[BerniniCaCO3]

Hi!

Alright, a bit out of place on this forum. I've got a fox body with the low power 302. Almost anything will be better than it!
Question, is WHICH things first.
Budget of hopefully $800, though I acknowledge that it will probably run over. Won't even get me a pair of fine heads, but it can still get a lot.
As part of a class, I get to rebuild a 302 to drop in at the end of the class.

This will remain my daily driver. It's a 4000#+ car, so I guess I'd be looking for plenty of low end torque optimized for whatever the cruising rpm is (this car has no tach! it's on my todo list, when I do the heater core this spring and have the dash apart). I guess 1500-2000 rpm would be normal?
No racing, won't need or want aggressive custom cams for 5000rpm power.

First thing, and let me know your advice tomorrow if you see this, as I'll be picking up an engine as early as saturday: HO or explorer?

Grandmarq forum guys like the explorer engines. I don't know shit, and I'd go with their advice; but I don't yet know what I'll find at the junkyard and don't look forward to pulling an engine from a car half sunk in the mud.
I have lined up to pick up Saturday, unless I find an explorer motor tomorrow at the junkyard, a 1990 HO motor with supposedly 60,000 miles on it and the stock forged pistons and crankshaft for $150. It was built to be carburetted, but I found a 1993 intake with fuel injection for another $40.
I'm hoping I'll scarcely need to rebuild it, saving money for other goodies.

So alright, first thing first, would you buy the HO and build from there? Or should I make a greater effort to find an explorer motor?
Hell, should I even give serious thought to a 351? I know it'll need different accessory brackets; I don't know if I can find a roller tappet version, or how difficult it would be to accommodate and drop in.


Now I'll have spent $200 on either the HO or a crazy rays junkyard explorer motor, leaving $600 for other toys.
We've covered lots of engine theory, that doesn't mean I've absorbed it all. I do appreciate that a lot of improvements are complimentary; you often can't just do one thing.
Again, I'll be building this for 2000rpm daily cruising, not high rpm racing; so I can assume that the stock cam is just fine for one.

Starting with stock, what would you do first?
Port the stock heads, or even put all my money into used performance heads from edelbrock or others?
--Would I see any benefit from more than the 19# stock injectors?
--Would I get a lot of benefit just by replacing the clutch fan with an electric, maybe even an electric water pump, a more modern geared mini starter,
--and for sure replace the y-exhaust and snorkel intake with a more open H-pipe and basic cold air as cheap improvements?
--Are the stock pistons good, or would you put $200 into something better?
--I have the throttle body off of a 1993 efi mustang; I think it was 55mm, maybe 65mm. Getting a larger tb could be an option
--roller rockers? Are those better all around, or only needed for high rpms when the oil film can't maintain lubrication?
--not engine/power related; but I might want to budget for a trans cooler and an upgraded alternator while I'm at it... thoughts on necessity of the trans cooler?

So many options. I could probably do most of the above too, buying used parts to keep the cost down too. Any machine work, and any serious work on the heads if I can't do it myself, let alone replacing the heads with something more performance, could quickly max out the budget.
What would you do first?



Oh btw, do I need the ECU out of a mustang, or will my lowpow ecu still know what to do with the HO motor?

[BerniniCaCO3]

I'm doing very little to the drivetrain or suspension, running stock tires... but as far as my goals, I never again want to feel my engine lug on the beltway when I'm going 70mph and it's slightly uphill, and I never again want to have to floor the gas pedal just to not slide backwards (exaggerating) when touring skyline drive, a mountain road but really not even a serious one.
I doubt I'll need 300hp. But I sure need more than 150.

[ryanw]

i didnt read every thing but you can find some used trick flow heads for around 800 some time less

[1FAST6]

Since your not building a race motor I wouldn't worry about pistons. Focus on fuel and exhaust ie. getting the most efficient heads and then being able to feed them the air and fuel the need. next would be to get the burned gasses out ie. effecient exhaust.

what transmission are looking at? aod? 5-speed? etc.

In all honesty you say your looking at a DD. If that's the case I would do a stock rebuild with a solid cooling system. big radiator, big trans cooler(if auto) and big brakes to stop that 4K lb beast.A good solid trans and maybe a lower rear gear if you are running a aod or better.

[dblzroracin]

What year & model (GT or LX? hatch, coupe, or convertible) fox body car are you building? I think that would give a better idea of where to start on what you may or may not need. Where did you get the weight of 4k #s + from? Im pretty sure when my 92 Gt vert was stock it weighed less than 3600 with a stereo system, & me in it.

[BerniniCaCO3]

It's a 1990 colony park wagon, #4032 curb weight (just checked).
I was ashamed to say, as I suspect over the next year I'm going to sink more money than the blue book value even is; but I like wagons. It's like a pickup with more refined lines to it.

It has the AOD. I'll be taking a transmissions class in the Fall, and I've checked that it's possible: I might convert to a t5 manual transmission.

But for now I'm leaving the trans itself alone. It was rebuilt 15,000 miles ago so should have plenty of life left. What should I look for, for a trans cooler: keywords/compatible part #s to search craigslist, ebay, and the junkyard for?

For the heads, would you admonish me to find a gt40, or can I just port the heads, enlarge the valve diameters maybe?

It comes stock with the larger rear drum brakes as a wagon. I'd be interested in larger front disk brakes, if you'd recommend them, and can point me in the right direction again for compatible parts and what to expect to pay.

[BULLET20XD]

Take that land yacht and put a boat anchor cleveland motor in it. Save the windors for something else.

[StangBanger302]

Get an explorer motor and throw a slightly aggressive cam in. Change the springs, get the heads checked out, and you're good to go. Much better than the H.O option.

[89lxstang5.0]

after reading your post... sounds like ur from maryland and in the ford asset program at ccbc catonsville lol am i right?

[fogged306]

Originally Posted by BULLET20XD Take that land yacht and put a boat anchor cleveland motor in it. Save the windors for something else.

Hah, that would be a sweet ride, but I believe a cleveland swap may just go over his $800 budget.. a little.