Ok, how much will I gain?

Any problem using the E7 head and old style cam and lifters? Financial considerations probably will prevent the change to rollers.

The more cash it takes to get it done pushes the time of completion further into the future.

 

the spring pressures on the e7s are higher and could cause the cam to get wiped out. that happened to scooper on this site a few years ago. as the springs get old they get weaker. their is a chance that some 200,000 mile springs may work just fine on the flat tappet cam.

 

Timing is an interesting beast.

Resources are limited at present for a number of reasons (kids in college), but the most notable is the 250 gave it's death rattle the day I got the new 351 running in my truck. I had just spent the wad on that.

Most of the mods I listed above (plus a Wieand Stealth intake) were incorporated in the 351 with much better results than I saw on the 302. It started with more in the first place, I guess.

 

with the weight of the truck you need torque. a 351 will make a lot more torque than a 302. now with the light weight maverick the torque is not as critical as is a good power band.
im a little unclear as to the exact steps you have planned.
it looks like to me you were just going to drop the 76 motor in to the mav, with just an aluminum intake, headers, and some dremel port work. well you want the heads off to do dremel port work to make sure you dont send metal into the motor.
at that point its just a matter of getting the e7 heads to put on.
then you mention that the 76 motor is 60 over and that you need to use a 77 truck motor that you have.
this tells me you are doing a rebuild on the motor anyway. at this point you can buy a used 5.0 roller motor that will make the 250 hp you want for less than the machine shop will charge to rebuild an old motor. the difference will be you have used motor with who knows how many miles but makes 250 hp and will get better mpg because its a roller motor. or a fresh rebuilt motor that wont be roller so it will not be as efficient.
i know its hard to figure all this out and having a very limited budget makes it very hard. i would be looking on craigs list to see what options you can find there. also check with a salvage yard to see if they have any roller 302s. they should be under $1000 depending on the mileage.

 

Ok, hadn't thought about going with a used roller engine.

If I do not want to go to a computer controlled fuel injected system, and I don't, what years' production engines am I looking for? Or can I stick an intake and carburetor on any newer engine.

The reason I've had my truck 26 years is because I can work on it myself for 90% of what comes up. Looking at the maverick with the same thoughts.

What I know about fixing cars and trucks has been mostly self-taught and picking a few brains as the need arises. The water can get too deep in a hurry.

I was planning to have the '77 rebuilt. For reference purposes, the machine shop rebuilt the 351 I brought them for about $1100 and had it done in a little over a week.

I cannot express how much I appreciate the input. Everybody in my neck of the woods only plays with GM products and gives me a glazed stare when I mention a small block Ford.

 

I once bought a 1993 Ford E250 van, came with a super clean roller 302 with E7TE heads, for $125.00

 

Yup something like a Stealth intake on a '87-'95 Mustang, '88-'92 LSC Lincoln or '91-'93 T-Bird/Cougar 5.0 makes a nice combo... Also the '96-'00 5.0 Explorer can be used and has better heads than the other engines I listed that have the E7 heads(there can be exhaust fitment issues with the 97.5-up Explorer engines... Those use the GT40P head that have relocated spark plugs, '96 & early '97 use GT40 heads)... Also there are 5.0 truck engines with E7s but prior to '92-ish, those use flat tappet cams even though the block is cast for roller lifters...

The 5.0 EFI engines you want to stay away from(at least if you are using stock heads), are the '86 Mustang, '86-'87 LSC Lincoln, '86-'88 T-Bird/Cougar and any Full Size model as they use a rather restrictive E6 head, though all the blocks from '86-up are roller... These heads use a 3/4" reach spark plug vs 1/2", if in doubt pull a plug... The Mustang & Lincoln engines are fine if you use Trick Flow heads as those have a forged flat top piston with no valve reliefs... The others use a cast & dished piston without valve reliefs, plus a really wimpy roller cam...

To use any of these engines you'll have to swap the oil pan, timing cover, water pump and other front brackets/accessories from your original engine(but reuse the 5.0 front ballancer)... Also you'll need a 50oz balance, 157 tooth fllexplate if using C4(that's a custom piece but easy to find) or correct size 50oz flywheel if you are using a stick trans... Don't even think about using orig ballancer & flywheel/flexplate, you'll have bad viberation...

One other thing, the 5.0 doesn't have the boss on the side of the block that the clutch Z bar or column automatic linkage uses... There is a adapter bracket sold by the Mustang suppliers for this, though I'm gonna fab one for the Comet column linkage when I swap engines...

 

Wow, that is helpful!

Going this rout will make it easier to go with an AOD, right? I will use this car for frequent 80 mile round trip commutes and was hoping to take that mileage advantage. Am also planning to use floor shifter, so the bosses won't matter.

I already have the timing cover and pan from the old 302s.

This could be good!

 

I have one of these smog anchors too but it runs too good not to use in something. I was planning on a mild cam and head change.

 

You'll also need the dip stick/tube and oil pickup off the old 302. You'll need a (thinner) 2-piece eccentric if you're using a mechanical fuel pump.

 

With a AOD you'll use the 50oz, 164 tooth flexplate that's common to all 5.0 from '82-'93(and probably later AODE/4R70W as well)...

 

Ok, checking the local classifieds, I found a guy with 2 engines one of which, until a money crunch, was destined for a 68 mustang.

One is a complete 302 with a reported 68K miles that started life in a crown vic. Not sure the year. It was in a buddy's truck until it was rear ended and he hated for it to go to waste.

The other is from an 86 mustang that has been somewhat rebuilt (bushings and bearings) that has heads pulled from a 351 and has an Edelbrock performer intake installed, but no carb.

$400 for the first, $800 for the second.

 

Unless it's had a head swap, scratch any Crown Vic, Grand Marquis or Lincoln Town Car EFI 5.0, ALL '86-'91 used the restrictive E6 heads, no exceptions... Remember what I said about full size models...

The '86 Mustang 5.0 is also another on the not recommended list, but if it has 351 heads they will at least be somewhat better than the original E6(no 351 ever used E6 heads)... Valve clearance may be a issue if it still has orig pistons... Sounds like that engine is yet to be fired???

 

The guy talked about having to shave the 351 heads to fit the 302 intake. All sounds tentative to me on that one.

Will the e6 heads on a roller be worse than the smog dog heads on the 77 truck? Is $400 reasonable or should I not be in a hurry?

My wife asked me when I was going to get the mav fixed this morning.

 

When stock, there really isn't any difference in fitment of 351 heads on 302/5.0 block... If heads are cut enough(.030 or more I believe), it is recommended to have some removed from the ends of the intake...

The E6 are probably at least as good as the smoggers, you mention... Earlier heads will probably flow a little better in the upper RPM range, but the 5.0 with E6 will likely make up for that in higher compression... The E6 don't run that bad up to around 5200 RPM, after that power takes a nose dive... Biggest issue is the wimpy cam in these engines, the big car 5.0 used a far less aggressive grind than the Stang and LSC Lincoln HO 5.0...

I had a '86 5-speed Stang that would run with most stockish E7 headed 5-speeds and would slaughter a stock auto Stang with E7(as well as '96-'98 4.6 Stangs with either stick or auto)... I did have 1.7 roller rockers, under drive pulleys and a 2.5" cat back exhaust system, otherwise was stock with 2.73 gears... Best it ever ran was 14.51 and that was with limited traction on street tires, with drag radials it would have gone 14.25 easy... Remember though it was a 5-speed, the 3.35 1st gear really adds to the performance of the 5.0 Stangs...