Un-Seizing a Ford 302 5.0L

[scott123456789]

Status update,

Working with the cousin to get title paperwork and with a death in the family will take a bit more coordinating. Won’t be tearing into the block until get all the paperwork squared away.

On a positive bit I stepped away from the truck for a few days and got a bit more movement from the crank. Moved from 1/4 turn to 1/3 of a turn. Not much but more evidence that I’ve got a rusty cylinder that ever so slowly is giving up.

I would also very much prefer to have a motor to test all the supplemental systems in the car. Would rather not throw a new or refreshed motor only to find out none of the ignition system is operable.

[scott123456789]

Tried a while back to pull the heads but they didn’t want to budge. Got motivated yesterday and did a little more horsing around and got the heads up.

Driver side looked great.



Then the passenger side...



Last cylinder on the passenger side was in the worst possible position. The motor leans back so slightly so all condensation runs back and the intake valve was open so water just got trapped.



Since it may not be salvageable I’m going to resend I engineer you see if I can get enough rust out to get the piston moving. Then run it till it blows all the oil out I guess...

[sierracharlie338]

Dang that sucks but the way I understand it you could possibly bore it over and get rid of that rust? I think I’m about to snag a old ford 289 engine to rebuild. Hopefully i don’t stumble on something like this.


Sierracharlie out…

[slayr]

Can it be bored and sleeved?

[muzzlebrake]

I would no way reuse or replace that with another 302.
Now a good solid 351 Windsor with a small 4 barrel or injected TB would give the old truck some grunt. Those old 302's with 2 barrel carb didn't have enough power to get out of their own way. Been there done that on a 1970 model.

[muzzlebrake]

302's can be built rather cheaply. Requires using some old 289 small chamber 4 barrel heads and Ford muscle parts cam C90Z6250C, an Aluminum 4 barrel high rise intake and you can pull better than 300 hp out of it with good exhaust system hot MSD ignition.

[Kingfisher789]

Over heated. Buy a master engine OH kit w pistons once you get your papers

[Twist]

302's can be built rather cheaply. Requires using some old 289 small chamber 4 barrel heads and Ford muscle parts cam C90Z6250C, an Aluminum 4 barrel high rise intake and you can pull better than 300 hp out of it with good exhaust system hot MSD ignition.

Basically what we did on my 1st car, 1967 Mustang.

Someone who previously owned it down the line took the 289, bored it .060 and didn’t put a larger radiator in or increase the cooling capacity in any form. It cracked 7 of the 8 cylinders to the water jackets. Total disaster.

We ended up with the 289 HiPo(close chamber) heads, a 302 block that we bored .030, bit of a cam. Don’t remember the specs, sorry it’s been over 30 years. Heads were worked over by Tommy Costales who I believe worked at South Houston Racing at the time but again, it’s been over 30 years.

That car ran like a top and the only things limiting it were the Holley 600 carb and the transmission that was rebuilt to stock specs.

[scott123456789]

Over heated. Buy a master engine OH kit w pistons once you get your papers

What makes you think it over heated?

Really thought this was the result of sitting for 10 years with the intake valve open on that last cylinder?



Trying to run down a potential replacement motor is what has me being pulled all different directions. There are a few junk yards around but not sure how many have stacks of good condition 5.0 or 5.8L motors sitting around.

There are a couple garage mechanics on Facebook that claim they have solid motors but it sure looks like they are selling old motors with spray paint and minimal if any replaced parts.


Then you can jump into the remanufactured world for $3000. Or a performance remanufactured for $5000-7500

Or just drop a coyote in like the cool kids on YouTube.

[Dale Moser]

I imagine that block is ok, just needs punched .040 or .060. Have the heads polished up, the right pistons could bump the compression some, and a cam and intake should wake it right up.

But if it needs replaced...I see no reason not to go with a 460.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk