Buy Used or Home Rebuild 302

[LJH]

I have an old ugly beast of a Bronco that has 107000 miles on it. I thought about selling it a few years ago, but I just couldn't part with it. It gets driven less than 1K miles a year. Well a funny thing happened last Sunday. I drove it up to the store and back. When I got home I noticed oil dripping from the tail pipe. I check the oil and its about a quart low, thats when I noticed oil coming out of the air box. I checked all the "not motor" items that can cause this and they were fine. Checking the motor was not so good, the compression test did not end the way I would have liked. Really low PSI on 7 and 8 with leaking rings. So its time for a motor. What would be better, picking up a used motor or rebuilding the one I have. As to the rebuilding all machine work would be done by a pro, the rest would be done by me. I cant justify spending too much on this as it is a low value clunker but I would like to keep it.

Thanks

 

[rsayloriii]

I honestly couldn't tell you which would be better without a tear down of the one that you have. If it's structurally sound, then you'd save the money of buying another engine, and as long as you're the one tearing it down, the cost is nothing. Buying another motor, you won't know the true condition of it, and I'd want to tear it down and replace everything that could be replaced NOW and not after it's been put in. Lot easier working off a stand than when it's mounted in vehicle. Just pull the one you've got now and check it over. If you don't find any obvious cracks, etc., then take it to a machine shop and have it chem dipped (cleans EVERYTHING better than you ever can at home) and fluxed. If everything comes back good, then rebuild; if not, then junkyard time.

 

[winchster]

It has been my experience, that by the time you spend the money on quality machine work you equal the cost of a quality reman. You just don't get the warranty. My suggestion, unless you just want to turn the wrenches, buy a quality reman.

 

[Brains]

If you're not doing a performance build, buy a basic reman from basically anywhere. Another option is to drop a 302 pullout from a Mustang in there with your intake, exhaust, accessories, etc. You can find them pretty cheap too. Even junkyard motors from an Explorer are a good option.

 

[Dcav]

Do the rebuild, taking apart the motor is easy, its putting it back together that's a pain, send the heads and block out to a machine shop. Plus we all know you like to build "stuff"

 

[rsayloriii]

Plus we all know you like to build "stuff"

That might just be the understatement of the year right there.

 

[M. Sage]

Hard to find 'em used anymore. I'd suggest either upgrading to a 5.8 outright (hard to find used, too), or rebuilding it yourself. If you rebuild it, do it right. Have the block worked over at a good machine shop, new pistons to fit the freshly-cut bores, either refinish or replace the crankshaft, etc. Don't go cheapass or you will regret it down the road.

Having said that, rebuilding a 302 isn't rocket surgery, so don't be intimidated. Just resist the urge to save a few bucks by cutting corners and you'll do fine.

 

[M. Sage]

If you're not doing a performance build, buy a basic reman from basically anywhere. Another option is to drop a 302 pullout from a Mustang in there with your intake, exhaust, accessories, etc. You can find them pretty cheap too. Even junkyard motors from an Explorer are a good option.

The Mustang 5.0 H.O. will not work with a truck intake. Round ports vs rectangular.

 

[Brains]

I didn't even think about the old school round ports, been firmly in EFI land for so long. I suppose there's always the option of dropping on an aftermarket 125 dollar intake from Jegs, or the 86 Mustang maybe.

As for availability, I see them cross the various forums pretty regularly. Maybe not every day but once a month or so. I'd be happy to keep my eyes open for one. It really depends on budget. A $500 running longblock is nice when you just want to put something back on the road.

 

[M. Sage]

I didn't even think about the old school round ports, been firmly in EFI land for so long. I suppose there's always the option of dropping on an aftermarket 125 dollar intake from Jegs, or the 86 Mustang maybe.

As for availability, I see them cross the various forums pretty regularly. Maybe not every day but once a month or so. I'd be happy to keep my eyes open for one. It really depends on budget. A $500 running longblock is nice when you just want to put something back on the road.

The EFI Mustang engines are the ones with either round or oval (I honestly forget) intake ports, and EFI truck engines are rectangular. The plan might work on carbureted engines, but I'm not sure.

 

[Brains]

I can only speak positively about the 87-93, since those are the years I've owned (one 87, and a couple 91's). They all had rectangular intake ports. I know the "P" heads on the Explorer 302 are similar but not identical, and require a unique but readily available intake, but are popular to pick up a few HP. Swapping the stock heads back on is always an option too, just check the valve guides for wear, and I'd definitely do at least a set of valve seals.

 

[M. Sage]

I can only speak positively about the 87-93, since those are the years I've owned (one 87, and a couple 91's). They all had rectangular intake ports. I know the "P" heads on the Explorer 302 are similar but not identical, and require a unique but readily available intake, but are popular to pick up a few HP. Swapping the stock heads back on is always an option too, just check the valve guides for wear, and I'd definitely do at least a set of valve seals.

87-93 truck, Mustang or both?

IIRC, the Exploder 5.0 was what you would get at the Ford dealer if you ordered a replacement engine for your Mustang after they phased out the 5.0 in Mustangs.

 

[LJH]

Thanks all for the ideas. If you dont know I like building "stuff" lots of stuff. Motors might be fun to build and I am so past building BBQ pits so I guess its time to turn some wrenches.

Now M.Sage mentioned a 5.8. I like the idea of more power and since the Bronco is about as fuel efficient as a brick with wheels I dont see how this would hurt. On a 89 what issues would the swap to a 5.8 cause ie computer, engine light, etc? I got a lead on a 5.8 pulled from the same year f150. Its running or so he said, but I will tear it down and build it up anyway. If no swap issues are to be worried about what performance internals for low end power would be advisable during the rebuild. I do plan on working over the heads as I have ported and polishing a few in the past, it was easy. Time consuming but easy.

 

[LJH]

Never mind the idea of swapping to a 5.8. Looks to be too much of a pain because of strange variables with fuel injection and wiring harnesses.

 

[Brains]

I've only owned V8 Mustangs. My (1988) Ford F-150 was the 300 cid inline six. My last Mustang I transplanted an LS1 and 4L60e into though hehe. Miss that car, I really want to build another and really get myself in hot water with the blue blood guys by putting an LS7 into a D-code 93 Cobra.

Don't be put off by the fuel injection, it's not as daunting of a task as folks fear. Grab the computer and the engine harness from the donor. They're nearly stand-alone systems in those years, not integrated into the entire vehicle's systems like today. For an engine light, put a snap-in panel light somewhere. The computer is actually the same unit as used in the Mustangs of that year (EEC-IV) but with a different calibration. The good news is all the documentation, knowledge and tuning is available. I gave away all my stuff when I sold my last Mustang unfortunately, or I'd have been happy to pass it along. There are also tons of stand-alone systems available too for plug and play simplicity. For example - it's more money, but Holley's new line of ECUs (Eliminator, HP, and Dominator) are all self-tuning.

 

[TheDan]

Probably the best cost to difficulty thing to do would be to buy a new short block.

 

[LJH]

I am going to do a rebuild. Time is on my side as this is not a daily or even weekend driver.

 

[TheDan]

Sounds like broken rings... as long as the cylinder walls aren't so badly scratched up that you would need to have them bored, then a rebuild would be cheap and easy. If it requires any machining tho, you might as well buy the short block. It definitely helps when you have unlimited time for the project, but I've found that when you take too much time you end up misplacing parts and forgetting how it went back together. You should see my car graveyard

 

[LJH]

Sounds like broken rings... as long as the cylinder walls aren't so badly scratched up that you would need to have them bored, then a rebuild would be cheap and easy. If it requires any machining tho, you might as well buy the short block. It definitely helps when you have unlimited time for the project, but I've found that when you take too much time you end up misplacing parts and forgetting how it went back together. You should see my car graveyard

I never forget anything. My mind is like a ........ what was I saying? Oh yeah I see your point. I will pull it apart and see what it looks like on the insides before I think about it too much.

 

[rsayloriii]

Bag and tag the parts where they go. Cardboard helps also to push things in to keep them in a specific order. Now this is all just hearsay because I like to take my chances and strew parts everywhere like a giant puzzle. lol