Ford 302 or PE 331 ??

[pablop]

Hi,
I'm gooing to order my first Cobra replica and I've not committed to the engine choice...
My choice main parameters are:

- easy to drive
- easy to maintanance
- easy to find parts
- torque and low rpms performaces

So, probably I've to address the choice to Ford Racing 302/345hp, but I know that with a little difference (about 2.000$) can I have a Performance Engineering 331 with about 400hp.

Considering that I will use the car not for track but for daily scope or weekend fun and I don't want to get much noise to my neighbors, can you give me some help regards the 301 and 331 differences (other than more hp...)

Thanks for your help,
PP.

[blykins]

Would you be opposed to a 351W or a 351W based stroker?

What's your engine budget?

My advice to is to bigger than your initial thoughts. You can very easily get your 4 requirements in a larger engine....plus you'd snag some more ponies/torque to have fun with.

[olddog]

For the same money as a 331 , you can build a 347. For considerably less you can build a 351, which is only an inch or so taller and wider at the cost of an extra 50 pounds. Once at the 351 base engine, for a little more than a 331 stroker price you can be either side of 400 cid.

If you are only interested in 400 hp and weight is important stay with the 302block, otherwise the 351 block is stronger with more room to stroke it.

[venum14]

There is no substitute for cu in. More torque and horsepower at lower RPM comes from displacement. The 300+ in small block stroker kits are good but you can't use a long enough rod with the short 302 deck.

Go with a 351W and spend the money on cylinder heads, you will develop more torque and hp with longer life, lower oil useage. The 331/347 strokers have the oil rings near the wrist pin and the pistons are short causing rock in the cylinder thus using more oil.

My $.02 worth. It all about what you want and are comfortable with running.

[turnpike boy]

If what you want is 400 hp, do the 302. 400 is not a stretch here, and easy to reach with a very modest budget. Yes, lo-end torque will not be mountain-motor like, but in a Cobra all that power is quite literally useless until you're north of 60 or 70 mph and in a higher gear. Then the sky is the limit....but then, that's not what you are looking for to begin with.

The 331 is, despite what you read here, a far, far better piece than the 347. Yes, yes, we've all heard the love stories for both, more cubic inches, more torque, blah, blah, blah. Not BS, but the difference between them is not discernable in a street car. The difference in either IS noticible over the 302 - but again, we're talking about higher speeds where it's most noticeable. The 331, with the 5.400" rod (the 302 has 5.090"), has the SAME rod ratio as the 302 - which is not a monumental, make-it-or-break-it proposition to begin with. Despite what you read here, the piston pin does NOT intrude on the bottom ring in a 331; and doesn't in some 347's. Durability/reliability/oil consumption in a 331 is no different than the 302, and you might give up - maybe - 20 hp over the 347. Maybe. They'll spin to 7000 all day long without issue, make 430 hp without strain, idle at 800 rpm with an aluminum flywheel, and are - like the 302 - a turn-the-key-and-go motor.

351's do take you into a different realm - 408's/418's/427's do make more power than the 302-based motors, and despite what you read here, they also cost more. There will be more torque down low, which makes for those impressive burnouts. They also go like stink in high gear, which is even more impressive. Dollar for dollar, they're not really much more than a 302-based stroker, and will provide you with power you're not likely to get bored with any time soon. They may be a bit more than what you want, power-wise, to begin with. But - better to have it and not want it, than want it and not have it.

You are assured you won't be bored with any of them. The 302 is a truly fine motor; the 331 makes it all that much more fine. 347's are no less fine, and the pinnacle for 302-based strokers. 351's of all displacements make for plenty of excitement, and in stroked versions can make some truly awesome power. Take your pick - none are wrong. Only thing you really need to decide is how much do I want, and how much do I want to spend.

[Rickd]

Which car / builder are you going with? If you're building a "289 FIA" car, then go with either a 331 or a 347, the wrist pin issue is not the issue it was 10-15 years ago. They don't "rock" in the cylinder, and are very reliable. Talk to a builder. However if you're going with a 427 body style, then the 351 opens up a lot of options - including stroking it to 408 with 500+ HP. Or, staying on the conservative HP side, with less cost. Either way there are some great aluminum cylinder heads (AFR, Brodix, Edelbrock) and cam and intake choices that will let you build a great motor for street and occasional track use. I have a 289 FIA and went with a Keith Craft 331 with AFR heads. Motor goes in next week. Can't wait!! Research is half the fun!!