I need to contact melling. Cause I don't like the thought of paying $50 for the ford motorsport cam thrust plate when Melling offers plates for under $20.

I need cast iron but on summit they list the MF125 and MF126 melling plates as steel. Looking them up on Mellings website MF125 and MF126 is listed as cast iron on their look up found here.

https://www.melling.com/parts-lookup/

Then on summit if I get the MF126 which is for the newer 302`s and doesn't have the dog ear that has to be cut off on 351W applications with double roller timing sets there is some reviews stating this is a steel set which contradicts Mellings website, and they are saying they are a bit on the thick side and others state that they aren't that true.

Something like this I got to make sure I get the right one as I don't want to have to go pulling my front cover off down the road.

Considering that Ford Performance replied to my product question on summit they say I am running basically a stock 5.0 HO setup with a steel roller cam and a cast iron cam gear sprocket. With that said I looked up the part numbers and there are a few things.

The C90Z-6269-A would be for my engine as a '82 non roller setup. I could in theory use this though as the cam gear would still be cast iron. Another option is C50Z-6269-D which is listed as an 85/ on the parts guide which tells me must be roller cam. There is also a listing for a -B and -C suffix for a 0.002" and 0.004" oversize. I assume this is for thickness but I couldn't find those part numbers online but I could find the other part numbers which OE NOS ford pieces are cheaper than the $50 for the Ford Performance plates which as far as I hear is just repackaged OE parts in a lot of cases such as the standard roller lifters from Ford Performance are stock motorcraft roller lifters that could be had cheaper else where I hear.

 

Flat tappet cams didn't disappear till about 1995 in the Lightnings

 

That's what I thought.

The parts guide didn't list no specific application just gave the C50Z-6269-D part number with a listing under year 85/ meaning '85 and up for the 302.

Funny thing is C5 is a 1965 design date which tells me this should be a cast iron plate but I got this one because the other one that would be correct for my '82 has this dog ear that I saw mentioned on 351w`s you have to cut it off to clear double roller timing sets. This one does not have that dog ear so hopefully it works out for me and is of cast iron and not a old part made in steel.

 

Don't know what dog ear you're talking about. Everything inside the 351W's timing cover is the same as a 302. There's a protrusion on the plate that extends to cover the oiling hole in both blocks that lubricates the plate. There was a cast in wall in the early timing covers that would interfere with a double row timing set.

 

This is the other part number as fitting up to 84.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nos-1969-19...YAAOSwKwVaZkRY

You can see the two dog ears by the right mounting bolt.

The one I got doesn't have those dog ears which you have to slice off on 351W engines with double rollers.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/C50Z-6269-D...0AAOSwB-1Yue43

This one has just the ear that covers the oil passage to direct a oil spray to the cam/distributor gear. If you look at Ford Performance, both of their plates are like this you can get it in cast iron or steel you cant get the other style anymore that has that dog ear that has to be removed.

 

That "dogear" you're mentioning doesn't interfere with a double row roller chain setup at all. There's nothing different about a 351W that would cause any interference. The oiling system in both the 289/302/5.0's are identical to a 351W aside from the Windsor having a larger oil pump drive. If anything that extra ear would possibly be to cover an oil passage cup plug to prevent it from coming loose in service. I don't have access right now to a bare block to look at to verify this.

 

I dont either so I don't know what the purpose is of it. I know lots of double roller timing sets cite you have to remove that ear on 351w`s.

 

That's BS. If that ear interfered, so would the other. And I would RUN away from anyone selling Boss 302 specific parts, especially at that price.

 

Looks like it might hold a couple plugs in but those plugs shoudlnt come out especially considering the '85/ listed plates don't have said ears even though they have a C5 design date compared to the one with said ears with a C8 design date.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-302-30...-/131312160442

 

lol I know that's why I didn't buy it, I bought the C5 design date one I picked it up NOS from a local surplus shop for under $40. Was cheaper than the ford performance version which is just like this but they want over $50 for it.

 

They'd be cheap insurance in an endurance race. Even better would be drilling and tapping the passages for allen plugs, ala side oiler 427. Last thing you'd want to come loose after 23-1/2 hrs at Lemans would be a cup plug pop loose at the end of an oil gallery

 

Yep, that's why I am seriously wondering if its something I need to consider for a street engine I will be thrashing on from time to time. Part of me wants to kind of over engineer this engine so it will easily last the kind of abuse I will put it through.

If I could get the cup plug to pull out I could always run a pipe tap in and red locktite a pipe plug in place

 

Well Creb got back with me said that they tap all galleys and plug them. Seems like its a good deal going with Creb but the only thing that I cant shake is for a business that got started in 1968 there is no reviews online for them out side of two 5 star reviews. there is one BBB report against him but its hard to tell whos telling the truth as it could be the customer trying to pull a fast one over on Creb engineering.

I contacted a local engine shop that is quite good down here 6 months to 12 month wait but I was curious what cost they would quote me. Well they didn't give me a quote on a short block but the long block they quoted was $2,650 and I have to obtain a buildable core from a local junkyard myself.

 

Last thing you want to do to an assembled engine is start drilling and tapping oil passages. There's a guy over here in Louisiana that does excellent work, but he too has a 6 month lead time for anything. He did the machinework on my 331 15 years ago but I assembled it. I'm going to PM you a lead on a guy who dirt track races Fords, you can call him and see who he uses.

 

Of course, I talked with him and he said they tap and plug all of those passages to ensure no problems with cup plugs coming out.

Only thing left for me to do is figure out oil pump. Im looking at the stock Melling 68 pump but saw melling told one of the guys on summit in the question section that the pressure relief spring is set for 60 PSI. I haven't had a chance to pull my shop manuals out but I swear I saw the relief pressure set to 70 PSI to 80 PSI I want to say it was 80 PSI the more I think of it. Has me questioning how can it be a stock replacement pump if the bypass pressure is set lower than stock. Makes me wonder if I should upgrade to the Melling 68A high pressure pump, saw some guys state their oil pressure is around 70 PSI cold and 50 PSI hot. That mimics my 351W to a tee.