[1gunner23]

The other day i was talking to a friend of mine and told me that his grandfather had a few Ford motors in his gerage, after talking with his grandfather i found out that one of them is a matching numbers BOSS 302. i am pretty sure i could get the motor with a little work, but i guess what i am asking is, what is the diff. between it and a HO motor.

[Darrell]

Originally Posted by 1gunner23 The other day i was talking to a friend of mine and told me that his grandfather had a few Ford motors in his gerage, after talking with his grandfather i found out that one of them is a matching numbers BOSS 302. i am pretty sure i could get the motor with a little work, but i guess what i am asking is, what is the diff. between it and a HO motor.

Everything. Beefier 4 bolt main block, cleveland heads, etc.

[1gunner23]

well if thats the case i guess i should try and pick it up, only thing is that the old guy knows what he has so i prob wont be cheep.

[stangliter04]

just depends on how much he is wanting to let it go for, you might be able to build that HO up for cheaper.

[1gunner23]

Yeah i guess i just want it to have more then anything

[fakesaleen]

also it is just a stronger block like the 351w hard to break

[1gunner23]

yeah would make a good base for a 347 hu?

[Bossman351]

I wouldnt tear up a BOSS 302 trying to make a stroker motor. It would be much easier to stroke a 351 Cleveland to 396 c.i.d. using a 400 crank not to mention cheaper.

[Darrell]

Originally Posted by Bossman351 I wouldnt tear up a BOSS 302 trying to make a stroker motor. It would be much easier to stroke a 351 Cleveland to 396 c.i.d. using a 400 crank not to mention cheaper.

Cleveland blocks are junk. Weak cylinders, weak oiling.

[1gunner23]

Well i have been doing some brainstorming (dust cloud at best ) this week, i just have to much going on right now, the jeep and my newest addition to the family a F-350 7.3L Dually although i am still going after the 302 BOSS motor, i want to keep that one stock (other plans, details comming soon ). so with that i think i might throw a few bolt on performance items on the stang and concentrate more on getting all the suspension rebuilt and replaced for now.

[Bossman351]

Originally Posted by Darrell Originally Posted by Bossman351 I wouldnt tear up a BOSS 302 trying to make a stroker motor. It would be much easier to stroke a 351 Cleveland to 396 c.i.d. using a 400 crank not to mention cheaper. Cleveland blocks are junk. Weak cylinders, weak oiling.

I'll give you the oiling factor but if you know what youre doing and you go with the "right" block, you can get around all that and make some pretty good power. Its the same with a Windsor motor. If your gonna go for a Windsor, you had better go with a pre-smog motor. You can do things with any Windsor but if you want to do great things with one, you had better have the right one. Same thing with a 302. You gonna try to build 350 horses out of a truck motor? Or are you gonna start with an H.O.?

[Darrell]

Originally Posted by Bossman351 I'll give you the oiling factor but if you know what youre doing and you go with the "right" block, you can get around all that and make some pretty good power. Its the same with a Windsor motor. If your gonna go for a Windsor, you had better go with a pre-smog motor. You can do things with any Windsor but if you want to do great things with one, you had better have the right one. Same thing with a 302. You gonna try to build 350 horses out of a truck motor? Or are you gonna start with an H.O.?

All Clevelands have thin cylinder walls. You can sonic check the block and possibly take it .030 over on some of them. As far as a Windsor goes, anything after 79 or so is a weaker block but not in the cylinders. The main webbing is where the real issue is but in a mild application (under 550 horsepower) it will never be an issue. Early Windsor blocks will handle in excess of 800 horsepower with a good machinist. As far as a 302 goes, for 350 horsepower it doesn't matter if its a truck motor or an H.O. but anything over 500 you better be looking for a pre 85 block and preferably a Dart or World block.

[1gunner23]

I can't thank you guys enough for all the info you have been giving me :award . i guess when it comes down to it i want reliability more then anything, but at the same time a car that can hold it's own on the road.