Which 302 to replace cracked 289 ('65 Futura Conv)

Dad accidentally over reved the motor in his '65 Falcon -- C4 problems -- and floated the exhaust valve in #1. The worst of the carnage is that there is a small crack in the cylinder wall. Doing our homework it looks like it's less expensive to install a rebuilt motor than fix this one. More streetable power is always welcome.

We essentially have our choice of any 302 ever made so long as it's 1985 or older so the C4 will fit. (Granted a 6-bolt bell housing will be needed.) Other than the Boss 302, which 302 is the best? This car is strictly for street use. I'm going to use a Holley 4180 carb with Edelbrock Performer intake, and likely Red's headers. The goal is a smooth idle and 0 - 4000rpm performance. For this year the budget doesn't include new heads, so stock heads will be used. Farther down the line a 331 stroker kit may appear.

If you have a choice pick a block with a casting date before 1974 from 74 to 84 the ford castings were real poor . They showed that the workers never cared What was pumped out quality was crap. and these blocks had a low nickle content

Any 302/5.0 will be very suitable for the street. The 5.0 will give you the roller cam.

Originally Posted by MY TWO STANGS

If you have a choice pick a block with a casting date before 1974 from 74 to 84 the ford castings were real poor . They showed that the workers never cared What was pumped out quality was crap. and these blocks had a low nickle content

That's good to know. I'd like to use only one block for the rest of the car's life. If it will receive a 331 crank someday I'd rather start out strong. It'll never be a srtip car but reliability is vital. Due to the poor availability used motors in verifiably good condition I'm probably going to go with a rebuilt long block (which is why I can choose any 302 I want). We'll pay more, but the warranty will feel good on longer road trips.

I've seen references to a Mexican block being very strong. Can anybody tell me that story?

Originally Posted by retyler

Any 302/5.0 will be very suitable for the street. The 5.0 will give you the roller cam.

In doing my homework I found that the roller cam came in after 1985. And the C4 6-bolt bell housing won't fit on the 1986+ blocks. Please, please correct me if I'm wrong. A roller cam certainly would be nice.

All 302's are 6 bolt ,'85 and up roller motors included,and will bolt up to your 6 bolt C4. For the future skip the 331 and just go to a 347.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Yesterday I posted a Craig's List add asking for local 302's from the late 60's and early 70's, and have a couple leads. This being my first engine swap I'll play it safe and use a block I, with little ford experience, know will work. Next time I'll be more adventurous.

Is there a cam that would be recommended for the rebuild? Again, it's a street motor that will have an Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley 4180 4bbl 600cfm, stock heads, and Red's headers, all mated to a C4 automatic. Better heads will come next year (AFR 165's?).

I'm kinda confused why you would go with a non roller block. The 5.0 roller block is the same as the early blocks with the exception that it has capability to use roller on flat tappet cams. The roller cam will serve you much better for many reasons that have been discussed on these forums. You don't have to worry about using special oil additives in the roller as you would with flat tappet for one. There is no real break in restrictions on the roller. You get the one piece rear main seal.
These are a couple of reasons I pulled the early seventy motor and replaced it with a roller block which I used to build the 347.

Originally Posted by retyler

I'm kinda confused why you would go with a non roller block. The 5.0 roller block is the same as the early blocks with the exception that it has capability to use roller on flat tappet cams. The roller cam will serve you much better for many reasons that have been discussed on these forums. You don't have to worry about using special oil additives in the roller as you would with flat tappet for one. There is no real break in restrictions on the roller. You get the one piece rear main seal.
These are a couple of reasons I pulled the early seventy motor and replaced it with a roller block which I used to build the 347.

Well, as I look through my notes I see I didn't list why a 1986+ roller motor wouldn't work as a direct swap. The flywheel / harmonic balancer might be different, but that wouldn't be a problem. Is there anything different about attaching the 289's distributor, front cover, water pump, chain, cam and crank sprockets, pan, oil or mechanical fuel pump, starter, PS or alternator brackets (did I forget one?)? I seem to remember the reason had to do with the automatic C4 tranny not being compatible. I'll find the source of my information and post the answer here.

Thanks for questioning my decisions. Dad's car will be better for it.

Any of the late model 5.0 motors will work for your C4, and as mentioned using the 5.0 will give you a roller cam, much better and easier break in as also mentioned. Yes a one piece rear seal also, the only difference will be the timing or firing order, you will have to use the 351 firing order with the roller cam setup. The accessories will all bolt to the 5.0 as with any 289 or 302. One final note and this I don't know what year but with the later 5.0 blocks a machined hole is installed on the driver side for an oil dip stick. This can be a real headache if not plugged or used as when all parts of the puzzle are put together and you fire the motor up and go for a run if that hole is not plugged you will have oil hitting your exhaust causing a smoky mess. I found this out the hard way myself when I built my 347 Stroker from a late model 5.0 block.