I've been toying with the idea of boosting my 91 302. I just want a mild boost in power. Preferably a small displacement turbo, or an efficient supercharger, nothing crazy. Looking for torque over HP.

Of course this is just an idea, how hard would it be to make the speed density computer work with one?

What would I need to piece together if I didn't want to spend 2k+ on a kit?

Or is all of this a waste of time, and should I focus more on things like cylinder heads and cams?

any wisdom is appreciated

 

So the Stinger pimpx for a boosted setup is going to run in the neighborhood of 1200 bucks. A maxspeeding gt45 clone is 300. And you still need injectors and fuel pump. Under 2 grand probably not going to happen.

 

Ah, ok sounds like if I want more power, I should stick to heads/cams

 

How much power are you looking for and for what purpose? Towing? Just a little extra power for fun?

 

I don't tow, although I do have the tow package.

Power for fun? Absolutely

But my main reason is I live in the mountains and sometimes a little more power on the steep climbs would be nice. With the benefit of a touch more power on the highway as well.

Also turbo whistle. Or supercharger whine.

 

Before you do anything do a tune up with some performance injectors. probably change out crank and maf sensor too.

 

I'm all for forced induction. But if your budget is under 2k forget about it, figure 5k minimum to do it right.

You could also change your gearing in the diff(s). That will have a much huger seat of pants feel for the money.

A solid tune up is always a good plan too.

 

No crank sensor on his truck. Most likely no MAF either, and performance injectors have to be tuned for ( requiring an aftermarket computer $$$) and won't help him anyway.

How high in the mountains?
What transmission do you have?
What gears do you have? ( potentially can help the most)
Do you have a bed toolbox or how often is the bed loaded?
What octane gas is available in your area?
​​​​​​​And finally, how mechanically inclined are you?

 

The budget is too low for any real power gains. Real power gains will be with a small turbo and a good EFI system. I do not know anyone that has a roots/screw type supercharger on the market.

If it's true about all the SD systems, that is what is going to cause you nothing but trouble. A good running low power engine is better than a poor running engine.

I have a 95 F250 5.8 and I purchased a Kenne-Bell supercharger in 2000. I had a slide in camper at the time and it needed a bit more power. With the supercharger [8psi], BBK throttle, shorty headers, and 1.7 rocker arms, it ran fairly good and certainly carried the camper easier.

As time went by, we elected to get a 5th wheel. As more time passed, I finally am at a time where I can build the engine properly. Right now, I am at $3k with machining costs and $6k in parts for a 408 build. All the parts are not even purchased yet.

 

Roller 351W swap, full exhaust, good heads, mild cam.

Probably make honest 275-300rwhp and be quite mild with solid torque. That 302 barely mustered 140rw when new.

Hell I would run the F4TE cam with good heads until I could recam later if budget real tight. Look at old comversion vans for the 351W.

 

The barrier to entry for any real performance gains is a bit high due to what you're starting with. The factory speed density ECU needs to go, but it gets more complicated if you have an auto transmission as it's computer controlled. If you have an auto that adds another $800 in expense right there for an aftermarket controller just to shift gears. Outside of that your 302 will respond to the standard upgrades like anything else. A cheap set of alloy heads, intake, baby roller cam and shorty headers would probably get you where you want. If the short block is in good shape you could just leave it be. It's just what drives the fuel and spark is the hang up.

 

The used engine I purchased was from a 94 van. Can't remember the exact cost, but I believe it was about $150.

 

One in JY here in Houston just dropped. Van off the road since about 2004. Van is a 1995 so mileage probably sub 100k, has digital odometer. Interior was nice.

I think it is about $400 OTD with all fees and taxes.

 

Ok, I'll try and answer a lot here:

I live around 2k feet, 4x4 M5OD, engine is in pretty good condition, so I'm not really looking to swap it out.

It sounds like I'll be sticking with what I have given the options and prices given here. If I can get a good price, I'll consider gear swaps, 3.73 or 4.10. I'll need two sets, which can be very expensive. I know my way around a wrench, but overall I'd say I'm still an amateur. However I could probably enlist some help if need be.

 

I have seen/experienced a supercharged 5.0, it can be done without EFI tuning but even then it's not cheap as there is some specialized equipment needed. Besides the supercharger and mounting bracket a device called an FMU is needed to boost fuel pressure and a timing retard box to manage detonation. With boost pressures kept to a modest level.. 4-6psi the motor will run fairly well but most gains are still at higher rpms simply because a gas engine can't really tolerate much boost at lower rpms without producing pre ignition. I think a modern EFI control system that is designed for forced induction would do a much better job but that is yet another cost.

A '91 5.0 truck motor has a lot of untapped potential though, the stock cam is the big bottleneck so it should definitely be right at the top of the list of upgrades. This motor has a flat tappet cam but the block is roller ready and will accept all the factory spider retainer components that can be salvaged from a junkyard motor at little cost, and then the factory style roller lifters can be used which are much less expensive than aftermarket link bar lifters. The cam selected must cooperate with the factory SD EFI system which is based around a strong and stable manifold vacuum, so cam options are quite limited and you can't just throw anything in there. One of the better options is the Comp cams 35-512-8.