I am looking to get a 302 and vuild it for decent hp and torque. I am relatively new to this, so i would appreciate any input for getting the most out of the engine on a low budget. Also, do manuals lose less torque and hp to the rear wheels than automatics?? I have heard that autos can shave off up to 50 hp and 75 torque. Do the numbers shrink on a manual???

 

Yes a manual is much better than an auto because it doesn't slip and has less internal mass.

What is this 302 going in? Is it a daily driver?

 

The engine will be going into a small car, and it will most likely be a daily driver, but I would still like to cream those guys who think they are fast cuz they have looks.

 

Okay, so it begins......the beginning of the soon to be legendary debate of manual vs. automatic:

While allowing full control of engagement speed, and allowing complete lockup of the engine and the drivetrain at any time, manual transmissions are not always the best choice for a street driven vehicle. An automatic does indeed "slip", but what's happening is the torque converter is hydrodynamically multiplying the engine's torque output, sometimes as much as twofold. Ask anybody who's seen an automatic driven car on a chassis dyno. The torque peaks like crazy when the converter is in its "slipping" zone. My favorite argument is that nobody I know can shift as fast, and NEVER miss a shift as an Auto can. many Ford transmissions also have the ability to fully lockup, where it completely engages the engine to the drive gears, and bypasses the slipping torque converter, thus saving engine speed. Automatics can be built to handle THOUSANDS of HP and ft*lbs of brutal force, and can be built to last much much longer than a factory or even aftermarket manual would. The key is who builds the transmission, how well it was built, and with what parts. Most every Mustang on the street would be faster with an Auto that was built correctly. True, you can "hook" much harder with a manual, but all that force is only going to make your chassis flex, your tires break loose, or destroy your rear end. The reason why pro-dragsters use a manual is because their cars are built to withstand with force without flexing. It is very common nowadays to see cars at the drag strip running in the 7's that are moved by autos. Some people will carry to their graves the fact that autos are for (insert favorite insult here), when in fact if you opt for an auto in your street vehicle, you have chosen to take on the challenge of learning about the most complicated mechanical feature of any vehicle. In fact, auto drivers can have just as much control over their shift points as a manual driver can by simply changing the valve body.

I would recommend leaving your automatic alone, you would be very dissapointed (and broke) if you went through trying to put a manual together and swapping it in. TK

 

Well, since this is going into a small car, the frame will definitely be reinforced to insure that twisting and flexing can be handled. Next on the list is to find out what cheap upgrades i can do to the engine to get a lil more power out of it. I will be doing a rebuild, so anything i can do during that process would be helpful.

 

When you rebuild, take note of what pistons are going in (cc) and measure how far in the hole they are. Then cc the heads or have the machine shop do it if you don't have, or want to buy, the kit. What I mean by cc is measure the exact cc of the heads being used (one advertised as 58 may actually measure 64). Take note of the head gaskets used as well (compressed thickness).

With these measurements you can calculate the compression ratio so you (we) can choose the right cam for you.

Generally a cam matched for the combo and car, a good dual plane intake with about a 600-650cfm carb and a set of headers is all you need. A good ignition like MSD will help with cold start and reliability.

Compression; for mostly street you don't want to go too wild here because you would need a cam with alot of duration to keep it out of detonation. Lower compression (9.:1 - 9:5:1) would be better here. If it would be for mostly strip, higher compression with a long duration and race fuel is the way to go, but remember a high stall torque converter may be needed if you choose a good sized cam.

Starting with what size (weight) the car is and at what RPM it will see the most (trans and gearing play a roll here too) and what you expect from it will help to determine what cam and compression to shoot for.