73' 302 block

Are the old 73' and 74' model 302 blocks just as good to use for the strokers? or do you need a newer model block?

waddya wanna make out of it? are ya gonna flog it daily? if you use quality parts, it should take up to a 347 fine.

no different than a late model block, a tad stronger.

My 302 block came out of a 72 Ranchero with 140HP. It's a 347 now and pushing around 450HP. Strong as an ox.

Thanks guys! Yea I'm getting my specs together,but I think I'm going with the 331 stroke .I hear it lasts longer than the 347?I want to go with the 12,5:1 comp. with the 58cc heads and a solid roller cam.I've been running a c4 behind a 302 with a bigger edlbrock cam and a 750 holley and a 100 shot of nos.It was an old motor that sat in the pasture for 12 years.Its blowin by one of the intake valves now.So its time for a rebuild.Is there some kind of marking in the block to show if its a mexican block and are they supposed to be better?

My ride at Texas Motorplex!

Originally Posted by jmckinney

Thanks guys! Yea I'm getting my specs together,but I think I'm going with the 331 stroke .I hear it lasts longer than the 347?

You'll find that all of the "big-time" engine builders swear by the 347's! Joe Sherman (Joe Sherman Racing Engines) has expressed his strong preference for a 347 over a 331 many times. They cost the same, last the same, so why not go for the longer stroke and extra cubes???
The same logic applies to the 408 vs. 393 debate... I apparently like living on the edge, so I went with the 418!

So if you need more rpm to make a 331 do the same work as a 347 at lower rpm, which one will live longer? Build the 347

Originally Posted by kgordonl

I apparently like living on the edge, so I went with the 418!

Me too. It's really a 424 (.060)
Its just a pile of parts at the moment.
I'm shooting for 6.20 in the 1/8

I went .060 over on mine also, so it is actually a 424 as well. I'm sure that the rod ratio argument is valid, but I've talked to several people who have been running 418 and 427 stroker Windsors for years without any issues related to the rod ratio. Mine is a street car that will not be reving much over 6,000 rpm, so I took the chance in exchange for more cubes.