mexicano block!!

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

ite, since I cant find a good block that anybody wants to sell, I guess I will be going back to the picknpull to find a good shortblock, so Ive heard alot about the mexican blocks being stronger, cuz of the higher nickel content, so what power level can one take, and whats some casting numbers so I can verify that I have found one. will be lookin in like a f150 or f250, ill use the stock shortblock for now and then build it up and put the twins (t3/t4's) on thur.

thanks Josh

 

[johndeerrm]

This thread has some great information about the mexican block.

http://www.turbomustangs.com/smf/index.php?topic=23254.0

 

[ritc]

Will everything from a 90 302 bolt up to a "mexican" 302 block, because I read this in the thread:

"I know that in order to use a hyd roller cam you need to use the link style lifters or tap the block. However, can't you just use a hyd tappet cam instead??? huh From what i undertsand the big deal with a hyd roller is the street manners, idle, and can rev higher?"

Is a hyd roller cam an upgrade hes reffering to that needs to modding of any 302 block or is this specific to this "mexican" block?

 

[klapdout]

Will everything from a 90 302 bolt up to a "mexican" 302 block, because I read this in the thread:

"I know that in order to use a hyd roller cam you need to use the link style lifters or tap the block. However, can't you just use a hyd tappet cam instead??? huh From what i undertsand the big deal with a hyd roller is the street manners, idle, and can rev higher?"

Is a hyd roller cam an upgrade hes reffering to that needs to modding of any 302 block or is this specific to this "mexican" block?

all 85(i beleive it started) and up 302's are factory roller blocks,

anything earlier needs to either have the block tapped/retrofit kit used/or link style lifters in order to use roller lifters

hyd roller lifters are the only thing i'll ever put on a street car

 

[ritc]

So are mexican blocks from old 302's or do they have 85+ mexican blocks?

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

yeah they have some old mexicans and the ones we want are the 85+ engines with the factory roller hyd, lifters.

 

[ritc]

yeah they have some old mexicans and the ones we want are the 85+ engines with the factory roller hyd, lifters.

So is 85 a definite year where the factory rollers design started? Or to be safer would 86-93 be best? Would milage matter seeing as it will be rebuilt with mostly new parts?

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

not if it will be bored, if you want to stay stock for now like me, then yeah that would matter, im psyched!!! Its like getting a fms sportsman block for $100!!! this way when I put some positive manifold pressure on it it wont decinigrate, like previous engines (cough) svo (cough) it didnt like 25psi on it all the time.

 

[ritc]

I got one dumb question will it matter if it comes from a stang or are there other 302 mexican blocks that came in other ford family 302's (i.e. crown vic/explorer/mark VII)

 

[brin0357]

Vans and trucks are your best bet for a mexican block. Best way to tell is the mexican "bump" it is on the front and looks like somewhere an acc brakcet would bolt up, but theres no threads. Once you see it it will obvious, but I dont want to go take pictures.

 

[fidstang]

They didn't make a roller mexican block with the high nickel content. Just a heads up on that.

 

[ritc]

I found a picture of what you mean(uploaded), and these following casting numbers:

D1ZM-6015-AA
75ZY-6015-AA
89TY-6015-AB

And the obvious, if looking at a bare block I would assume, the valley etching saying "HECHO EN MEXICO".

I'm just lookin on some online junkyard searches, thats why I asked what models would I find a mexican 302 in, but it looks more like something I have to go local junkyard jumping for and pure luck.

How can you tell in pictures if I find a mexican block online if its ready for hyd roller setup compared to older blocks that arent? Are there extra holes drilled I should look for?

 

[ritc]

They didn't make a roller mexican block with the high nickel content. Just a heads up on that.

How much is a kit to make non roller blocks work our hyd rollers? Or link style lifters kit?

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

oh ok, So im guessing the high nickel ones were 84 and older? and then in 85 they switched to a roller lifter, and switched metals?

 

[millhouse]

oh ok, So im guessing the high nickel ones were 84 and older? and then in 85 they switched to a roller lifter, and switched metals?

I wouldn’t worry about any nickel content difference. As far as I know…there have been no major studies that show much if any difference…and the little that they may have probably isn't enough to change the strength of the block greatly anyways. I'd venture to say the greatest reason for the extra strength would be from more meat in all the right places. If you look through the link that johndeerrm listed from turbomustangs, the differences are quite noticeable.

 

[Daggar]

Yeah... the way I understand it, the nickle content thing is something that some magazine eluded to once and was latched onto by everyone wanting to make 1.21 Giga-horsepower as cheaply as possible.

The mexican blocks will indeed handle a considerably larger amount of power than the non-mex blocks. The chances of finding one lying around in your run of the mill junk yard are very slim and getting slimmer every day.

This isn't something you can just bop down to your junk yard and pick up, in most cases. Junkers that know that they have them have already sold them for approx twice what they're worth.


Edit: In other words... they are fairly rare.

Daggs

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

oh yeah I know, Im going to look for one sunday at the picknpull, and if I find one ill get the thing. Just got to look for that little mexican stamp. Im still confused about the lifters, can I use stock lifters out of my car or do I have to get the linked ones? like on say a 90 block?

 

[millhouse]

oh yeah I know, Im going to look for one sunday at the picknpull, and if I find one ill get the thing. Just got to look for that little mexican stamp. Im still confused about the lifters, can I use stock lifters out of my car or do I have to get the linked ones? like on say a 90 block?

I'm not sure there are any Mexican blocks that are roller ready. To convert to a roller setup you'd have to either get a set of the mucho expensive linked lifters, drill & tap and convert to the stock dogbone/spider setup with a small base circle cam or just throw in hydraulic flat tappit lifters and cam and call it good.

 

[VG30DE]

who needs a mexican block??

We run mercury mountaineer blocks (97 up) and have reliably made 500+ at the wheels for a long time. I've built a bunch of em. My personal setup has 217 passes and over 12k miles on the street with mounty motor. Best power/value I've ever seen...

 

[millhouse]

who needs a mexican block??

We run mercury mountaineer blocks (97 up) and have reliably made 500+ at the wheels for a long time. I've built a bunch of em. My personal setup has 217 passes and over 12k miles on the street with mounty motor. Best power/value I've ever seen...

I'd venture to say that you are the exception...not the rule. I'd guess that for every mountaineer block that handles that abuse...there are many others that would split at 450 rwhp. I would not advise anyone to run a mountaineer block for a reliable 500 rwhp as it's the same block as the 5.0 mustangs. With that said, I'm running a mountaineer block and am probably pushing close to 500rwhp...although I have never made a dyno pull nor have I taken it down the track yet. I am by no means expecting it to handle long term punishment...so I see a dart block in my future.