Bittersweet discovery, is it a stock cam?

Discussion in 'Technical' started by floridaboy, Jun 27, 2014.

  1. floridaboy

    floridaboy Member

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    So I spent a couple of hours trying to get my 302 timed up and finally got it running! :dancing: :clap: Now I bought this motor a while back already built and I thought it was a roller out of a truck, I was told it had a larger than stock cam for some low end torque and he said he used a 3500 stall (of course that was for a truck set up for 44s). When I timed it the first time I used the 302 firing order and just couldn't figure out what was wrong, finally I switched to the windsor order and she purred.

    Soooo its obvious its a high output 302 but I've always heard if you change the cam it goes back to the 302 firing order, do I have a stock cam? Can you use a windsor cam in a 302ho? Should I be upset or happy? Im so confused!!
     
  2. Bryant

    Bryant forgot more than learned

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    their are aftermarket cams with both the ho/351 firing order and the older 302/289 firing order.
    so firing order doesnt tell you much
     
  3. Bryant

    Bryant forgot more than learned

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    oh and yes 351w and 302s use the same cams
     
  4. baddad457

    baddad457 Member

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    Only way to know exactly what it is, is to pull the cam and look at it. Or rig up a dial indicator and measure the lift. To get the duration numbers, you'd have to use a degree wheel.
     
  5. Krazy Comet

    Krazy Comet Tom

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    Firing order is always dictated by cam, assuming it fits the block what engine it's in has nothing to do with it...

    Bigger cam for low end torque eh??? In 97% of the cases a bigger cam, will give less low end torque...
     
  6. floridaboy

    floridaboy Member

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    I say bigger cam but I mean aftermarket, I really wish I had the specs on the cam but all he could tell me was it was an "rv" cam which I know is not a real nasty cam but I've always known them to boost the low end.
    And I guess your right if you mean someone could have put a cam with a windsor firing order in a truck block but really im ok with it either way, I either have a high outbut block with a stock cam, or a truck block with aftermarket cam right?:huh:
     
  7. BIG T

    BIG T Member

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    hello, put the loud pedal to the wood. If you like it you got a good deal. It is always good to know what cam you have, but sometimes you just have to go on how it runs and drive.
    1. what is your idle?
    2. how much vacuum do you have ?
    3. where did you time it ?

    Tony
     
  8. baddad457

    baddad457 Member

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    There's no such thing as a 'high output block" The blocks are all the same. The only two parts that differentiated the HO short block from the truck short block were the cam and pistons. So don't fall for the "HO" sales pitch. Put the HO cam in a truck block and you've got an HO motor. Same heads, same block, same crank, same rods in both.
     
  9. floridaboy

    floridaboy Member

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    I was under the assumption that the ho 302 were the only ones to have the lifter hold downs or whatever they're called
     
  10. Dave B

    Dave B I like Mavericks!

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    Same pistons?
     
  11. maverick75

    maverick75 Gotta Love Mavs!

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    Lifter hold downs are required on all roller cams. Unless you get some of those fancy linked lifters.
     
  12. Krazy Comet

    Krazy Comet Tom

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    Well you ere under the wrong assumption...

    All 5.0 from '86 up use the same block whether they have a roller cam or not... Trucks did use flat tappet till around '92, then went roller(still it's a roller block)... All the 150-155Hp Lo-Po passenger car 5.0 from '86 are roller('86-'88 T-Bird, '86-'91 Crown Vic etc)... The '91-'93 T-Bird & Cougar 5.0 were HO...
     
  13. baddad457

    baddad457 Member

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    Same comp ratio, different piston material. Some point in the early 90's they both used the same pistons.
     
  14. dan gregory

    dan gregory Member

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    Yeah I`m pretty sure after 86 the 302s were rollers & the 351w around 92,Krazy Comet would know.
     
  15. baddad457

    baddad457 Member

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    The car 5.0's were all roller starting in 1986 (manual trans Stang in 85) Pickups didn't get roller cams til 92 with a switch to what would become the Explorer cam in 94. All 302 blocks from 86 on were roller castings. The 351 didn't get a roller block til 94, some didn't get the roller cam until 95.
     

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