My neighbor has a thing for car auctions and being that he works for the city has aquired quite a few. He offered to pull the engine out of a 1985 LTD with the police packaged 302 HO. I just took a look also at the rear and couldn't identify it since the car has flats an the gas tank blocked my view. The third member looked like it had a unusually long carrrier on it.

Soooooooooo first, does anyone know how wide a rear was on the 85 LTDs? I just did a quick measurement from outside wheel to outside wheel and it was in the neighborhood of 65". I did seem in the ballpark for a swap in a 1966, provided it had a better gear ratio and perhaps a locker.

Second, were the HO 302 engines any different in the block used, 4 bolt? I don't think from everything I have read, but wasn't positive.

Finally is it even worth considering yanking that engine without even knowing what the condition of the block, heads and everything else is?

 

the motor isnt anything special and is a non roller and no 302 had 4bolt main except for boss 302 blocks and aftermarket. iirc the LTD in that year range is a fox bodied car so it would be a weak 7.5 inch rear or maybe the beefier 8.8(doubtful as the mustang didnt get the 8.8 till 1986)

 

Agreed. Not really valuable as a donor. Even if the rear is an 8.8, it's going to be wider than your '66

 

What year did they get a 302 roller? If they did at all.
According to this website they came along in 85.
http://phystutor.tripod.com/stang/engines/50.html

 

the mustang got a roller in 85 idk that any other non mustangs did other than the lincoln mark 7

pull the intake and see if it had the dog bone to hold the lifters in place

 

Ya know, now that I think about it, '85 was the first year roller for HO motors (assuming the lincoln came with an HO, which I'm not sure about). Not the greatest bottom end (pistons are cast flat-tops, iirc), but I suppose it would work as a donor block for a build. I wouldn't pay much for it, though.

 

He offered to yank it out and throw it over the fence. LOL
He also has a 302 in a 4 door Maverick.

 

Oh, well in that case Take the motor and use it for a good roller build.

 

the mark 7 got the 5.0 ho same as the mustang intake cam etc all the same except the lincoln had a 100amp alternator