Due to the high cost of rebuilding a Flathead ($3000) I now have an '85 302 out of a Mustang. That cost me $550. It came with a serpentine belt, alternator, power steering pump, exhaust manifolds and finned valve covers that say powered by Ford. It had Ford's first try at fuel injection on it put he gave me a duraspark dizzy and a Motocraft 2150 2 barrel 351 cfm. I've already ripped of all the injection and emission junk. It looks sortof funny with a blue '73 Ford air cleaner. It looks like a Modern Vintage engine. I'm gonna mate it to a later pickup 5 spd. I have also got a '61-63 "9 for free but have to pick it up. Now I'm gonna get it from fenders . Now you guys get to help me set it up.

 

S'okay Dueller...being a flathead guy myself I hate to see one set aside for a late model motor but I certainly understand about the high cost for a rebuild. The 302 isn't a bad motor, the money is right and aftermarket support is huge. The big thing is to keep the truck on the road and keeping it all Ford is a plus in my book. You'll miss the song of the flathead though - still V-8s and flowmasters sound pretty good! Kudos for staying with a manual gearbox too!

Leaks

 

sissy 302s hurumph !

probably gonna have training wheels also

cubes son.... cubes is what you need...

but at least it's a ford... good going

john

 

Please, please, sell or give your flathead to someone who will use it. Even if the block is cracked, some parts of it can be reused. These engines are unique in sound and looks. Flatheads forever! ...Terry

 

Nathen

Please be careful with generalizations like "You Guys".
I for one would never endorse replaceing a Flathead with a Three-0-Two.
I think you have been influenced by another Canadian from a bit futher East, next thing ya know you'll be trading all those lovely Early Models for a 54 and be looking for a Catfish Mouth to replace the grill.

 

Nathan,

Allright! Another convert...

All those 302 lovers can't be wrong...good move.

Vern

 

Congratulations Nathan, I guess you're a little wiser than I thought. You want I should keep my eyes peeled for a V-Clip??? Or perhaps you already have one and just haven't come clean yet.

1. RMF
2. Nathan
3. ?????

You just wait, more will come out of the closet, we'll be here for them too. Too bad Niolon is so slow. A year of this expensive gas might have brought him around too. When he had to start workin nights to feed that greedy big block.

 

Bad influence? Nah, not bad, Nathan. Insideous, tedious, ubiquitous... that's what they are. Yeah, I know... I'll be hearing from the board of directors director of vocabulary but you are making the right move. The flathead comes with too much pricetag for what you get.

Sure, we'll respect the guys who maintain 'vintage' stuff, but some of us have to drive these things with an eye on the cost of doing business. Some of us younger guys can't afford to spend like certain midwestern playboys, or southern southern aristocrat aristocrats.

What gives this spry alert desert dweller a right to comment? There has been a girly motor sitting under the hood of Ms. H's Lincoln all this time. It runs poorly with a bad EGR valve, but it haunts my dreams as the replacement for the mighty Y block should it ever fail.

In my waking hours I think about pulling the 302 when a Lincoln replacement comes along and saving it for Niolon. best. himmelberg

 

Niolon I didn't have enough money for my brothers '73 429 that is sitting 100 feet from the truck but I want to drive it not sit at a gas station emptying my wallet. I didn't mean all of you guys/gals just the ones that push the IFS and motors. Hopefully I can find a good home for all three flathead engines and misc parts. Fenders this truck is staying with the I-beam .

 

Don't do anything stupid with those flatheads Nathan. Let me know before you do. What shape are they in?

Niolon, if Nathan is picking up bad habits from the other guys, I have to confess I've been leaning your direction when it comes to power plants.

While my 48 is flat powered, I have at the moment, sitting in my shop awaiting transplant into various vehicles, a 429 for the '70 Stang, a warm 400 for the '77 F150, a 390 for the '73 4x4 and my 88 F250 4x4 has a 460. Driving the 460 made a convert out of me. With 200,000 miles on it, it has more get up and go than any new 302 I've ever driven including EFI 5.0's. Cubes rock!! Hang the expense....

 

One block has the original bore, one with an .30 and one with .40. The one with the .4 could run if you cleaned the block, put in new rings and reassembled it. I think I'll try selling my flattie parts. You can have a first pick but I'm not shipping anything. I have pictures in my gallery.

 

"Fenders this truck is staying with the I-beam."

Sure it is Nathan, I believe you.

 

Nathan

Congrats !!! Great to see another convert. Don't listen to that big cube bunch they are just jealous that you will be able to afford to drive yours . These are good motors good suppory and do a good job with the truck...you made a good choice .


Jet Jock
"I drive a 'girly' 302 because, when I want to go fast, I go to work"

 

you tell 'em Tim cubes rock !!!

Nathan... 460's are cheaper to build than flattys... maybe not as cheap as them girly small blocks... but the moderately built small blocks have trouble getting out their own way... there is nothing quite as nice as having your big butt pushed back till the seat springs creak from the torque of a big block...

anyone know what kind of mpg a flatty gets ??? I had a 351W in a previous truck... it got 12mpg at 30 mph, 60 mph, 85 mph empty or loaded with 2000#s.. in fact I checked it after it sat in the driveway for a week and it got a little worse than that . I figure I can always use the profits from my house moving business to pay for the gas If I can't afford to drive it on my re-tirement money... I'll just sit and look at it ... oh BTW ???

254 working days left till I'm eligible for retirement and the truck time will increase exponentially... who knows I might live to finish this thing..

later

John (of course, I'm too cool for low cubes) :-0X06

fenders... good to see your name back on the boards !!

 

John

I thought it was past your bed time and I would get by with that shot. You stayed up past the milk and cookies tonight


Jet Jock
"I drive a 'girly' 302 because, when I want to go fast, I go to work"