302 Crate Engine - Looking for Direct Swap
 

I have a '82 F150 and I think my engine is done for. Just all of a sudden started with a horrible vibration at idle through the rpm range, its worse when accelerating when you load up. All cylinders are firing so its not a miss. Just idling there the engine is vibrating side to side making the tires shake, the steering wheel shake, the mirrors shake, etc.

So I think something is coming apart in the engine.

So I am looking at crate engines, I see summit as a BluePrint 302HO long block for $1,799 with a roller cam. Only thing is if one were to buy this engine to swap into a '82, would I have to do anything special with my dist? I know roller cams are supposed to have a different material dist gear but I don't know about in this case.

I also want to know what people think of the BluePrint brand engines?

I'm looking for something cheap as its my only running form of transportation and I will have to put it down for probably half a year to get enough money saved up to do this swap. So I want to get a good engine that runs smooth but will make more power than my smog equipped rebuild 302 that I bet is lucky to make 100 hp.

Yes you would need a distributor with a steel drive gear for the HO motor.

Ok that's good to know but I found out what is causing my engine to act up so now I am trying to locate the proper balancer. Everything I look for it comes up 28 oz for a '82 F150 even though '82 and up was 50 oz imbalance. I found a Dorman one part #594-024 that says on summit is for '80 and 84 and up which makes zero sense even though its a 50 oz imbalance. I looked on dormans website it says that part number is for 81 and up. Amazon says it doesn't fit an '82.

All auto part stores I look at doesn't show the balancer for an '82 F150 with a 302. Might need to try a '83 or '84 cause the engines were all the same and the balancers were the same.

Just sucks cause I know work is slow for me but I need to get my truck going asap if possible.

82 302 ? Crankshaft has broken in half. You're not the first.

Crank isn't broke. Ive seen cranks and cams broke the engine when cranking will sound different. The engine cranks and fires right up like everything is fine. Just vibrates like hell. Checking timing I moved my dial on my timing light to 50 degrees advance and my 0 mark never showed up at the timing point and I have timing set at 12 degrees. Truck accelerates great and has the same power its not low on power it just all of a sudden started shaking like its out of balance. I thought maybe it was ignition related why I tried plugs because Ive never known anyone that has experienced a balancer slip. Ive never seen one, my dad has never seen one, my boss working in the field for 40 years has never seen one either that has slipped. So I put it out of my head till it was mentioned and I figured it doesn't hurt to check.

I am just going to try replacing the balancer if I can find one. Everything I find for an '82 is a 28 oz imbalance which is not correct. '82 was the first year for the 50 oz imbalance, '81 was the transision year. Then the other places that has the 50 oz imbalance they are street performance or racing balancers for $200+. I found a Dorman one but its listed as '84 and up which makes no sense cause as far as I know the 302 didn't change balancer wise from '82 on.

Reason I said that is I've seen those year models do the same thing. Sure it will run, but will shake, rattle and roll doing it. Could be the balancer too. Don't see why you have a problem getting a 50oz/in balancer, they're common as dirt. Stop trying to look for one in that particular year, simple as that. Not even Ford knew when the changeover occurred. Pull your balancer and look at the size of the counterweight, a 50 oz unit's counterweight is about 3/4 the diameter of the outer ring. 28 oz is only about a quarter of it.

I'm just looking locally that's the problem. Some local stores only list a 200 cid I6 for '82 for balancers. Others list the Dorman one for '84 and up which I tried to get that one today at a few different stores but not one in the city. I even checked out of town earlier today and in about 100 miles there wasn't one for the Dorman '84 and up on hand.

I just went to Rockauto and checked them out looked under '84 and found they have a ATP one I purchased for $45 after shipping. Guess I will try this swap out next weekend cause it probably wont get here till Thursday or Friday. so it looks like I will be riding my bike I built to work this week.

Before I install the new balancer how ever I am going to sit the new one atop the old one and line up the key way and see where the timing marks are. I am expecting them to be about 100* off.

Well I am back to a crate engine. Balancer itself didn't spin, the balancer spun on the crank broke the snout on the old factory balancer and without a doubt ****ed up the crank as I broke the bolt loose and it isn't loose it needs to be wrenched out if the motor was frozen in place.

So now I am back to square one trying to find a straight drop in crate engine with a warranty that would be priced reasonably.

I'd go find a nice used roller 351, carb it and drop it in place of the 302. You'd need a steel geared distributor also to make it work. Take a porting bit and cut the Thermactor bumps out of the exhaust ports too while at it. And replace the 1.6 stamped rockers with full roller 1.7's. Do this and you'll effectively double the power output for far less than what a crate 302 would cost

Anyone know anything about this engine?

ATK Engines DF46: Remanufactured Crate Engine for 1980-1986 Ford/Lincoln/Mercury Car & F-Series Truck with 302ci/5.0L V8 | JEGS

The brand I never heard of till now. I like the 3 year warranty that comes with it. But my biggest question is, is this a 50 oz imbalance. I assume it is since its listed as fitting up to '85.

I'm contemplating this engine as I can use pay pal credit which I have to be approved for first.

I would go with something spec'd for a 94-97. You might get another lemon going with those year's specs. The 80-85 blocks were the true lightweights in the 302, and the cranks were weak too. Add in huge 70 cc combustion chambers and you have everything it takes to be a lemon and a dud.

Yea well it wouldn't be cheaper cause then I will have to buy all new bracketry for the 351. As of now I got everything I can reuse from mine, the bracketry, the intake, the dist, etc.

I found the DF46 reman engine for $1800. I also found this one for $2,000

ATK Engines DF10R: Remanufactured Crate Engine for 1968-1974 Ford/Mercury Car & F-Series Truck with 302ci/5.0L V8 | JEGS

Its a roller cam one but swapping the dist gear wouldn't be a big deal ive swapped them before at work.

As far as power goes as of now I am not going the power right I need to get this done to have a vehicle for work. Right now Ive been riding the bike I built to work but that wont fly when it starts raining.

Well that doesn't surprise me, engine builder I know from work he said the 302`s are known for spinning the balancer on the crank and ****ing the crank up on my era block.

For a '94-'97 they have a reman.

ATK Engines DFN1: Remanufactured Crate Engine for 1994-1996 Ford F-Series Truck & E-Series Van with 302ci/5.0L V8 | JEGS

Its not too bad price wise but I have to verify I can reuse all my existing parts without changing anything.

It looks like the oil dipstick on that one is on the driverside rear of the block which is where mine is. But have to verify that, my ATK balancer I bought had no timing marks on it even though the ATK photo with part number engraved on the balancer showed timing marks.

That's probably a universal balancer, if it doesn't come with timing tape, you'll have to apply that yourself. I would make sure it's a 50 oz unit though first, the marks never changed on those, they did on the 28 oz/in balancers around 1970.

Its a 50 oz, its just like the Ford Racing 50 oz 302 balancer they have no timing marks either which is odd.

Aside from that I found this engine and I am looking at this one now since it comes with GT40 style heads.

https://www.powertrainproducts.net/9...ine-p/1744.htm

I know it states 96-01 but down in the description it says 96 - 11/96 which tells me its a 96 to early 97 Explorer engine which means it has the GT40 heads and not the GT40P so I should be able to reuse my stock manifolds.

How ever I assume this engine is still a 50 oz imbalance cause I haven't seen anything saying other wise.

But my current problem holding me back from pulling the trigger on this purchase is I need to get a new flexplate as mine wasn't replaced with the engine was rebuilt back around '93 so the teeth are a little worn. Would like to throw a new one in while I am at it but all C6 flexplates I have found state "for 2 piece rear main seal". Now I don't know about this can one use a 2 piece rear main seal flexplate on a 1 piece rear main seal crank with no problems?