hi all,what is the safest,max bore you can go on a 302?i have a 72 302 block,and was thinking 30 maybe 40 over?i want to give it a little more go,but nothing too crazy.i plan on using a set of e7te heads with a recent valve job,edelbrock 600 carb,edelbrock performer dual plane intake,6901 headers,c-4 with a shift kit and stock crank,rods.also depending on the bore oversize what would be a good cam?something streetable but with a rumpty rump at idle?thank you all,for any ideas/suggestions...chuck.
Chuck, I believe you can go .060" over but it's questionable if it will be streetable (tendancy to run hot). .030" over would be a reasonable (and prudent) thing to do (IMHO) just to ensure a smooth, round cylinder. You aren't going to gain that many cubic inches by over boring (~4-6 cubic inches). Stroking the engine is where you gain the cubic inches, but it would be an expensive alternative. re: cam Your cam needs to match your heads (if those are the ones you are going to stick with). I would give the guys at Crane Cams or Cam Motion a call and tell them your setup. They will be able to optomize your setup with the cam specs. http://cranecams.com/ or http://www.cammotion.com/ (located in Baton Rouge - possible phone trouble per website) This is all just my humble O of course. There are guys on here who could tell you the exact specs to order your cam to, probably. Gluck
I ditto Rick's opinion completely! Oh, I have to add to go with aftermarket rods, like Eagles with ARP bolts. Every Ford I've blown up had something to do with the rods. Eric J .
The 302 is a thin wall casting. DO NOT BORE OVER .030!!! If you do you risk the possibility of boring into a water jacket or getting too thin and creating hotspots. I have seen numerous 302's ruined this way and actually picked up a really nice clean Granada for nothing as the owner just had the engine rebuilt by a so called Ford mechanic at a local dealership, only to have the engine blow within a month. I pulled down the engine and found the back two cylinders squeaked, this would be due to the lack of meat on the block from it being bored .040 and it overheated.
I have to respectfully disagree with the notion that he should use aftermarket connecting rods since his list of parts and the motor's intended use indicate that he is building a low compression, low rpm motor. While they would be a nice addition, a well prepared set of stock rods with quality bolts will be more than adequate for his application.
Hello Chuck, I agree with Rob.Boring a 302 more than 30 over is only asking for trouble...If you are looking for a larger bore,check out World's Man-O-War block...460cubes....Hotrod-Daddy
depending on how many parts yours needs, some of the stroker kits are darn near being given away compared with the stock replacement cost. just another option. figure if your going to replace pistons/possibly rods, have the crank turned, ect... the stroker kits start looking all the better.
