Rebuilding an 89 5.0 block. Going to carb.
Guy asked me if i was interested in a ho cam for a deal. This truck block is currently non-roller.

Will a HO cam work and what else should i ask for from him to make this setup work. Plus what are some decent heads that came with these things. All i have now is a set of 1975 heads.

Thanks

 

I think the 89 block is roller ready , you need the cam , lifters , lifter guides & retainer , push rods . You will also need a steel gear for the distributor ... A set of GT-40 heads would be good ....Lew

 

The build just depends on how much money u have. how much power do u want?

 

whats the motor going into?

 

HO cam is a pretty good choice for a stock EFI motor but it's a lousy choice for a carbed setup, you could have a better performing flat tappet cam for less than what it's going to cost to get the rest of the roller cam hardware.

 

I disagree with Conanski a little here... which is unusual.... Non roller cams are prone to failure if you do not use additives from the cam manufacturer in your oil for at least the first 10,000 miles. This is relatively new and has happened to me and some friends.... when you pull apart a new motor to find four or more wiped lobes and mashed lifters it's an attention getter.

That being said first check to see if the block is setup to accept the roller hardware.... not all 89 blocks were if I remember correctly... look for threaded holes in the center of the lifter gallery. If is has these is is a roller block. If it is you can track down or purchase new detents. Ford Motorsports has kits like FMS M 6253 A50 for 50 bucks at Summit or Jegs that supply the dogbones and clamp for a stock ford roller setup.

I strongly advise using roller cams because they work better than non roller cams, and even though they are usually two or three times as much as a non roller I think its money well spent in the long run.

I agree with Conanski on the factory ho cam... Mustang guys dont want them because they don't have enough lift... and you don't want that cam in a truck unless you are running 30" tall tires with 3.50 gears or better.. it is totally a car cam. It will work but you won't like the performance. Pick a cam for towing or that is setup to work between 0 and 5000 rpms.

As for heads... i know i will draw some ire, but one factory iron head is the same as another IMHO. If you want performance go for the basic aluminuim heads, but remember you dont want the stage 111 big port and big valve things because in a truck that wont help in a 302. That being said, if you go al heads you gotta watch the cooling deal because you cant run them hot like iron heads. They will warp when overheated.

Also it's my advice that if you are going to spend money on that motor better to spend the money on a roller cam and stroker kit because a 331 or 347 kit with even the lamest iron heads will outperform a 302 with the best heads with the same cam in a truck.