302 tricks and upgrades for improvements

strokermax · Jul 25, 2013

im not a strickler on matching numbers but i do believe it still is the original motor in my car.

it left the factory with 210hp at the crank but it pre 72 so think 170 at the crank which means really about 141 at the crank just as ford advertised the 302 for 72 or 73.

the question is what amount of power does a edlebrock performer intake and a holley 4 barrel and no restrictive exhaust add to my blazing 141 horsepower?

does anything from a 5.0 bolt onto the 302? probably not but i figured id ask.

what is a 5.0 or 351 or 5.8 worth at the junkyard to buy

wwhite72 · Jul 25, 2013

I have posted here, a few times, on the jon kaase P38 heads for the windsor blocks. It is an alum canted valve head, as in "alum Cleveland style head", except kaase has been refining it for a while. The boss 302 was a windsor with canted valve heads...the clevor modified windsors have factory eveland heads. Start with these heads and you can build a much higher performing mill when the project is done. Or just build a clevor, lots of books on which factory parts you need, and can source used. Check it out.

VegasFastback · Jul 25, 2013

im not a strickler on matching numbers but i do believe it still is the original motor in my car.

it left the factory with 210hp at the crank but it pre 72 so think 170 at the crank which means really about 141 at the crank just as ford advertised the 302 for 72 or 73.

the question is what amount of power does a edlebrock performer intake and a holley 4 barrel and no restrictive exhaust add to my blazing 141 horsepower?

does anything from a 5.0 bolt onto the 302? probably not but i figured id ask.

what is a 5.0 or 351 or 5.8 worth at the junkyard to buy

The 302 didn't lose any power between 71 and 72, the way it was measured was changed. The stock engine has 190 Hp net, which accounts for the accessories.

The 5.0 is the same engine as your 302. The only things the won't swap you probably won't run into unless you screw with the bottom end.

The add-ons you have now probably add a good bit of horsepower the only things I would look for would be better heads which would be '86 or later 5.0. The cams may be better pre 85 are flat tappet anything after that probably won't work since you don't have a roller block. The cams 85 and after should physically fit in the block, but if you try to put the stock roller lifters that go with it in they will sit above the oil galleys and won't work properly.

You can; however, pull a set of roller lifters rebuild them by buying flat tappets of the same year and swapping the guts. Don't forget the dogbones and spider umm.. clamp. You'll have to drill and tap where the clamp is bolted. If you take the roller lifters you will need a special cam that has a smaller radius to account for the fact that our older lifter valleys are lower. A stock roller lifter won't work in our older engines without the special cam.

Most junk yards see 5.0's and 5.8 as plentiful so they're not too bad. In the yards in vegas a long block that pulled yourself was $150. There were tons of 302's in there 5.8's were a little less with with fuel injected engines being the most common. The best thing to do is call the yards in you area and ask. Personally, I've found that craigslist is a better source for old engines. Even if they're charging a little more then the yards you don't have to pull them yourself, usually.

strokermax · Jul 26, 2013

so i might have added say 20 or so horsepower? and yea im hoping to go see what the junkyard has i would think a 351 would actually get better mileage pushing this tank then the little 302

mdan575 · Jul 26, 2013

so i might have added say 20 or so horsepower? and yea im hoping to go see what the junkyard has i would think a 351 would actually get better mileage pushing this tank then the little 302

These cars really aren't that heavy for the size of the motor options 302/351/429. Yes they are a large car. But they weigh in about the same as many modern Mustangs. The driver and up keep will dictate more between the engines as far as gas mileage goes IMO.