PERFORMACE

[SPAIN72MUSTANG]

So do you think if I buy the edelbrock performance whole top head I would be on the right track,I want to buy the heads and intake and carb package

 

[mustbrad]

package it with the matching cam, tell them what you want for hp range a they will set you up

 

[SPAIN72MUSTANG]

Thanks to everyone for the advice

 

[mach71351c]

302's are cheap and easy to build power a nice set of AFR's and an air gap with a 650 carb 510 lift cam with 270 280 duration and a good set of FPA headers will get you 350hp at the crank all day long, if you want it at the wheels a stroker kit from SCAT should be had for around $1200 with good heads, intake, exhaust, 350 at the wheels is also not a problem.

+2 Picking the write parts is the key. I'm a 351c fan but the 302 is much easier to deal with. It's easy to 300-350 out of a 302. 375+ you will have to spend some $.

 

[hyena429]

Im a 351c 4v fan too....Its hard to beat the power it can make with almost factory parts...just a bigger cam and carb and your instantly into big block horse power out of a 500 pound small block...Its lighter than a small block chevy..And packing the punch of a big block....With out major mods a 302 will never make the horse power of a built cleveland with stock heads..and in the end the 302 is a decent motor.....But its out of date compaired too the tech inside a 351 cleveland 4v...Cleveland was made during fords thin wall block casting tech...A better stronger lighter block....Has a smaller crank than a 302..So it can spin more rpm's than a 302...It makes life easy with monster heads and such....Take my motor...351 cleveland 4v...typical 245 hp cobrajet....with just a cam headers and carb change ...I am expecting almost 450ish hp with a cam and some shims...lol...You cant get them numbers out of any other small block so easily...and with our serious mods besides the ones im talking about...she can flow up too 550 horse power with a 600 cam lift....wow...What a monster.

but dont get me wrong..a 302 is a fine motor...and can make alot of power...Just all counts how much wow factor you want in your gas pedal...lol

 

[JimNiki]

everyone chant with me. "There is no replacement for displacement".

 

[cazsper]

You can get 400 flywheel HP from a 351w with 9.5:1 compression, 224/232 @ .050 cam, Edelbrock heads and a good carb. For a little more money, you can get a set of AFR-185 heads. You can even do a 393w stroker with a "cast steel" crank and a Ford Motorsport F-303 cam. You will have a slight lope, good torque and around 350 RWHP. Not to mention, it will cost less and be lighter than a Cleveland. Not that there is anything wrong with the Cleveland.

 

[mweeps]

I am biased toward 351c but you can buy 5.oL all day long on craigslist!

 

[72fastback]

if you do get the edelbrock package get it with the air gap intake. Not the performer. The performer is good but you will get more out of the air gap for a slight price difference

 

[cazsper]

I agree with getting the RPM/air gap kit (intake, can, heads). Even though I totally prefer AFR heads to the Edelbrock heads. And if you want a bit more torque lower in the RPM range, I would consider a 331 stroker. If you look at kist the Coast High Performance kit, it's only about $350 more than the 5.0L kit (just a reference).

 

[c9zx]

Please consider the car as a system. A clear and attainable outcome has to be established and the parts that make up each subsystem must be selected to be complementary to each other and the desired outcome. A good analogy may be selecting the components to build a good audio system. Everything must work well together.

Some things to consider:

How do you REALLY want to use the car?

Is originality a consideration?

Do you want the engine to run on pump gas, what octane?

Does fuel consumption matter?

What is the budget?

How much of the work can you do?

Do you want to upgrade incrementally or all at once?

Whatever engine and power level you decide on, the transmission, differential, wheels/tires, brakes, and cooling systems must support the power level and RPM band of the engine. An example of what won't work well is the 375 HP engine with a stock C-4, a 1500 stall convertor, and a 2.75:1 gear in an open differential.

A 306 CID engine making 375 HP is harder to live with on the street than a 357 CID engine making 375 HP. Higher idle speed, less engine vacuum, less low RPM torque, cruise RPM, and higher convertor stall speed are some issues to consider when using the smaller displacement engine. It all depends on what you want, can afford, and can live with. That is why establishing the outcome carefully and realistically is vital. Whatever you decide to do I would avoid the "off the shelf complete package, one size fits all" solution. It is like a "universal" part for a car. Universal in this case means there isn't a single car in the universe that the part will work well on. I've never seen this approach yield more than mediocre results. There are simply to many variables involved for that approach to work well. Components selected for your exact application will yield better results.

If you can give us some more information about the car as it is and what your desired outcomes are we can and will help you get what you want. Sorry for the long response. You said you were new to this and I wanted you to know how deep the water was before you jumped in. Chuck

 

[SPAIN72MUSTANG]

i have a 302 with a 600 cfm carb edelbrock,dual exhust with headers thats it,thats were im starting off at the rebuild for this winter. thanks for all the advice Ron

 

[c9zx]

i have a 302 with a 600 cfm carb edelbrock,dual exhust with headers thats it,thats were im starting off at the rebuild for this winter. thanks for all the advice Ron

Ron, If you want noticeable improvements at moderate cost consider a gear change to at least a 3.25:1 unless you already have that or numerically higher gear. Other things at modest cost might be a Transgo shift kit if the car is automatic (extra capacity pan is a good idea), and Recurve the distributor to a more optimal rate of advance as well as optimal total mechanical, and vacuum advance. Tune the carb for optimal response. If that still doesn't do what you want, a more aggressive cam, lifters, and matched valve springs will provide a noticeable increase. This all assumes the engine and transmission are already in good condition. Much more than this and the budget will need to grow significantly. This hobby is like any other one, you can spend as much as you want and have available. Chuck

 

[SPAIN72MUSTANG]

I HAVE ALOT TO THINK ABOUT THIS WINTER,I HAVE TO TRY A GET ALOT OF OT TO HELP ME GET THIS PROJECT OFF THE GROUND THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ALL THE ADVICE,THERE IS SO MUCH I CAN DO THANKS TO ALL YOUR GUYS WISDOM. THANKS RON