Thanks I sure hadn't read or heard that anywhere, the firing order changes? I sure don't get the understanding on that at all but I would have for sure been wondering why I couldn't get it to run. Thanks
400 h.p. 400 h.p. is plenty, as to what I want out of the car for my sons sake:streetability, quick as heck to 100mph but could care less if it ran over 100mph period. But still needs to be able to cruise 55-60mph without the motor screaming.....I know, I know can't have cake and eat it to
found one And yes I have already located a full motor with all the attachments on it, i.e. EFI, Alt. etc. with 52,000 miles for $200 3 miles from me.
my recommendation is (for a teenager) get this engine, install your edelbrock top end and stick with the stock cam. Should be plenty of power, do you really want your kid to go over 100MPH in an old maverick?? You should be able to do this way under your budget.
answer NO, I don't want my kid going over 100mph in anything BUT this car is going to be far from old as far as steering, suspension, braking.......everything is going to be modernized, this project is going to be very close if not a show quality car that can be taken to the strip also........I plan on him learning to drive and respect the power but not use it unless and until he demonstrates he can handle it (it will have a throttle stop just in case). He is a very responsible Honor roll kid or I wouldn't even be doing it to start with.....I hope it is a car he will drive his senior year in high school, he will be 18, and then a more efficient car bought for him to go to college in. While he is in college I'll take it out occasionally to keep it tuned And hopefully he will keep this car forever and cherish it my first car was a 1966 Ford Fairlane GT , 390 HO, big cam, head work, a grown man had built it and looking back I know that car was making 500+hp and I even took my drivers license test in it........I lived through owning it (although I wonder how looking back)
Missed this Maybe I didn't make it clear but my idea of "quick as heck to 100mph" means hp and low gears.
Sure thing. The firing order only changes on the 5.0L H.O. factory roller blocks. Should've mentioned that, too. Also, I admire that you're doing this for your son. The last thing my grandfather and I worked on together, before he died, was my Maverick. I have turned down multiple cash offers for it. One as high as $11k. It's just not for sale because it means that much to me. I'm sure your son will feel the same way. Wishing you luck and memories with your build, Eric
Nothing wrong with wanting more but I'll say it again here.. be VERY careful with how sharp an edge you plan to grind on your cub scout drivers very first knife. Well, actually.. it's called a "bullit".. but you get the point. What rear gear will you end up with? That choice changes the cam rec's. Oh.. and what work was already done to the other block?.. and what do you plan on doing to the new roller block? If the original one had been semi/blueprinted and you also need to do this one in same manner?.. then you are going quickly backwards my man. Retro hydro rollers are getting pretty cheap now at around $350'ish compared to sub $100'ish stockers. Plus.. their high-rpm metering will be better and have shorter plunger travel too if you so desire. I know plenty of guys that do run stock roller lifters on moderate builds.. but all the faster(smarter) guys run aftermarket stuff for a reason. It works better and lasts longer in high performance environments.
Overload To be honest I am about at information overload here, if the non-roller block can handle up to .575 lift roller cam and lifter retro kit then I don't see a reason to go to a roller block as from what I have read the block I have is stronger than the more modern roller's. And yes all the machine work will need to be done so we are going 331 or 347 if we buy a rebuildable roller. The motor that's in it was decked, line honed, balanced, etc. Another thing that's bouncing around in my head is running dome pistons if we go stroker only to the point it still will run on pump gas, my understanding is the high 11's to 1 compression about the max, as for the rear it's a Ford 8 inch.......and just out of curiosity how much will dome pistons do if we just stayed with the stock 302 block......I want it pull hard and sound mean, nothing sounds meaner than high compression and lopey cam IMHO anyway........we are getting ready to vacation to Universal Studios as soon as school is out so we are probably going to pause any further work until June, maybe by then I can have made a decision.......FYI I am ADHD for those who have probably wondered if I'm nuts, lol. Well I suppose I am nuts a bit but hence the bouncing all over the place on this thing, lol...........oh and my son inherited my ADHD so it gets really crazy sometimes
The benefits of a roller block for a street car, far out weight the thickness issues compared to a flat tapped block. We're not talking super high performance here. No need to over think it.
First off.. I wouldn't worry about the blocks strength unless you plan on a very serious build well beyond 500 horses. "Blocks splitting at 500" is only a generalized yardstick and many go well beyond when properly built. Second.. Stroker kits are about the best bang for the dollar spent. The only downside to a 347 is slightly faster barreling of the bores due to the added thrust-loads coming from the increased rod angle. Which makes the 331 combo better overall for street motors, IMO. Thirdly.. with a stroker kit comes added displacement and if anything.. you'll need LARGER combustion spaces to keep it drinking pump swill. Domes stuffed into tighter 60cc chambers atop a 347 will easily push you past 12/1. Why don't you just think for a while on the cost vs benefit to swap over to the roller block and what you'll gain from throwing in the towel on the other block. The only thing I can see worth any benefit in your situation is the fact it'll save you some cash on the lifters and very slightly on the cam. Maybe $300-400 total. The cost of the roller block work will easily surpass that. On the other hand.. you might be able to sell the other block for a quick $200-300 to help offset the overall cost. Here's how I'd spend money on a budget. Fix what I got and full re-bearing. Maybe around $300 depending on what you decide to run. Gapless rings are well worth the extra money as they keep the motor feeling fresher longer. Around $200. Or use your existing rings since they should be mated into each bore by now(sort and number them to each piston). Pocket porting and streamlining.. or "profiling valve guide bosses".. on the heads you have will be worth a solid 20-25 horses on a 302 and even slightly more on a 347. The pushrod pinch point is also a tad small too.. especially if you go 347. Another $400-500 spent here will help those heads a fair amount. Or.. if you want to really spin a 347 past 6,500 with a stouter cam?.. sell them little street heads and get into a larger sized intake runner(190 - 200cc) and larger valve that will support that bigger engines airflow requirement. See how it snowballs on you?
comparing two cores that need work?.. no doubt. But, comparing a finished and fully blueprinted non-roller to a rebuildable core roller?.. not so hard. A retro-fit roller cam kit isn't as expensive as it used to be and because of that.. roller blocks aren't as big a deal as they once were from a money saving standpoint.
I believe the OP said that the roller block had only 50K miles. That is why I said to just install his edelbrock top end and keep the stock cam (no rebuild). Plenty of cheap power especially for a new driver in a light car.
