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302 roller block

4K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  montybrown 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey Guys,

I decided to go with a later 302 roller block to use in my 66 which has a 289 in her right now.

I'd like to keep most of the outside pieces of the 289 on the roller block but I know I have to change the damper and flywheel. I want this 302 to look like it's the 289 in her now but I do plan on buying a stroker kit and rebuild it myself.

What year are the best roller blocks from?
Any thing else you can think of please add.
 
#4 ·
I would base the block choice on the use. The only obvious functional differences are a side oil dipstick hole on roller blocks, along with the lack of threads in the clutch Z-bar boss. If you are looking for over 450hp or 6500 rpm NA, then I would go straight to aftermarket, no matter what stock block. A bit more with a'69/'70 BOSS block. Under that, any of them will hold fine. If you look around, most of the big-name stoker builders use 5.0 roller blocks for street/strip duty. Ford actually rates the 289/302/5.0L blocks for 400hp and 6000 rpm for all versions except original BOSS.

If a roller cam is in your future, and the performance falls somewhere around those limits or below, then the later E7 and F1 roller blocks can function well and save cash over an early block roller conversion setup.

Keep in-mind a poor tune and rpm are your two biggest block killers. Likewise your tune and blueprinting are your saviors. So, a good tune will not only make more power, but safer. Rpm stress is exponential, so limiting that stress will greatly improve block life. How you make the power also counts, and boost with limited rpm to make the same HP as NA at necessary high rpm is less stress on the block, so it will live longer or allow more. Finally, blueprinting adds a surprising amount of resistance to stress, on the order of 50hp or more, but is labor intensive and/or expensive. There are no shortcuts to quality. All these factors are why you hear of one guy blowing his block at 400hp and another guy racing all year at 600.

I know you want to do a stroker, but what are the other performance goals for the engine, both short and long-term?

David
 
#5 ·
I used a block from a 1989 ford van, it had the provisions for a roller cam (I had to drill and tap the holes for the "dog bone" bolts) I built a 331 stroker with a scat stroker kit from summit racing, it runs really well and is plenty of power for the street, I did however go to a link style roller lifter and did away with the dog bone setup so it can handle a little more rpm, I'm shifting the car around 6k and it pulls like a freight train
http://youtu.be/W5fO-YUR6q4
 
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