A customer of ours at work he has a '82 F150 that he is having us put a AOD in and a coyote motor so his 302 and C6 transmission is sitting in the back awaiting sale. It hasn't sold yet in a year.


The motor and transmission was rebuilt 50,000 miles ago as he claims, he is a door hanger and the back of his truck was loaded down with so much gear it couldn't get out of its own way.


The price he is asking for both I believe is $1,200 which I think is too much for a used engine/trans with 50,000 miles on it.


I am thinking of offering him $200 for just the motor or $400 for the motor and transmission.


Is this a fair price for a 302 and C6 transmission that has 50,000 miles on it?


I don't plan on keeping the transmission so I really don't care about buying it but if I can get both for $400 I will and just sell the parts I don't want off.

 

For that year vintage 302 ? I wouldn't give him more than $50 for it. There's nothing redeeming in the 80-85 year's 302's. Thin blocks, crap heads, cams with no lift/no duration. The intake's were aluminum though, if you can get it off the engine without breaking something. The C6 ? You sure it's not a C5 ? Either way, that's worth $150 at best as a core

 

Its a C6, same transmission as in my '82.


I was willing to offer him $200 for just the block, $400 if he wont sell just the block but wants to sell both.


I figured I could sell the C6 for around $200 by itself. I have no real need for it as they eat quite a bit of power.


Now as far as the engine goes, I have been told that $200 for just the engine is too low of a price for a complete engine.


It may be, but this guy is a door hanger and his F150 style side was loaded down in the back with tools. All that extra weight in my opinion could make a 50,000 mile engine resemble more like a 100,000 mile engine that wasn't hauling all that weight in the city in stop and go traffic.


Then I also heard that after the engine was built it developed a coolant leak and in the process he blew a headgasket on it. It was replaced and the engine has runned ever since then.


But my goal how ever was to get rid of the oem heads by listing them on Ebay for $50 to $100 starting bid for the pair of them. The intake manifold $25 to $50 starting bid on that. Then I would sell off the bits and pieces of the accessory drive system individually so people that wants to get theirs running again can have a chance at buying it.


From there I would go through the block and deside if I want too leave it stock displacement and just throw good heads on it, a cam and a 4bbl intake or if I want to bore it out if it hasn't been bored already or if I want to go the 331 stroker route.


What I figured is after selling off the parts I wont use I should break even on what I gave for it and if the block turns out to be not useable then no big deal. But I know this engine was running and I think I would have a better shot at getting a good core to build vs trying to find one at the junkyard.


Now as far as what year this engine is, I do not know. It could be a '82 factory block from this year or it could be a newer style block if his was messed up too bad to rebuild.






If for some reason this falls through I was looking on ebay and found a fully machined 302 block that's been magnafluxed as well as alignhoned and is ready to be built for $699.99 with free standard shipping. I would go this route as it its a 2 bolt main 1 piece rear seal and is available in 4.030, 4.040, and 4.060 bores. The listing also said roller blocks available at no extra charge. A roller block ready to build with 4.030" bore with a late model style 1 piece rear seal for $699.99 with free shipping, I think I might just get this engine for $200 if possible part it out piece by piece and keep the oil pan and valve covers and timing cover and sell the rest and put that money towards this block.

 

His engine developed a coolant leak because it's an 80-85 block. Thin walls, thin decks, these engines are prone to coolant leaks/head gasket failures. The only "worth" in the block is whatever scrap prices bring. As for $700 for a bare roller block, that's pretty steep, you can pickem up at a J,yard for $200 complete out of any 90's pickup, van or Explorer

 

I was thinking that myself. I found a guy on ebay that is in Dallas, he is selling short block 302 that needs cam and oil pump to make it complete hes selling them for $849.00 with no core. THey are also all roller blocks.


I am thinking about going this route as I couldn't get a rotating assembly and have the machine work done and assemble the short block myself for $850.


Only thing is I am waiting on a email from him stating what gasket thickness he used for his compression number as he states using factory 58cc heads the compression is 9:1. But I know there are many different thickness gaskets as well as many different bore gaskets all of which plays a part in compression.


The one I found earlier today has the following stats.


Choice of 0.030", 0.040", or 0.060" overbore.
Federal Mongul or Silvolite pistons with 4 valve reliefs
Hastings piston rings
Ford OEM I Beam connecting rods
Federal Mongul connecting rod and main bearings
Melling cam bearings
FelPro rear main seal and gasket set


Also comes with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty.


I am leaning towards going with the 0.030" overbore one, the one he currently has up on Ebay is 0.040" over. But I think this is the way to go after thinking about it hard. I am basically getting a built short block and all I have to do is just supply the cam, oil pump and pickup tube, oil pan, front timing cover and water pump, heads, intake and valve covers. Lots better to get that for $850 vs getting just a block for $700 and then having to buy a rotating kit.


Only thing is if I want to upgrade to forged pistons though that adds on $370 to the cost. Personally considering the low engine speed this engine will turn I don't think I need to go forged pistons.

 

Comp ratio is often just an estimate by the person claiming those numbers. Pin heights among 302 pistons also plays a huge part here, they vary from 1.585 to 1.620 then add in the numerous dish/valve relief volumes. A zero deck 302 with flat tops and 58 cc heads yields a ratio of at or near 9.58 to 1. Head gasket volume averages around 9.5 cc's, piston top of a flat top with 4 reliefs adds around 5 cc's. Forged pistons are nice, but rarely needed unless you're going to spray it or turbo it. Ditto for "forged" bottom ends, the stock cast roller cranks are very tough and the casting quality is excellent. ALL Ford's pushrod V8's had forged rods. Some are better than others, but they're all forgings. I've seen a couple of the 90's rods break in normal service (abeit they were not maintained well, i.e. regular oil changes) the C8OE rods are good to 7500 rpms with ARP bolts (not sustained rpms, but occasional pulls to that number) These rods were superceded in the early 90's by another forging. (I don't recall the numbers offhand) That Dallas seller, who exactly is that ?

 

Ford 302 306 308 Short Block 350HP SBF Engine Motor | eBay


That is the item there.


But I have been doing some thinking lately and I am thinking instead of going this route I was talked into hitting up the junkyards for a complete 302 roller engine for $250 to $350.


I can go ahead and sell off the heads, intake, cam, exhaust manifolds, and the accessory brackets. This should net me enough spare cash to take the short block and have it checked out cleaned up and bored out to 4.030", new pistons reuse the oem rods and crank but balance them to the overbore pistons then I can have it fine tuned to the compression ratio that I am really wanting to go with vs the built short block that I might be under or over on the compression depending on the heads I choose.

I am how ever starting a new topic just about the build to try and piece together a efficient build that will provide me with what I am looking for. I don't think its fair to use this one as this topic was mainly about asking a fair offer price for that out dated non roller 302.