Thread: SB 302 question?

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Hi, I am a fairly rounded mechanic as in I can R&R anything, however, I fall short in the area's of bottem ends. I have a 1969 Torino with a stock 302, I believed the head gasket had blown so I figured why not pull and clean up the old girls heart liven it up a tad whilst I was at it. So I pulled the engine cleaned it, bought some things like a cam, intake new holly carb, oil pump... all I wanted was to ensure the engines well being as it ran beautifully other then the white smoke issue.

So I have the engine out on my stand, cleaned, painted and ready to start re assembly when I notice by complete fluke a crack in one of the cylinder walls, so my 1st diagnosis was wrong, head gasket good, motor bad. Now I am very straped on cash right now as I am getting married in June and we just bought a house, but I have heard of guys dropping the bottem end outta one used engine and installing it in another without replacing a thing. Now this sounds a tad strange to me, but I have another late 70's 302 that spun a bearing but all else is good.

So I am asking in short, can I pull my bottem end on my 1968 302, and install it in the 70's 302 with little to no added cost or major risk? Like what shud I look for, be aware of? etc... I just want it to run for a few more years (not a daily driver) untill I can affoard to drop a big block in it!

Thanks and I appreciate any help and suggestions.

I wouldn't have a problem doing that - I did that twice with one set of bottom parts "back in the day' of the 312 Ford 'Y' block. Just do a good block inspection and use good assembly practices - clean as well as measure. The only place you could get in trouble is to use a 28 in oz set of bottom parts from the '68 with a 50 in oz block which happened in '81 or '82.

Dave is right. Should be a bolt in job.! Just be clean during reassembly as always. Watch the measurements and have fun!!!

May be cheaper and easier to have it sleaved

Originally Posted by cffisher

May be cheaper and easier to have it sleeved

OMG - then he would have to find a shop that had someone that even knew what a boring bar could do - and in my area - lotsa luck. Might be one or two - assuming you could get a slot between race engine builds

There are a few here (I can think of 4or 5) with in 25 miles. but I just thought that would save him some $$$$

Thanks guys for the input, I was really contemplating just getting it sleeved, but my luck another cylinder would crack 2 months later... lol unless I got them all re sleeved... :O
And I am up in Calgary , Alberta, Canada. there is one shop I know cud get me in, but they have a not so good reputation.

I guess I will give it a go, whats the worst that cud happen,I'll be looking for an engine again? may aswel try, maybe learn a little something new to me. I will hone the cylinders and re ring the pistons if they be coming out anyways now... lol

Thanks again for the help, feel free to leave more tips and tricks if you like, I kinda like this site, so I will be checkin in more.

Post away - 'nuff people here actually know what a Ford is. I even owned a '68 Torino tho a fastback GT 390, years back

Easiest way is to sleeve your block and you know everything fits---when you start switching things something won't be right configuration---

And yep---I had 68 also --mine was one of the very first 428 CJ's----had about 100 miles on it when the smog stuff came off, cam change, etc---had a Holmon Moody Nascar 427 that I was gonna put in my 66 comet 390gt, Ford contacted me aout the 427 hydraulic moter early(late 67) and I was going to get one of them but they canceled and did the Cobra Jet thing--I was going to put the nascar 427 in the 68 but the CJ ran so good that I didn't--used it later in a pick up

Oh and not to hi jack----but putting a couple sleeves in a decent engine is no big thing--issue is what caused the crack--if it froze up in the winter-----I'd be real careful looking it over--

Thanks, actually my wifes boss had a strong 302 from his 83 mustang that he pulled out after a front end collision, its been sitting in his shop covered for 5 or more years, said if I come get it out of his way its mine. Its fully dressed still with carb and all, not that I need it, but it does have 4v heads which I am lacking anyways, so its a win win for me, but its still getting stripped and re-sealed at the very least. I am picking it up on Saturday, I am kinda stoked to get back to work on my engine again, was hoping to be dropping it back in this weekend untill I found the crack.

Just be aware that in 1981 Ford changed the balance from 28 oz to 50 oz, so things like harmonic balancer and flywheel or flexplate are different. Not a big deal, you just have to keep pre 81 stuff with a pre 81 engine and post 81 stuff with a post 81 engine. You can also buy special flexplates with the 50 oz balance to work with your C4, if that is the transmission you have. If you put the wrong balancer or flywheel on an engine it will shake like mad.

There may also be a difference in the drive belts..........I think 83 might be serpenine, but you can put your early timing cover and water pump on the later block and use a V belt system if you want.

Otherwise, it is almost a drop in.

Don

Ok, so what your saying is I'd have to take the "complete" bottem end out of the 68 block(crank, balancer, flywheel, etc..) and install it in the post 81 engine? or are you saying I cannot use anything from the 68 on a post 81?

I am thinking of buying new bearings and possibly doing just that depending what this 1983 302 engine looks like when I get it home on Saturday.. I mean if its cleans and looks good I may just run the 83 in my Torino all together, I've been told my bottem end on the 68 block is stronger as its a heavier crankshaft correct? and thats why I would have to use the complete bottom end from it on the 83 block.

I mean all in all, a 1968 302 block is pretty much the same as the 1983 block right?

funny thing is I got 3 ford buddy's who all give me different information on what I can do, I dont think theres a solid brain cell between them, hence why I am here. lol I just dont want to mess it up and find out the hard way.

Thanks again

If you want to use the '83 block, you either have to use it 'as is' or change the internals - crank, rods, pistons, harmonic balancer, and flex plate or flywheel using the '68 innards. Any 302W block up to '81 is virtually identical with any other. Post '81 - blocks remain the same, rotating components changed balance.

Weight wise - first I've heard that one. Your buddies might have figured that the 50 in oz vs the 28 in oz balance is the weight difference in the crank - it isn't. They physically weigh the same. You can mix and match between the engines internally, but you will have to do a total rebalance.

Fords, regardless of the source are confusing since most folks seem to only understand Chevies. They really are not any different as far as confusion once you understand that there are year to year changes plus changes to fit an application. For instance, I can take the cylinder head from my '31 and bolt it on your '68 - fits right up. The intake, same thing. Exhaust, ditto. Starter, yep. You get into confusion when you start looking at accessory brackets and front timing covers with water pumps. Balance is another, but as long as you know what you have, even that's no problem.

I change the balance on one or two flywheels a month for both ford and chev guys---where they ve changed a clutch/flywheel and got the wrong one ---and about once every 3 months I'll get one where some engine shop changed weight on the flywheel instead of the crank so the standard weighted flywheel will shake--then I got to change the old wheel to neutral, index and transfer that weight to the new wheel and then balance it which takes us back to where we have a balanced assy without taking the engine apart---

Sounds good guys, I get the engine tomorrow, so I should know be sunday what I am doing either way. I enjoy working on cars but somedays I wish I just had my old 69 Torino GT back, need minor body work, but the 390 was done and had plenty of jam, and needed nothing but me to drive it. But this one soon will be. lol