i just bought a 73 maverick ( pics comming soon) and i pulled the motor and i was wondering what is the best way rebuild the motor as far as horsepower but still good gas mileage. Another thing that is important is cost...im still in college soo everything i do to the car is comming out of my pocket..What kind of cam the your recommend..heads,is the stock 2 barrel carb good enough? should i go electric fan and electric water pump? all the advice you guys can give me would be great!! Thanks, Ryan
depends on what you want to do with it.daily driver ? street rod ? street strip. just a simple rebuild wont be that much as long as every thing is in good cond.but when you start adding power that = money.and can you do it yourself or will you need to pay somone to do it for you.
I'm not an expert mechanic, but I'm used to working on a small budget. I'd say if you're looking to stay cheap and still get some more power, swap the intake and put on a 4 barrel. Then add some headers. That, along with all the usual rebuild items (plugs+wires, gaskets, hardware,rings,bearings etc..) plus the cost of anything that needs replaced should still come out decently cheap. Keep an eye on ebay and craigslist for parts. You can get some killer deals.
Depends.How much hp you willing to give up for mpg, or vise-versa? I would reccomend the following; a stock rebuild w/a mild rv type cam electronic ignition (Duraspark or Pertronix either is fine) dual exhaust dual plane intake w/ small 4 barrel carb (535 cfm is plenty,600 will work though) use the heads you have. This setup should be peppy & deliver decent mpgs (provided you don't have 4.11s out back) Some folks will say headers,but for a mostly stock setup they're not worth the hassle. Alot of guys will disagree with me on this one...use a stock, 7 blade fan or clutch fan and use a regular mechanical fuel pump. You could gain a few hp by going to electric on this stuff, but I like the simplicity (and reliability)of the mechanical parts. You won't have a barn burner by no means, but everything you do to make it faster will usually decrease your mpg.
Thats pretty much my setup. Rebuilt 302 with RV cam, Duraspark, Dual plane intake, and Carter AFB. I plan on running an electric fan though. And I have headers, which have made working on anything(trans/plugs/clutch pedal) take twice as much time as it would otherwise take. I like 'em though.
I'd do a search for the Taurus fan and find one in the junkyard. As for the electric water pump, they usually go for $$$. Mine was about $350. I'd stay with a regular one but go aftermarket.
I pulled my fan from the yard (out of a Thunderbird I think) for $11. Just havn't had the chance to wire it up yet.
Thanks guys you were alot of help!!! plan on posting pics as soon as i get where i can work on it agian!!
Would it be possible to use an electric water pump from a non-Ford car??? This knowing if the performance of the pump suits the engine needs, wouldn't it?
I don't see how, unless maybe the stock pump housing remains in place and the electric pump is connected in-line with the lower radiator hose or something. You want a cheap electric water pump? This looks like a good idea to me: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MRG-4333
As I have posted this in another forum, but I have a stock 302 engine that I overhauled, and really just a few upgrades internally. Didn't bore it. Put in better piston's, better cam "Tried to get one close to a boss cam", double timing chain, bigger valves in the heads, ext. Mainly the cam and pistons is what helped. Has a lot more compression then stock though. Still have the original 2bl. intake on it. Same gears, same auto tranny. Stock headers "Aka exhaust manifolds". This was 9 yrs ago, and it cost me around $3000.00 and my father and I did all the work. Never dino'ed it. So just guessing by the numbers and what we put in it "9 yrs ago", it might be putting out near 280 to 290 HP. Give or take some HP. From the stock 210 hp. It gets about 18mpg if you drive it like a grandma, and it will suck the gas fast when you step down on it though. I wish I could tell ya the exact specs, but I lost the paperwork of what we put in it along time ago. Which is pretty close, because of late I did race a 2010 Mustang, and won by almost a car length to a half of a car length, Still close though. and his was stock I think. Didn't ask. its at around 315 HP for the base model. Which I think I won because our cars are about a 1000 lbs. lighter. So it is possible to get some power and save gas for the most part. Depends on what your trying to achieve and your budget, and it sounds like your going to overhaul the engine anyway, so do it right the first time with the internals, then you can add power later with a intake and such.
And a side note, currently I am overhauling a 396 from my chevelle. Trying to keep as much as stock as possible, but it did need decked, bored out to a 402. And the heads needed racing valves in them. They are maxed out now. Heads cost me $900 with parts and labor for a machine shop to do them. Another $1200 to bore and deck the block, plus a few other things. Like having it sleeved and such. Now I have the block here and putting it together with my dad again. lol. Whats costs is the parts, seems parts have gone up a little bit since 9 yrs ago. I think total though, we are in it so far about $4000.00 or so. Didn't need to buy a new crank. Have to add up all this crap. lol. So there is you an idea of what it will cost.
wow you have more money in to that motor than i do my whole maverick build thats including all my motor parts 1 car and 1 parts car
