I am looking for some info on performance heads for a 5.0 I am looking to gain some extra H.P. out of a engine going into a weekend driver truck. I don't want a high reving race engine, and I still want to run pump gas. Also, small valves are needed to use stock pistons. Is anything aftermarket recomended, or should I look into getting the cast iron heads ported?

 

There are a lot of really good Factory and aftermarket heads available for the 302 & 351W.

I'm running a set of Ford GT40P heads that are inexpensive as far as performance heads go. They flow real good for factory heads and have 59cc combustion chambers so you will gain some compressions ratio and still rum pump gas.

The Ford GT40 Aluminum Heads are real popular for the 302's. Edelbrock, TFS Twisted Wedge, and Air Flow Research all have really good heads as well.

A lot of the choice for heads is based on what you want to acheive with your engine build up and how much you want to spend. Don't forget that good flowing heads need Cams, Intakes, and Exhaust systems to match.

 

I run world prod. windsor jr. 180 heads and you wouldn't need different pistons to run these, but they have 2.02 int. and 1.60 exh and I think they killed my low end but It goes like hell once you get past 2500 rpm and I have a mild cam.I agree with the prev. post , but have you done all the cheap stuff i.e. headers, exhaust, air filters etc. For the price of a set of heads you can probably find a good 351W or change your gears.

 

Thanks for the replys.

I plan on re building the engine using origional parts, as I have had this done with a 5.0 before and was happy with the results. It is in my daily driver, and so far has about 35,000 km on it, some of which would put any rebuild to the test.

That said, I plan on doing the same thing with this engine, but going with a 4bbl instead of EFI, and adding a cam. Headers worked great on the last one, and of course will go on this one.

This truck will only be driven on weekends, but may very well go on long trips in the summer.

I am not trying to build a drag racer, just something that feels strong and goes fast.

any more input on the heads, or anyotheradvice would be great. thanks.

 

What year is the truck/engine?

 

I took a set of 76 302 heads and had the stock valves taken out and hogged out the holes for 1.94/1.6 valves. I then ground out the thermactor bumps in them, and did a little port work to them, and had screw in studs put in. They now produce a LOT of HP when considering they are stock casting heads. Granted their worked a bit. The total cost for me (6 or 7 years ago) was around $400-$500. About half the cost of a set of quality aftermarket heads.

 

I wasn't sure that the year of the truck, and engine mattered, because I am rebuilding the engine.

I was thinking about getting out the grinder and going at the stock cast heads. The engine is out of a late 80's crown vic. I may need to wreck a pair of heads experamenting.... are all of the heads from large cars and trucks the same comp ratio from that era? (late 80's to early 90's) does anyone know what the ratio is??

By the way, if all works out, the truck will be a 1957 Mercury shortbox stepside on a 80 something or other 2wd shortbox frame.

I am planing on going with the AOD tranny that is on the engine now with a 3.55 limited slip rear end and a slightly smaller tire. 265 50R16 or something like that.

Right know I am trying to figure out the plans for the engine.

 

This is about the price of a new set of GT40P Heads. Unless you are able to find a used set from a 97 up Exployer of Mountaneer.

A set of brand new, stock GT40P’s will flow 190cfm from .400 to over .500 lift intake, peaking at about 195cfm. The P heads also come with 59cc combustion chambers, which will increase your stock 5.0HO engine compression to about 9.5:1. That's a serious improvement over stock, and well matched to mild head/cam/intake combinations.

E7TE’s flow up to about 155cfm intake side peak, at .500 lift. A home ported set will get you about 165-170cfm, while a pro ported set is in the neighborhood of 190-200cfm. To get more than that, you’re going to have to pay big bucks for the porter to replace the valves to a larger size, and really put some work in.

 

jrocco,
Like I said, it cost me $400-$500 a few years back. At that time, you couldnt pick up the GT40 heads so cheap. Also, the "P" heads have inherent problems with regards to the exhaust ports. I forget what the problem is exactly, but I think (key word...think) the problem had to do with having to get custom headers made so they would fit right. The regular GT40's would work just fine. I have been looking at the salvage yards for a while now(2-3 yrs) and havent found any on explorers. They have all been yanked off if they were any good by the yard personel and they know how much their worth.
Now, on my cost of MY heads from a few yrs back. That price was to bowl hog out the valve seats so 1.94/1.6 valves would fit and work right. That also included the special seats and stainless swirl valves. Now, granted, you may be able to find a set of used heads cheaper, but who knows(when your shelling out the bucks from your hand to theirs) if they have any problems....like warpage or cracks. Using a set of stock castings made me feel fine as they are readily available for VERY cheap....usually around $25 or so for a pair.
I supose a person COULD use a set of 1970 351w heads with their bigger valves. However, you need to be careful and pay attention to the casting numbers as not all 351w heads are created equal. In fact, MOST(if not all) from later years have the same sized valves as their 302 counterparts and are just a 302 head with a 351w stamp on them.
As for the compression ratio of 302 heads. It all depends on a few different factors such as piston type(flat head, dome, or dish), head gasket thickness and how many times the heads have been resurfaced in the past. Stock castings are not an exact science when it comes to chamber volume, and should be CC'd to detirmine the exact compression ratio if it is truely that important. However, if you stick to a stock type piston or even a flat top, you should be just fine with a stock casting head even resurfaced with up to .030 taken off.
Here is another optiopn, if your looking to up the compression ratio, use a set of 260 V-8 heads from the 60's and have them machined to accept the 1.90/1.60 valves and do a little port work on them. They have significantly smaller chamber volume, and are decent heads anyway. But you may be on another chase atfter a pink elephant on them as their getting harder to find these days. I supose it depends on how nostalgic you are.

 

If the heads on that Merc motor are E6's the ports are good but the combustion chamber isnt the best. E7s are a better choice ported with stock valves the E7s can do around 220 CFM at .5 lift and with a 220 ish max duration at .050 lift. At around .450 lift you would be flowing more air than the P heads with a lot less port volume which helps to keep the RPM down and the torq, economy and emissions to the good. Port volume on the P heads is around 170+ were as the common 302 / 289 heads are around 135 or less on well ported peices. With the E7s ported you would be looking at max power at around 6000 PM using close to a .500 lift cam I mentioned first. Wth around a .470 ish lift max power would be near 5500 RPM. The P heads would realy run best close to the 7000 RPM range because of the port volume. Also the P heads have poor plug location wich hinders the air flow in the chamber much as the E6 heads. The GT40s flow the same through the ports but better across the chamber.

 

O.k. I was looking at the comp cam H.E. 260 which has a .447 lift. the description of the e7te heads sounds like what I want. I am trying to build this engine for low end torque, (not a 302's strong suit) and will take the horse power that comes with it. Again this is not intended to be a 6000 rpm drag racer, but a strong cruiser. I am aiming for a highway 60MPH cruising speed of 2500 RPM. I want this engine to be as strong as I can get from idle to 4500 RPM. I won't be above that very often.

The only thing is I have never heard of E7TE heads. What are these and who makes them? What are the valve sizes and chamber sizes?

 

The E7TE heads are or were the ones used in most all 5.0 engines from around 87ish untill the end of the 5.0 production and 351W execpt on the Grand Marquis and the Crown Vic.

 

Cool. They are a ford production head. Are they cast or aluminum? I asume that E7TE is cast into the head, where would I look for this? and last off, do you know the valve sizes and comp ratio that these heads would give me?

 

They are iron the part no is on the under side of the head cast on the intake port runner around the area the pushrods run through.

 

so these heads are on 87 and later 5.0 and 5.8, but not crown vic's or marquis. are they on trucks? is there any way to tell them apart if they are on the engine in a wrecking yard?

any idea what comp ratio they are. I think I am aiming for 9 or 9.5. I want to get the most out of this while still using pump gas.