302 to FE swap

A 352 has a 4.0 bore just like a 302 or 351. They are dogs and a step down hill from a good running small block. My good friend had a 64 Galaxie with a 352. We were at a light next to an old guy smoking his pipe in a 68 Caprice. When the light turned green my buddy put the petal to the metal. I looked out the window as the guy puffed his pipe and pulled away from us. That car was a pig. Even worse is when he enlisted in the navy we drove it down to scrap yard to junk it since no one wanted it. 2 door HT . That was mid 1970's.

I can either dump 500 bucks into my 331 stroker build or 500 bucks on the 352 and the cleavland. I just don'y want to waste my time and money. I would hate to pass on a good deal too. I will have to think about this... what to do what to do...

I can either dump 500 bucks into my 331 stroker build or 500 bucks on the 352 and the cleavland. I just don'y want to waste my time and money. I would hate to pass on a good deal too. I will have to think about this... what to do what to do...

UTRY makes some excellent points....If your on a fairly tight budget you will be money ahead sticking to a stroker small block..It will cost you a small fortune just to change over from the small block to the FE...Once your done you will have a small cubic inch FE that will likely only be around 300-350hp unless it's really something special..You can easily match or exceed that with your parts and a stroker small block......I do understand the desire to have a big block and the FE's are especially cool looking in my opinion but don't do it thinking it is a cheap way to upgrade from your 331.This would be a little more appealing if it was a bigger FE motor...I'm sure for $500 bucks you could easily break even and should be able to make some cash if you buy the two motors..I would check the 352 over very carefully once you get it as the 352 cast into the block doesn't mean its a 352 as My427Stang said..

Originally Posted by unfairlane

I can either dump 500 bucks into my 331 stroker build or 500 bucks on the 352 and the cleavland. I just don'y want to waste my time and money. I would hate to pass on a good deal too. I will have to think about this... what to do what to do...

Here's the deal, you wont get an FE in your car for cheap, period.

500 for the motor, 500 for headers, 200 for mounts, and the T5 wont bolt to it, so then you need a couple hundred in Z-bar and pedal to unconvert back to stock fairlane pedals (assuming the T-5 can bolt to the old style bell and has the right input length, if not add another 150 for a spacer and 100 to shorten the driveshaft).

Add another 100 for a shroud, and if the lower radiator hose on your car is on the pass side add another 300 for a radiator (if its on the drivers side it's probably usable, SBFs had both)

Thats just the quick stuff and you are at $2000 or so. Is an FE cool? Yes, will a 352 be a barn-burner, not really, but odds are its not a 352 if the last guy spend money to build it, it could be a 390 or 428, they all say 352 on the front. Now if it turns out to be a 428, its a steal. If it turns out to be a strong 390, its still a great deal.

If its a really well done 352, its still a good deal if you consider it a stepping stone to a big inch FE later. Its all what you want

I think if it were me, due to the T-5 and clutch setup, I'd shoot for planning a big inch Windsor build, it would be a bolt in and all you'd have to think about is headers and sinking money into the engine itself

The question is, what are you getting and what do you want. The cheaper way no doubt is to add to what you have.

Here is the deal. Money is always and issue , but I do not hurt when it comes to spending on my cars. I am debt free. and have been in the Air Force 9 years. If I stick with the FE I can sell all of my small block stuff. 185 afrs roller rockers harded pushrods, sfi flywheel sfi balancer. parker intake demon carb. After selling all of that I woluld have enough money to convert. also I found a bellhousing that adapts a t-5 to an FE. YES I am aware that 352 was cast on all blocks. I said that already, but this guys nephew built the motor and said it was a 352. If it was a 390 he would have relized it was a 390 as soon as he tried to put 352 pistons in it. Once again. For 500 I would get a 352 rebuilt, with edelbrock intake, mallory dizzy, a 2v 72 cleavland with fmx. not 500 each 500 for all. The 352 block is a c4ae heads c4ae. Block could either be a 352 or a 390. I am betting its a 352. If it was a 390 I would jump all over it.

OK man, AF here too, 13 yrs and just shooting straight, so dont get nervous, we are on your side and certainly not calling you out.

I have just been there done that and most my work on my own toys (after about 10 yrs in our own shop) was done at the Offutt hobby shop as a butter-bar with no money, so trying to be as precise as we can regardless of your budget.

In addition, the way I paid for my 427 powered Mustang was selling FE parts as a new Lt in the 90's, so no kidding, my line isnt BS, I promise

I have also done this exact swap in a Comet at Nellis and I promise, I am giving you good data.

What you did say was the "There is even a chance that it could be a 390. The guy claims it is a 352 because 352 is cast on the block." Thats why I was saying its worth checking, because the casting doesnt mean anything. If I am full of it and you are sure, then so be it, just trying to help.

If you are sure its a 352, then its worth a lot less and harder to sell, and compared to an AFR headed small block, it will be a dog. Nobody wants a 352 unless they need it for a resto

The pile of parts overall is a decent deal, and the intake alone for an FE is worth about 100-200, no kidding all day long on Ebay. However, even there WHICH Edelbrock intake makes a huge difference, an FE SP2P is worth about 100, a Performer 125, Streetmaster 175-200 depending on condition, F427 probably about the same as the Streetmaster. So specifics matter

The distributor is worth 50-75, so right there it shows its a decent deal, 500 total and you can pull back 200-250 without blinking

The FE heads are probably worth 100-150 but wont sell fast, and a 352 lower end, not worth much, even if fresh, maybe 200 bucks, but you'd sit on it for a while to sell it. Odds are it'll just sit

The C parts and FMX are probably not worth much unless you find a lucky buyer

However, like I said, 2 grand minimum to put it in your car and the T-5 is an issue.

So, would I buy the pile, probably, but you wont get rich. Would I put it in your car? probably not due to the cost and the fact that a 352 wont make the power I think you are looking for.

Again though, if you plan to build a big FE later, nothign wrong with getting the car setup with a 352 now so later its just an engine swap. All depends what your goals are

If there is any way you can get a crank casting number, we can verify its not a 390.

I know you gave additional data that it has new pistons, etc, which makes sense, but I have seen a ton of rebuilds that are just re-ring and if the guy was wrong, and it was a 390, it would be worth a little (not a lot) more. Maybe not worth more money, but certainly more torque and a better toy to play with in the Fairlane

I guess B/L is, you know you wont lose money at that price, so if you want it, jump on it. BTW brackets, pulleys, etc are worth money, especially if sandblasted and painted, so dont underestimate any of the extra parts on Ebay. Thats exactly how I built a 427 4 speed 70 Mustang on zero budget (first time around)

That is more the anwser I was looking for and don't worry no one said anything wrong. I was just trying to make the point that I don't believe in putting things together half ass if Im going to do it I'm going to do it right. No way to get a crank cast number unless I buy the motor. Original plans were If it was a 390 drop it in. not 390 sell it all and use money towards stroker. Since you said it would take a while to sell a 352 its not worth my time. But I did cross a convert galaxie that the 352 look good in today. I am an all performance guy and my next motor will have 500hp so i have decided to stick with the small block. Thank you all for the help!!! Sorry if I sounded abrupt or affended in the last post.

You don't have to pull it apart to check the stroke, yank out #1 spark plug and bring the engine up to TDC, put a small wooden dowel, or anything resembling one, into the plug hole until it hits the piston, now mark the rod. Rotate it to BDC and mark the rod again. Measure the distance between the marks, 4.00"=352, 4.78"=390 and if you are an extremely lucky SOB it could be a 428 crank= 4.98"

Originally Posted by UTRY

You don't have to pull it apart to check the stroke, yank out #1 spark plug and bring the engine up to TDC, put a small wooden dowel, or anything resembling one, into the plug hole until it hits the piston, now mark the rod. Rotate it to BDC and mark the rod again. Measure the distance between the marks, 4.00"=352, 4.78"=390 and if you are an extremely lucky SOB it could be a 428 crank= 4.98"

Just to put things in perspective.

Back in my "bad 'ol days" ... I used to race anything, anywhere, anytime, anybody - just for looking crossways. I grew up and grew out of it. But thats not the point.

The point is, win, lose or draw - every engine I built (they were mostly FE's at the time), when asked - they were all 352 ci. That was my story and no one could prove different. You gott'a believe, I caught a lot of Brand-X on the ground, with their head stuffed under the fender (my choice of poison at the time was a 57 Ford, so the hood release was inside the car), trying to see if there were cross-bolts or a side oiler galley on the block; 'cause every one knew that 352, 390, even 428's; (so it "had" to be a 406 or 427, right!) - just couldn't out gun any brandX engine. So sad for them, but for me - it was a way to keep buying engine parts. Good, performance, FE' parts were expensive even back then.