it's just how much torque do you want.

Good luck!

 

As Ron pointed out, going to either V8 requires some changes - which was what I meant by "it isn't really" a bolt-in swap. The 300's radiator inlet & outlets are on the opposite than for a V8. And the frame perches, which are bolted and riveted on, have to be changed - which isn't easy due to all the rivets that have to be drilled out. And the wiring harness needs to be swapped with one for a Windsor.

It isn't a huge job, but you should line up the parts as you are making your plans. And finding a donor will help significantly.

 

I have a 2.75 gear in my 65 mustang. It has a 302 with a c4. The rearend came out of a Granada. It is a great daily driver. Runs good, but definitely will not win any races. The 302 is stock with a stock 4bbl intake and carb added and dual exhaust. Where it shines is the interstate, even without overdrive I can cruise along at 70+ with no complaints from the engine. Very mild stock setup that gets good fuel mileage.

If that's what you want, then keep the rearend and build a mild 302 engine. If you want something with a little grunt, you need to change the rearend out like the others said. Stall convertors also put heat the tranny fluid, so I would not go there. You don't need one with the engine you are building.

 

Franklin hit the nail on the head. Im just looking for a daily driver. Nothing crazy id be happy with 200 hp anyday. It will make coming from my 300 with a t18 feel like i just hopped in the seat of a nascar. Right now I just want to get the engine built and installed. Later down the road when I get a steady job, as those are hard to come by around here when your in highschool, ill swap in some 3.50 gears and a limited slip. I dont want anything that guzzles gas. The cam is mainly for the sound anyways.

Thanks, John

 

 

I prefer:

 

Lol my bad I am always using my phone on here and it is a pain to switch back and forth between the symbols and letters haha.

 

The cam will give some sound, but it might not go to well with your combination. Try it and see, but if your engine seems "doggy" and won't pick up rpms down low, your cam is too radical for your mild setup. Your mild setup needs a rv type cam or a stock cam.

 

Well, even though it may be painful, I suggest you do it... you are not judged by your height or weight or hair color or number of tattoos or anything else physical, you're judged by how you present yourself when you communicate. If you write like an illiterate, uneducated child, you should expect to be treated as one. You're not texting your BFF here....

Just sayin'....