RAMM
Well-Known Member
Thread from the dead. Lol-J.Rob
318 low budget heads change
- Thread starter 4drzdart
- Start date
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txstang84
Well-Known Member
Agreed...
I'm pretty sure my old man told me, during the initial stages of work on my Mustang, take any number you have budgeted/accounted for and double it...that's closer to how much you'll actually spend.
...those are some good looking castings J.Rob
Damn it Jesse, you couldn't stand it any more could you? You couldn't let them believe that the 302 head was the magic pill. You just had to let the cat out of the bag!
I'm setting back up my cat traps and if I catch it again its going back in a dark, double locked room.
RAMM
Well-Known Member
Nope can't stand it, I want all the '302 castings for myself!
Seriously though,
I am kinda sick of seeing the '302 head suggested. We can all thank Steve Dulcich for that and his "Junkyard Jewel" article--lol. Those heads are way too limited. I see guys selling them for $100-$250 a pair--I roll my eyes, shake my head, crack a beer and then smile. J.Rob
Infecteddog
Well-Known Member
The 302 heads where designed for smog not performance there's is potential there but $$$ and time has to be spent on them. Theres no performance bump when the factory switch to 302's the only performance bumps for 318 were the factory 360 top ended 318's and Magnums and since cr and cams basically been the same for the total production of 318 the extra power came from the heads. The only application I could see spending money on 302's is a 273 build cause of valve size.
Just go with cam headers and 4bbl will get you high 200 hp, enough horsepower until you get your 360 done.
Just go with cam headers and 4bbl will get you high 200 hp, enough horsepower until you get your 360 done.
lilredrooster
Active Member
Grrrrreat looking cylinder heads......
If you don`t mind sharing....... How much did you have to mill off the heads to achieve the 59cc C/Chambers??
RAMM
Well-Known Member
Those heads were done about 2 years ago but I believe I took .050" and with the flat face valves they checked in at 59cc. They are on a 425hp stock stroke 360 now. J.Rob
The 302's port out very well and should be done to a 360 sized window and etc.... The biggest reason for the 302 heads mention is the ability to port out with a small chamber as cast. As cast, it is fine for the everyday driver with minimal cam increase.
Working a 340/360 head may be easier, but it is the milling the deck and then Intake face to get it where you want it that "can" be an issue. (Thin valve cover rails) On my old 318 Duster, I went with the stock heads from the '79 vintage engine. It was fun in the street with good mileage.
Also, when I see budget, I figure that it is ether spend the normal amount for a head rebuild or spend 1-1/2 - 2 times more for a performance build. Aluminum heads, aftermarket rockers etc....
It's a bit more than rebuilding stock parts of replacing them with stock parts. And there is where budget goes out the window.
Working a 340/360 head may be easier, but it is the milling the deck and then Intake face to get it where you want it that "can" be an issue. (Thin valve cover rails) On my old 318 Duster, I went with the stock heads from the '79 vintage engine. It was fun in the street with good mileage.
Also, when I see budget, I figure that it is ether spend the normal amount for a head rebuild or spend 1-1/2 - 2 times more for a performance build. Aluminum heads, aftermarket rockers etc....
It's a bit more than rebuilding stock parts of replacing them with stock parts. And there is where budget goes out the window.
Infecteddog
Well-Known Member
Wasn't it hot rod that had serious casting failure when they opened 302 intake ports up to 360 size? Regardless- you'll only ever be matching the 360 head flow and the reality of it is that Magnums are just better in every regard. The amount of investment it'd take to make 302s better than 360 heads would get you Magnums or a complete Magnum motor. Add in the factor of how scared people often are with cams, lower CR is better than too much for the build.
Even the milling isn't a good idea if someone's not going to run enough cam. People get too caught up with CR to remember why these motors didn't have it. As much as you'll ever try to make people realize it'll have plenty of torque, most will end up putting a cam about the same size as a 360-2LD in it. If you're not departing heavily from stock, extra CR is just going to make you spend more on gas- I will take better flow over CR every day of the week on a near-stock motor. I'm actually driving a formerly 302-head 318 truck daily now. It's still slow since it's a 4x4 with 3.2s, but the stock motor with 302s had probably 10-20 less HP up top, ran far worse in changing conditions, and I could never get away with as much timing on 89 let alone 87. It's down like 1-2mpg from where it used to be, and it was worth both. Burn an extra 2 gallons that're at least .20something cents cheaper going into the 35 gallon tank. And honestly- what I really should've done was get a Magnum motor with everything to put in it to burn 87 in that with another 30hp or so.
The problem that ends up in budget is balancing where to spend money to achieve the goal.
d fark
Well-Known Member
Some guys are more talented at building budget horsepower. I think it just takes years of trial and error and knowing what to look for when your at the junk yard or swap meet and knowing what combination will work and hang together. I was not blessed with that ability. That's why this forum is so valuable so you can pick those guys brains as long as they are willing to share their knowledge. Good luck with your budget build.
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