Advise on Ford 302- 331/347

[bwdz]

Originally Posted by zarpoxx

Good point of view, bwdz.

You are right with the less possibility to find a newer ford engine here, but not impossible. I will check this option.

But I really surprise me it you said about the real power of my engine. Really a new engine from 1971 in power terms is only 160 HP? It is the first time I read something like that. I am not saying you are wrong, only is very rare to me.

I am a Porsche lover, and when you drive a 911 from 1978 (911 SC) with 188 HP (Theory) you feel every horsepower in your pants, with no less power or something like that. Maybe it is because there are European horses (din) but the horses are in the engine.

When you said to buy a newer engine with roller block, from what year?

Thank you for your reply

In 1972 they changed the way they rate horsepower to SAE or Net hp. Basically the engine prior to 1971 were rated with no accessories such as alternator, power steering etc.. They ran optimized headers with no exhaust and very hot timing to get it to a maximum output. After 1971 they changed to testing the engines in factory tune with accessories and exhaust system so the rating would be accurate with exactly what the engine put out as it was installed and tuned for the actual vehicle it was in. Essentially the same engine that in 1971 was rated at 300 hp when tested as installed in the vehicle only put out about 225 hp or so. This is the way engines are tested today which is why I said the 1971 engine was really only about 160 hp. You have to compare the numbers equally, so if you took a 1990 Mustang which was rated at 225 hp and took off the accessories and ran open long tube headers and maxed out the timing there is a chance that it would make close to 300hp and that would be the old rating but 225hp is much more true to what it actually put out. The roller blocks started in I believe 1985 in the Mustang H.O. A roller block means that the camshaft uses roller lifters instead of flat tappets. This gains a little power from reducing the drag of a flat lifter against the camshaft lobe but also allows for steeper cam lobes opening up the valves quicker. These blocks are the standard for most modern 302 builds. The core charge on these blocks is not much so I would recommend just buying a complete short block that has already been machined and clearanced for the stroker kit you are running.
PS, I love Porsche as well, new and old. Currently there is a Boxster in my garage