300hp 302

ri06667 · Jan 16, 2008

Hey guys, I just bought a 2nd 1990 ranger as a v8 project. Im going to put a carb'd 302 into it (once i get ahold one one)
My target HP is 300 and I was wondering (on a low / junkyard budget) what pieces im going to need to upgrade to get there..
Where would I approximately stand after some decent heads, headers, a 600cfm 4barrell carb and a decent exhaust system? I was looking for part types and approximate prices used if possible.
Thanks in advance!

Dave

skippy · Jan 16, 2008

ri06667 said:
Hey guys, I just bought a 2nd 1990 ranger as a v8 project. Im going to put a carb'd 302 into it (once i get ahold one one)
My target HP is 300 and I was wondering (on a low / junkyard budget) what pieces im going to need to upgrade to get there..
Where would I approximately stand after some decent heads, headers, a 600cfm 4barrell carb and a decent exhaust system? I was looking for part types and approximate prices used if possible.
Thanks in advance!

Dave

nov 07 car craft magazine did a write up on 302 junkyard motor build up that netted 279 @4800.they used run of the mill heads,so there is room to grow w/better heads.

ri06667 · Jan 16, 2008

that'd be sweet if i could find it. been searching their site for about half an hour now.. do they even put their articles online?

ri06667 · Jan 16, 2008

google made short work of that, im assuming this was the article?
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0307_ford_302_v8_engine_buildup/index.html

skippy · Jan 16, 2008

sorry,i don't know.i got the rag sheet at the supermarket because they had a sweet picture of the 302 on the cover.they had issues that had to be repaired and so they spent $2004 on it,parts and labor.and they used smog era heads.

skippy · Jan 16, 2008

ri06667 said:
google made short work of that, im assuming this was the article?
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0307_ford_302_v8_engine_buildup/index.html

no,this is a better motor.the one im talking about came out of land yacht and was billed "build the cheapest engine possible"

stranger · Jan 17, 2008

those hp #'s are not close to what you really get.when you say 300 horse you got 210 to the wheels if your lucky.through a t5. 195rwhp through an auto.any mag rag dyno#'s are not real world.they should only be compared with other gross flywheel hp #'s a stang ho 225hp sae net will get you 185-190 rwhp through a t5.the better question is how much you have to spend and how fast you want to go.consider weight and suspension better than motor hp if your on a budget.put in a cam and springs then work on the rest(weight/sus).do not rebuild unless your experienced.if your poor like me,then you don't need a $1000 lesson on how easy it is to screw things up.if you want real hp consider heads and stroke nothing else will make it for you besides boost or giggle juice

projectnitemare · Jan 17, 2008

stranger has it. Fast, cheap or reliable....pick two of three. That CarCraft issue that is about the topic is pretty good I will have to go look for it in the bathroom. You can build a decent junkyard engine but you'll wish you opted for the high buck stuff in the future. If you are going to build it up do it right a strong bottom end will reward you.

Matt

baddad457 · Jan 18, 2008

300 at the flywheel? Start with the Explorer/Mountaineer 5.0, ditch the crappy headers they came with, swap the cam for something hotter, like an B303, add 1.7 Cobra roller rockers,(or the F303 with 1.6's) Ford A321 intake (or anything similar) Top it with a 600 cfm carb. Or start with any 92-97 Pickup/Van 5.0, add better heads (or port the E7's) & upgrade the cam ( just about any aftermarket head on the 94-97 shortblock with the stock cam will get you there too after adding 1.7 rockers). There are a hundred ways to build a cheap motor and get 300-350 horses at the flywheel. And it can be reliable too. The 5.0 I have now in the Ranger is a junkyard build and it's held up fine for two years now and it's plenty fast, backed with a 4 speed and 3.73 rear.

Drg racr · Jan 18, 2008

Trust me, junkyard builds are not worth it. I've done quite a few of them, and I could only get them to last for a summer or so. Save your money up and either do a good rebuild or buy a crate motor. I built a Nova with a crate motor, changed the cam and other stuff, and got 100HP more than they advertised. That was 12 years ago, and the car is still running (different owner, though).

baddad457 · Jan 18, 2008

The secret to a junkyard build is picking the right candidate to start with. Start with crap--end with crap.

v-8power · Jan 18, 2008

baddad457 said:
The secret to a junkyard build is picking the right candidate to start with. Start with crap--end with crap.

Could'nt agree more

skippy · Jan 18, 2008

the op asked for advice on junkyard rebuild,which is what the car craft article was about.cripes,how was i to know that you can't believe a single thing you read anywhere,at anytime,at all.hell,guess we need the chick from my cousin vinny to get all dynos certified to be 100% balls on accurate.so,you can't take a junkyard dog through the machine shop process,select the right pieces and have a respectable engine that will last.how bout that,doin it wrong all these years.

COPPERHEAD85 · Jan 18, 2008

find a cheap low comp. crown vic 302...throw some bearings and rings in it....some decent heads ,good high flow intake 750 holley with a 300hp shot of the funny stuff...run it till it pukes.
put your money in the heads you can reuse them after you trash a block.....(if you break a rod)....and a really hot ing. setup

stranger · Jan 18, 2008

skippy said:
the op asked for advice on junkyard rebuild,which is what the car craft article was about.cripes,how was i to know that you can't believe a single thing you read anywhere,at anytime,at all.hell,guess we need the chick from my cousin vinny to get all dynos certified to be 100% balls on accurate.so,you can't take a junkyard dog through the machine shop process,select the right pieces and have a respectable engine that will last.how bout that,doin it wrong all these years.

no you just need to read the fine print
sae gross hp, is not sae net hp,or rwhp. even chassis dynos, mustang ,dyno jet are different.we don't race dynos
yes bluprinting and balancing with the proper parts will yield more.but not like aftermarket h/c/i on a stock block.
machine shops cost money too,so race that slik purse,and get wooped by a guy who invested in heads only.you will not find any performance parts worth anything in the jy.but you can find low milage stock motors do a little wise spending on heads /cam/intake and blow 300 to the wheels on any dyno

300hp 302

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