302 question
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302 question
Hey guys my wife has a 89 f150 with a 302 in it , she don't use it no more so i was thinking of making it into a drag truck since it basicly a mustang with a frame n truck body n cuz she don't want to sell it. I wanted to know how horsepower these motors can put out.any help would be nice
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Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Rhode Island
Stock internals? Maybe 300-350HP. After you put aftermarket forged internals in it, the blocks will typically start cracking in half around the 500HP mark. 302s, while good engines are just not that stout.
If you want anything much over 500HP with a 302, you'd have to go to an aftermarket block.
If you want anything much over 500HP with a 302, you'd have to go to an aftermarket block.
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I agree, or they will end up like this:
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Wow , thats not good , i have heard about that happening , im not pushing my 302 hard enough to do that . only 6000 RPM , what about the girdle ?? , are the older 289 blocks stonger ? , a mustang that runs 9s with a NA 289 , that turns 9000 rpm has to be pushing atleast 600 HP or better i would think , i have seen the car at the track...Lew
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From: Chicago area
Blocks like the 289 and early 302 blocks were heavier castings, and there is the famous Mexico 302 block, but I would still not push any of them beyond 500 HP! The only production 302 block that could take beyond 500 HP was the 69-70 Boss 302 block. Ford rated them at 600 HP. Ford does have a new racing block in the 302 size good for 800+ HP but the bare block with the requied machine work will cost you over 2 grand! Dart makes a good racing block but it's not much cheaper.
The thing is a lot of people who want to build a HP Ford 302 based engine start with a late model 302 block which is the weakest point of the engine, well that and the cast crank! If your going to go with all forged internals then get a block strong enough to hold everything together.
The thing is a lot of people who want to build a HP Ford 302 based engine start with a late model 302 block which is the weakest point of the engine, well that and the cast crank! If your going to go with all forged internals then get a block strong enough to hold everything together.
