building a 302 !
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2005
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building a 302 !
i have a 302 that i hydro locked and i want to build it up and put it in my 86 F-150 4x4 it's EFI just so you know.
i dont know how to expalin what i want. i dont want to go wild with it and spend a ton of money. but i want a better than stock motor. what i had in mind was performance heads,cam, higer compression pistons and probley bore it like .30 over, better igntion system, distributor, coil,wires,plugs.
i dont know much about this motor. i'm used to building chevy small blocks for my derby cars so i can work on motors just not used to all the computer controlled and EFI stuff.
aslo since this motor is EFI would it be possible to change to to a carb ?
so i need suggesations as to parts to use for this motor and ideas for it also.
i dont know how to expalin what i want. i dont want to go wild with it and spend a ton of money. but i want a better than stock motor. what i had in mind was performance heads,cam, higer compression pistons and probley bore it like .30 over, better igntion system, distributor, coil,wires,plugs.
i dont know much about this motor. i'm used to building chevy small blocks for my derby cars so i can work on motors just not used to all the computer controlled and EFI stuff.
aslo since this motor is EFI would it be possible to change to to a carb ?
so i need suggesations as to parts to use for this motor and ideas for it also.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario
The good news is that the same things that work on the Bowtie motors work on the Blue Oval plants. So make her flow and she'll go. It's more complicated and expensive with EFI because you have to tell the computer how to get the correct air/fuel ratio, but most of the work is done with the factory programming and a bunch of sensors. There is a limit to just how much power you can get from the factory spec EFI system without throwing a ton more money at it, but you can reach the 300hp area with the 5.0, so it's not a complete waste of time. The best part of having an 300hp EFI engine is that it'll start in any climate, automatically compensates for altitude and temperature, runs cleaner and generally burns less fuel than a carbed version.
Check out the other threads on this forum for specific ideas on what combination of parts to use. A properly selected cam and heads with a good flowing exhaust will get you most of the way to the 300hp area with the factory truck EFI system. A carb and intake may make more HP than the EFI system on that same combination, but you will loose a substantial amount of low rpm torque.. your call is that's a trade-off you want to make.
Check out the other threads on this forum for specific ideas on what combination of parts to use. A properly selected cam and heads with a good flowing exhaust will get you most of the way to the 300hp area with the factory truck EFI system. A carb and intake may make more HP than the EFI system on that same combination, but you will loose a substantial amount of low rpm torque.. your call is that's a trade-off you want to make.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,238
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From: Kiefer, Northeastern Okla
Like Conanski said, what works on one will work on the other. One thing, though. Ford smallblock parts, though getting cheaper and easier to find, are a little more expensive than your SBC parts. Probably the biggest reason for all the SBC's in Ford street rods. Another thing- if you truly hydro'd it, you're probably looking at bent rods, too, if not head and valvetrain damage. You said you didn't want to spend a bunch of money, but you want hipo heads, cam, pistons, ignition, etc.? I guess it depends on what you call a bunch. You could shop around and find a combination of good used factory parts that will give you pretty good performance, ebay for used aftermarket, or spend the moneywhere the power is made- the heads, and port work. JMO, but I'd go carb. They're simpler, give you more cam choices, and cheaper than an amped-up EFI system. It's really just a personal choice. Try a search in this or the "performance" forum, and you'll probably turn up hundreds of ideas. The general consensus seems to be (and I have to agree, even though I'm hooked on my 302's) is a 351 swap, for the additional torque if nothing else.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 660
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The limiting factor with this family of motors are the stock cylinder heads. When the heads are addressed, they are just great performance engines. The 289 and the 302 have an incredable winning racing heritage that they established during the 60's.
The stock heads work fine up to about 275 HP levels, and they help the 302 make very good tourqe for it's size. Once the heads are upgraded, the 302 can, and ofton does, make well in excess of 300 reliable HP. Ofton the stock 351w doesn't do much better despite the extra 50 cubes. Once again it's down to the heads. If the heads limit a 302's potential, it's easy to see that they may be even more limiting on the larger version.
It's my mantra: upgrade the heads. LOL.
The stock heads work fine up to about 275 HP levels, and they help the 302 make very good tourqe for it's size. Once the heads are upgraded, the 302 can, and ofton does, make well in excess of 300 reliable HP. Ofton the stock 351w doesn't do much better despite the extra 50 cubes. Once again it's down to the heads. If the heads limit a 302's potential, it's easy to see that they may be even more limiting on the larger version.
It's my mantra: upgrade the heads. LOL.
