Tang 72

So im finally getting around to a long overdue engine rebuild and was looking for a little advice. I drive a 72 with a 302 and a C4. The car is a my daily driver so streetability is a concern. Right now my only mods are a set of headman long tubes going to flowmasters, a edelbrock rpm air gap intake manifold, and a quadrajet 4bbl 450cfm carb. I found a set of stock heads that have had a valve job and new springs and valves for 250 so im probably going that route but im not positive yet. I would like to build a streetable 302 of around 350 hp and money of course is always a concern but what is the best bang-for-your-buck choice. I dont want to NOS is but its available. There are also a ton of eaton superchargers for sale very cheap but as far as i know there is no good way to mate one with a 302 but i could be mistaken. So i suppose my question should be, generaly speeking which mod would prove to be the best choice for power and not kill my wallet. My budget is a little flexable but im 19, in colledge and work at a subway so keep that in mind. Stroking to a 347 seams like a viable option but... well theres a ton of options, what do you guys think?

67mustang302

You're not getting 350+ horsepower without spending some money. Eaton doesn't make a kit for the 5.0, but there is the Weiand(used to be B&M) 174. Invest in some good heads and good internals.

ky

stroking is expensive. but it would be the easiest way for 350hp.

superchargers are fine for a 302. you just want the compression to be around 8-8.5:1. and a rebuild is required.

just remember the rest of the car has to hold up to the power. so a tranny rebuild is almost a must depending on if its been done or not. it looks to me like you dont want to pull the motor, you just want the basic "bolt on power".

heads would be the best mod for the way you want. i suggest getting those heads and porting them a little bit to go along with the headers. a little more flow wont hurt .

ky

yeah.

funny i was just gonna say something like your sig. it doesnt matter how much HP you have, it just matters how quick the car is. we just finished all the final touches on my dads new rebuilt 289. its actually pretty quick for a stocker . i was surprised.

67mustang302

I'm still in the process of getting mine dialed in. The rear barrels are STILL running lean. I've gone up 5 jet sizes in the front and 2 in the rear, and apperantly still need another 1-2 in the rear. But this carb came calibrated for more mild applications, so it's not a major shock.

Tang 72

Well i already pulled the stock 302 and put an old worn out one in its place untill i do the rebuild..... i know the car has to be able to handle the power and i know the c4 wont last too long under alot of power.... i am willing to spend money but not more than i have to... im just not looking to spend ten grand on it or anything crazy.... i did a few basic bolt ons but its time to do it right.... im really just focusing on the motor build right now so when i do settle on a certain build, i can make suremy car can handle it... i have mainly been thinking about stroking it to a 347 or 331 seince i have to replace the internals if i want to boost it anyways but there may be a better way to get power out of it... and yes how fast your car goes is most important but at this point most of my buddies are running stis, evos, and cobras that are modded to hell and back so i have gone from trying to keep up to just having some fun.... 350 hp is just a ballpark number and a place to aim...

ky

well stroking is the way to go then.

67mustang302

If you have the money and can do the work yourself(other than machining unless you have someone who'll do it for free) then you could build a reasonable cost 347 stroker with like AFR 185 heads and a good cam and put out 450+hp at the flywheel with a broad torque curve. You'd need a beefed up trans(even the C4) to hold it and some suspension work, but it'll be fast and reliable. You could just buy a stroker shortblock and use your block as a core, get a roller cam block that way maybe. It really depends on how much work you can do yourself and how much money you have to work with.

tyler72

I have the same drivetrain oin my 72 (or did have it). The stock compression ratio is a weak 8.0 to 1. The 302 2V engine was designed to be very fuel efficient, and they are in stock form. I could get 20-21 MPG out of it on the freeway doing 60-65 MPH. The Intake you have is really good, but ditch the carb, its hurting your power. Go with a Holley or Demon, 575 CFM for the 302, or a 650 CFM for a stroker. The stock heads have great potential. They are the open port design and should have the BIG sparkplugs if they are truley stock heads. I am also 19, and I am having to scrounge to build my stroker, but I know how the budget thing goes, it sucks! Given your funding options, I would recommend that you port the holy hoo-ha out of the stock heads, and get a 347 rotating assembly. You will want it to come with high compression pistons (probly like 11:1 for 64 CC head) because the stock heads have very large combustion chambers (hence stock 8:1 CR). However, if you plan on upgrades such as aluminum heads in the future, you may want to keep the CR to like 10-10.5:1 with a 64 CC head because most aluminum heads have small cumbustion chambers and you still want to be able to run it on pump gas. Also, if you haven't done it already, change the cam. I would recommend a Comp Extreme energy 256 (PN 249-CL31-234-3 in Jegs) with a stock torque converter, or a 262 (PN 249-CL31-238-3 in Jegs) if you put in a 1500 stall converter. Either of these will make good power, and will still give you good mileage, and a good Idle. My car is Street/Strip oriented so I picked a Comp 284, But now I have to run a 3000 stall converter, and I wont be getting good MPG.

I hope this helps you out, I know there is a lot of choices out there, but I think the ported stock heads with a 347 kit and a good cam is the best route for you and your budget. One more thing to add, If you do get the stroker kit, be sure that it comes with a flexplate and it is balanced.