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Is the GT-40 the best 302 for the money??


Got302ci

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Whats the best 302 for the money??

I put a 302 from a town car in my ranger but it is the non-HO and evantually I am goin to swap it out for somthing better and wanna know what the best engine would be??

Here are the engines I know of:

GT-40 from exploders
GT-40P from exploders (not shure of the difference)
302HO from Mark IV's and T-birds


Dont know of any others off the top of my head but I want EFI and I like the exploders DIS ignition but I am afraid that if i use an exploders harness then I will have to use an exploders trans because the computer will be looking for it.

I have an AOD in it ATM and I love it, its mechanical and simple and doesnt have a lockup clutch to take a shit (4th gear still bypasses the converter tho)
and can be built to handle more power, ect.....

OR I may just say the hell with slush boxes and get a 5 speed in there but who knows.

I left the clutch pedal in the truck and everytime someone asks why its an auto and has a clutch pedal I tell them its for when the auto takes a shit lol.
 


Downey

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gt 40 isnt a type of 302 its a type of heads and intake. the 302 ho makes more power than a none ho 302
 

Gotta_gofast

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Whats your budget? GT40 heads are good for 15-20 crank horses over the E7's... 25-30 if you work them. My set of GT40 heads had an awful casting flaw around every exhaust valve guide. I massaged those heads with a die grinder.

Now, I went from GT40 heads on a 331ci stroker to a pair of AFR 185 outlaws. HUGE improvement. The GT40 heads ran out of steam around 4500rpm and beyond that it just fell on its face. These new heads pull all the way to 6600rpm.

GT40P heads (some call it the "P" head) require special headers to clear the revised spark plug placement. Headers are expensive.

The AOD SUCKS. I suggest a 4R70W with a stand alone computer, and this is why. The AOD uses three shafts. One drives the pump (duh). One drives 1st, 2nd, and a percentage of 3rd. The third shaft-the weakest-drives part of third and OD. The outer shaft is powered by the torque converter. The inner (weak) shaft is directly driven from the engine. All it takes is one good hard shift from 2nd to 3rd and all that power is suddenly transferred to the inner shaft, sheering it.

Honestly, the AOD would require a LOT of money to compete with the AOD-E/4R70W. With a few minor upgrades I would bet money that the AOD-E/4R70W would handle an honest 450lb-ft of torque. The AOD couldn't hold a candle to that. Plus the 4R70W has a wider gear ratio making launching that much faster.

And lastly, a 302 isn't going to really impress you unless its got some work done to it. My friend has a mostly stock '89 fox body with the 5.0L H.O. and AOD trans. I pulled away from him with my '05 Ranger 4x4 with the 4.0L. Technology has come along way my friend.

If I were to do it all over again, I would have purchased a 98+ 4x4 Ranger, swapped in the guts from a 5.0L AWD explorer. I would build the drivetrain to handle 12psi of centrifugal supercharger.
 

Got302ci

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So I have E7 heads???

How much more difficult would it be to swap a 351W in place of the 302??

From what I gather its just a tad bit more wide????

I can get 351's all day from f-150's and E vans but the only problem I can see is that I have yet to see a low profile 351 intake manifold that would clear the rangers limited engine bay space, that is unless a 302 intake would fit on the 351????


Also I keep hearing some 302's have a "roller" cam and valve setup as compaired to my non HO's non roller setup, whats the difference and does it really matter????


Thanks lol
 

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I'd stay away from most 351's because of their power rating and fitment. but they are like 302/5.0's, all depends on the year. Gofast asked about a buget, got one set up yet? Going to do JY searches or go with new? Most 5.0's sitting in yards are at best going to need a rebuild or a good freshing up and you still don't know it's condition. You might luck out with a good find. What motor is in your truck now, 4x4 or not? Throw out all the info you can, DD or what ever.
Dave
 

Ozwynn

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My credo
If you can't go through it or around it, then go over it.
you can do it. a 351 will fit under the hood. you will have to run your headers outside the frame rail.

you could get an edelbrock manifold and weld injector bosses into it, machine a plate that would allow you to use a stock mustang MAF and throttle body with a 4bbl intake.
 
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Got302ci

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What did the engine you have come out of?

Not all lo-po 5.0Ls are flat tappet. My engine was an '87 Marquis non-HO engine that had roller lifters, E6SE heads, and cast pistons. It has GT40 heads now with a B303 cam (upgraded springs and roller rockers), dual plane high rise intake and forged pistons.

Roller valve trains are a lot better as far as how long they can last, you can re-use the lifters on a cam change, and there is a lot less friction versus flat tappet.

Pete
It came out of a 1988 Lincoln Town Car, Not shure what heads are on it or if it has a roller drive train or not tho, how can I tell????

So what would be a good engine to look for??

Exploder engines seem easy to find as compared to fox mustang gt's, although the Mark IV's are pretty easy to find.
 

Gotta_gofast

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an '88 will most likely have the E7 heads.

Don't waste your time on a 351 unless you have the funds for aftermarket heads and all the related parts. The GT40 heads are barely enough for a mild 302 let alone the 351. You'll make a lot of torque from the beginning and it will feel powerful until you get into the upper rpm and it'll fall flat on its face. I know a lot of people(ironically chevy guys) who swapped in big engines that roast the tires from a stand still but struggle to accelerate hard past 80mph.

Here's a sample of a budget build (which I'm assuming since you are looking at factory parts)
Best bet is to locate a rebuildable core 302. Just make sure it is set for a roller camshaft. Purchase some hypereutectic pistons. Bring the compression around 9 to 9.5:1. A lunati Voodoo camshaft (61001) will provide an off idle to 5500 rpm powerband. I've had good luck with the Voodoo series. Pick up a set of GT40 heads and work the casting flaws out of them. Don't "port" them, just smooth things out. Have a performance valve job done to them. A 600cfm carburetor and dual plane manifold will work fine. If you are using an auto trans, upgrade the torque converter to a 2500rpm stall unit, add a trans cooler, and throw in a shift kit. Swap out your rear gears for 4.10s. Later down the road, upgrade to a set of edelbrock heads. Run those for a while then upgrade the rotating assembly with a stroker kit and a 650cfm carb.

Ofcourse there are a million ways to set up your ride, but off the top of my head I was able to put together a decent drivetrain that would cost roughly $5500 all said and done. Take off $2000 if you don't run the stroker kit or the aluminum heads.
 

Got302ci

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Sounds sweet except I hate carbs, I wanna run efi.

Also I would prob go manual when i swap the engine down the road.

I dont really wanna tear apart an engine anyways, I would prob just get a 302 from an exploder and swap out the cam for a better one, and mate it to a T5 from a mustang.

OR I could go your route and get a 1993 cobra mustang drivetrain lol.
 

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Here's my two cents:

Most 351's from the 70's through the 90's are very low performance, stock. So, unless you plan on modifications (most of us do....) they may not be the best choice.

The Ex motors seem to respond well with a new cam, even any of the Mustang cams or alphabet cams. This is just from reading other's experiences.

'93 cobra drivetrain is nothing special, other than the heads and intake. (very similar to the GT40 heads/intake). Any 5.0 HO plus GT40 heads/Intake would be a great combo.

All of the 5.0 HO motors, from '87 through the sn95 'Stangs to the Explorer models all make a great starting point if you intend to run an aftermarket intake and heads.
 

baddad457

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an '88 will most likely have the E7 heads.
:nono::nono: Nope. The 88 Lincoln 5.0 has E6SE heads. Roller cam and lifters. But it's the small "base" roller also used in the Crown Vics, and Merc Marquis. Also some years T-Bird, Cougar and Lincoln Mark VII. And later in the 92-93 E & F series 5.0.
 

baddad457

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It came out of a 1988 Lincoln Town Car, Not shure what heads are on it or if it has a roller drive train or not tho, how can I tell????

So what would be a good engine to look for??

Exploder engines seem easy to find as compared to fox mustang gt's, although the Mark IV's are pretty easy to find.
You've got E6SE heads (confirmed by the presence of an "S" cast into the corner of the head next to the valve cover) It IS a roller cammed motor. Another good motor to do a budget build is the 94-97 E & F series 5.0's. This is the same basic long block as the 94-95 Stang 5.0, but with a slightly small cam (on the intake side only-- 10* less duration and .030 less lift) But a good daily driver cam none the less, especially with a carb. This is the same cam used in the Explorer's 5.0.
 

baddad457

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Here's my two cents:


The Ex motors seem to respond well with a new cam, even any of the Mustang cams or alphabet cams. This is just from reading other's experiences.

'93 cobra drivetrain is nothing special, other than the heads and intake. (very similar to the GT40 heads/intake). Any 5.0 HO plus GT40 heads/Intake would be a great combo.
Nothing wrong with the Explorer cam that a set of 1.7 Cobra rockers won't fix. That and porting the stock heads, either the E7's or the GT40's. Mine pulls from idle to 6000 with a Holley 570 on a Ford A321. The Cobra's had a little different cam grind from the HO's. Same cam was used in the 93 T-Bird/Cougar 5.0.
 

Got302ci

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So are E6SE heads consitered good flowing or not??

Also what all the damn cams available what would work the best for my app??

Here is what I would like out of a cam:

• I have speed desnsity and intend on keeping it first of all
• I want low end grunt, not high rpm
• Cheap
• Decent fuel mileage
• I dont want a cam that was designed with emissions in mind!!
• A stock cam ford put in a 302 from the factory would be sweet if it meets my criteria because it would be cheap and available but if something aftermarket would work better then I have no problem going that route.
 

Gotta_gofast

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Oh, my trusty (or so I thought) ford book claimed a late 80's Lincoln would have the E7's.

From what you've listed, I have to ask... why go through the effort to run a 302 then? If cost, fuel mileage, and low end grunt are your concerns then have you considered the 4.0L OHV with a 5 speed? I'd hate to see you go through the effort and time for a 302 that makes just a hair more power than the OHV.
 

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