[ryans67]

Well im about fed up with building my own engine. Everyone wants to try to rip you off it seems like and i cant find a competent machine shop around. I am planning on just buying the 345hp 302 from Ford Racing. What should i use to get the most hp out of it? intake and carb wise? Im thinking about throwing in a nitrous setup for the occasional street races. Can the engine handle a little nitrous? Does Ford make a good crate engine? Thanks for any advice, Ryan

 

[chris txstang]

I would not waste my money on a ford crate, unless you are really short on time. There are a whole bunch of other companies that sell short blocks if you don't want to do it yourself. If you buy a rebuild kit from summit for $300 and find a core a machine shop should put it together for $500. The rest id fairly easy if you take your time. You could spend the money you saved on a nice set of heads and other goodies and still spend less than the $3500 ford wants. I am having a machine shop do my 392 short block for $1000 and have $1000 in my used heads, and $600 or so in other parts that could have been from my current engine if I didn't swap to a 351. For less than the crate motor I have a 420 horse engine carb to pan.
Just my opinion

 

[ryans67]

Well i dont really have a core to work with....everything will be brand new. The block i bought to start had a mismatched main cap and im having doubts on whether it really is a 69 302 block. I wanted everything to be the best...But now i just want it done and it done right. I want something that can give me power and last. Who else makes a good crate? except CHP? Thanks Ryan

 

[Jimmys66]

I've never heard anyone really knock FMS as far as quality. Yes buying a crate motor is a more expensive way to go but if you are short on experiance and have the money, buying a crate motor is the way to go. All new parts and no worrys about who built it. These motors are really underrated. With Performer RPM or a Weiand stealth with a Road Demon they usually produce about 377 hp with headers.

 

[ant123]

personally, i think putting the engine together is the best part. And it feels good knowing that you build the engine when your driving your vehicle.
the quality the engine runs is a reflection on the knowledge, skill, and time (lets not forget money) that you put into it. I think thats a good feeling

 

[oldmustangjunkie]

Go with the cam in my sig, an RPM intake and 600-650 cfm carb, 1-5/8" headers, and 2.5" exhaust.

 

[cobraII]

No worries,if you have the cash,everything is new and the block isn'nt overbored...I have a crate engine in my cobraII,a svo gt-40 with aluminium heads.with the cam that came with it (the manial one )i installed a performer rpm intake because of clearance and a 600cfm holley vac sec .the ignition is a dui.on the chassis dyno with belts and fan ,air cleaner...i gave 367hp at the rear whells.13 flat @ 108 ,no slicks with a c4...I can`t tell you what to do but personnaly with my experience I don`t regret the decision I took It`s like a new car,it cost a lot and you can achieve the same with an older one for cheaper but you get for what you pay...if you don't know personnnaly an engine builder than give your money to ford..

 

[dave65FB]

367hp at the rear wheels and only a 13 flat. 300hp at the rear wheels should get that car into the 12s. You should be pushing low 12s atleast. does your car do a burnout down the whole track???

 

[PONY1]

On 2002-04-02 01:50, ryans67 wrote:
Well i dont really have a core to work with....everything will be brand new. The block i bought to start had a mismatched main cap and im having doubts on whether it really is a 69 302 block. I wanted everything to be the best...But now i just want it done and it done right. I want something that can give me power and last. Who else makes a good crate? except CHP? Thanks Ryan

DSS makes great engines as does Bennett Racing and so does Fox Lake. these are all premo engine builders so expect your buildup price to just about double, but your gonna have a killer bullet proof setup.

-PONY1

 

[n2omike]

367hp at the REAR WHEELS sounds like a bit much for that engine. The hottest 302 crate engine, with the X303 aluminum heads and the cam you mentioned (B303) is only rated at 345hp AT THE CRANK. And you mention that it only has a Holley 600 vacuum secondary carb???

I'm having some doubts here... Unless you aren't telling us about a nitrous kit or something.

Good Luck!

 

[oldmustangjunkie]

On 2002-04-03 23:43, n2omike wrote:
The hottest 302 crate engine, with the X303 aluminum heads and the cam you mentioned (B303) is only rated at 345hp AT THE CRANK.

I have an old issue of Hot Rod where they got 377 (out of the 345hp motor) with an unjetted Road Demon and a Vic Jr. intake. Ford seems to have a problem rating hp correctly.

 

[Steve]

I'm with Jimmy66 and CobraII. If yo don't have the skill to do it yourself and you don't have an engine man you trust, get a crate engine. Ford Racing has good ones as does DSS and Gold Coast. Call around and see what you can get.

I thought I had found the right mechanic a few years back when I put a 351w into my 66. He had a lot of Ford experience. Then he built my engine. Told me it was a 408 (that was before the kits came out). Charged me for it along with a balance and promptly went out of business. A few months later when the oil pressure went into the tank, I found out that he had not torqued the heads properly and the rod bearings were toast. Tore it apart and found a stock rebuild kit in it. About $3k down the tubes. Had Ruel rebuild it and it has lasted over 10 years. Another $1500 bucks. If crate engines had existed back then, I would have gone for one.

 

[cobraII]

About the rating,why would i exagerate?,the numbers were there on the sheet at gt performance race shop.also to answer to the other guy who said my car should run into the 12`s ,he`s right!!!but it`s almost impossible with the set up i have now...stock converter in my c4,qualifier gt tires...now you get the pic! the car is a dog to take off,that engine would need a 3500 stall...my 60ft time are 2.5sec!!at best and i spin out of the box,once the rpm picks up!!!this summer i will install a T-5 and my diff is an 8.8 with 3.73 gear(last summer mod...I Know I should have used a 9 inch but the 8.8 in my case was a good compromise)...with sticky tires and a good driver on the stick(hopefully me!)I hope to get it into the 12`s. i have seen this set up do it easy!!

For the crate engine I still think it is a good choice if you are like me!I can put the engine in the car but I`m not comfortable to put the crank in the engine!! Bye!

 

[Blown54]

I have mixed feelings on Crates. As a gearhead, there is nothing more satisfying than spending endless hours massaging heads, checking clearances and finally able to turn a key and hear your labour of love rumble. But as a businessman, I rely on some corporate backing, and this sometimes requires that I purchase product as a show of commitment. I currently have 2 crate engines, both 514s but by far the ones we put together here at home are the ones we have the most pride in.
Fred