Ok this is gonna be kind of long, I am not a noob at building engines but my first time building one from scratch, I currently have a flat tappet 302, i got on marketplace torn apart heads block cam everything in it just torn apart. i was gonna refresh the block and start building it however it’s come to my attention roller blocks are better. I understand the whole roller block vs flat tappet and there pros and cons. converting to a roller block has its restrictions and so forth so i’ve ruled that out. I’m thinking I could find a decent roller block, but i’m concerned about the heads. i’m pretty sure my 75 flat tappet 302 heads won’t fit on a newer roller block. i’m also concerned because this is all going into a 62 ranchero. I know it will fit but newer 302’s were fuel injected with wiring harness and ecu’s so i’m not sure how that would go. my true honest question is could I get a newer roller 302 have it still be carbureted with the heads from the engine i got, and a C4 transmission and without an ECU and stuff like that. im not sure how to go about this and what restrictions cuz this is my time messing with the 5.0 platform.

 

All 302 Windsor blocks should be able to accept all heads made for any other 302 Windsor blocks. You should check for piston to valve clearance with whatever you put together.

Then you can install any intake manifold made for any 302 Windsor block/head combination.

Then you can install either an EFI system or carburetor, depending on what intake manifold you chose.

I'm running a pair of Edelbrock Performer heads on a 1968 302 block using a small base circle roller cam with Ford roller lifters, full roller rocker arms, an Edelbrock F4B intake manifold, and a Holley 600 cfm carburetor with manual choke.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...ZEOUVmWjRfSFl3

 

so your saying, I can just use the block I have, and do a roller lifter conversion? also what brand is your cam and could I hear it?

 

Maybe, what block do you have? Casting number?

In terms of bolt patterns a 302 is a 302.. it doesn't matter what year it is any windsor head fits on any block, same for the intake, exhaust manufolds/headers, accessory brackets, yada yada yada, it's all interchangable.
All blocks built from '87 on (E7TE casting) are roller ready meaning a factory roller cam assmebly will bolt right in, and earlier blocks can be converted to use a roller cam but it's not as slick.

 

Since your block is a 75 vintage, you will have to modify it to accept roller lifters, or get the roller lifters with link bars. I chose the former, having read many stories of link bars failing.

I used stock Ford roller lifters, got the dog-bone lifter retainers, and I had to drill holes in the lifter valley to install the spider retainer that holds the dog-bones in place. This photo shows my attempt to drill and tap the holes, snapping the 1/4-20 tap, and enlarging the holes to install heli-coils. The holes in the valley were taped up and old lifters were installed to prevent metal particles from getting into the engine.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...ZEOUVmWjRfSFl3

The cam I got was a Comp Cams Magnum retrofit roller. I was able to use a standard cast iron distributor gear with it. The cam I got was way too big for my engine, so I would recommend something like the 31-412-8 or 31-422-8 for a truck type (or Ranchero) application.

I do not have a recording of mine running, but it does "lope", it sends a lot of unburned fuel out the exhaust at idle to the point of making my eyes water, and gets horrible gas mileage. Its power doesn't really come on until about 3500 rpm, so it's kind of soggy at the low end, and is limited by the F4B intake at the high end. I should have gotten the next level down, but they now cost almost twice as much as what I originally paid for mine.

Hope you make better choices than I did.

 

It is doubtful that they have any more SADI (roller)cores at Comp. SADI cores are cast iron and will work with a cast iron gear but they are no longer being manufactured by CWC. That leaves you with using an aftermarket steel or factory Ford roller camshaft core. I'd recommend using the Ford core with the correct factory steel distributor gear. All of that stuff was very high quality and the factory core can be reground to do anything you could want out of a cam. The factory core can also have the base circle reduced during regrinding to turn it into a "retrofit" cam. All this does is allow the factory style lifters to sit lower to keep them from striking the bottoms of the dog bone style locators at max lift. Depending on your particular block typically the height needs to be reduced about .060-.075 or so.

Thread showing me regrinding a "TE" factory cam to do a retrofit on a 351W for a rock crawler:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-retrofit.html

 

So what your saying is don’t try and retro fit my block into a roller, and just get a roller block. my casting number is E5AE C3B but if i find a roller block, don’t have to deal with fuel injection and ECU’s and didn’t they change up the motor mounts

 

I'm saying there are a couple ways to get a roller cam; modify an old block originally designed for flat tappets, like I did, or take an easy route and find a newer roller or roller-ready block. The roller-ready blocks have the taller lifter bores that can accommodate the taller roller lifters, but came with flat tappet lifters and cams, so they did not have the drilled and tapped spider mounting holes. The roller blocks do.

If you start with modifying your old block, you will need a small base circle cam.

If you start with a roller or roller-ready block, you can use a "normal" cam.

In either case, you will have to get the Ford roller lifters, the retainer dog bones and spider. You can choose whether you want to go with carb or EFI with either types of block.

Motor mount locations were also the same on all Windsor engines.

 

The 5.0 roller block will directly interchange with the older block in just about every way. The 1 piece rear main seal is also nice to have along with all of the roller cam provisions. There were engines built that used the roller cam block yet were built with flat tappet cams in the trucks before they also switched to roller cams(after it was done in the cars).

About the only area that I can think of that might cause a problem is if you use the 28oz factory crank in the later block the oil slinger might interfere with the block and have to be turned down. But I'm not sure if this is always a problem or not.

 

for a heads up,my 1985 stick mustang GT had the roller cam and holley 4 barrel , 85 was a last year carb wise,first year roller cams and shorty headers ..if the car was a automatic fueling was throttle body, trucks had flat tappets
1985 to about 1988 had a lot of changes going on no matter what the brand was ,

 

okay so, i think i’m just gonna sell the block and just get a roller one and maybe keep the heads. what’s the sweet spot in terms of finding and engine that isn’t controlled by an ecu but also a good transmission that would fit into a ranchero

 

grab a very late 80's early 90 roller block, stick a C4 or a C6 behind it, zero controls to worry about old school simple

 

What parts car could I find that in?

 

Just about any ford car from that era could have come with the 5.0 engine. Roller cams started a little bit later in the trucks.

One of those engines with some minor modifications would run very well in an early Falcon.

 

The most common may be an Explorer or Mountaineer. They'll also have the cams that will make good cores for regrinding, by someone like Dave.