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    Which 302 block is best ?

    I have a few pictures of an actual Mexican block for comparison. IME, absent endurance applications, a normal vintage 289/302 block is good for 450-500hp; obviously, that's an optimized situation, with everything being built to that level. Front view Crankcase front Crankcase rear Crankcase...
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    Rack and Pinion Options

    That can be true and is adjusted by both the length of the rack as well as the distance from the spindle steering attachment point to the spindle centerline. I purposely lengthened the latter to lessen the effects of steering inputs since the car was used mainly for going in straight lines. The...
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    Edelbrock E Street Heads - Any thoughts?

    When I installed the RPM heads on my W, I bought the complete heads and used them as is with a SVO A333 solid lifter camshaft. Those heads have a single spring with damper. Only change was adding 7/16" ARP studs for the roller rockers. Engine saw 7000-7500 rpm regularly at the track. No issues...
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    Edelbrock E Street Heads - Any thoughts?

    Those Speed Pro pistons are an exact duplicate of the TRW's I put in my first SBF 33 years ago. Never a peep. When you make changes like that, you'll of course have to balance the rotating assembly. BTW, I'm curious.... someone had mentioned the Perf RPM's as an option. Mine have a crossover...
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    351W question

    Here's a picture set for a little Ford diesel, which has the two piece rear main. They pulled the crank, but, in the car, you can loosen the main caps and let the crank drop slightly. If you loosen the torque converter nuts (assuming automatic), gravity will let the crank drop enough to work...
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    oil pressure problems

    OP, could you put some numbers to this? Install a known-good mechanical gauge which reads in PSI and get us some numbers.... It's normal for most engines to have lower oil pressure at idle and then for the pressure to rise as rpm rises, to the point where the pressure relief kicks in. Oil pumps...
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    replace valve springs no cutting

    IIRC, the only time I've cut spring seats were on the early heads for a larger diameter (1.625") spring package for racing. There's a combo tool that goes in the mill which cuts the seat and guide in one operation for the smaller diameter valve stem seal which is needed when running multiple...
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    351W question

    In car, the two piece replacement is a little more complex, especially if it is the traditional rope seal. If changing over to the neoprene seal, there is a retention pin which needs to be removed from the main cap, as well as the customary light loosening of main caps to permit some minor...
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    Edelbrock E Street Heads - Any thoughts?

    True flat-tops (the OEM pistons have a slight depression in the middle, in addition to the valve reliefs) should yield between 10 and 10.5:1 CR with the early iron heads. With the larger heads, 9.3-9.5 or so. Good for street use. This assumes no other modifications, like deck removal and/or head...
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    Edelbrock E Street Heads - Any thoughts?

    If you're rebuilding the engine and using the 60cc chamber heads and want to grow the combo, I'd suggest a flat-top piston to compensate for the larger chamber, assuming the current heads are the 54-56cc OEM iron heads. Personally, I would not re-use OEM pistons, even if the block could be...
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    Should I buy this car?

    Offer him 8K and see what he says. Unless the car is turn-key and in real good unrestored condition, I'd say his number is high for an inliner 'vert, even with the conversion. An inoperative 'tach' (speedometer, I'm assuming) and a damaged convertible top can just be the tip of the iceberg of...
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    Help carb suggestions 65 289

    Holley 500cfm 2V's can be had pretty cheap on eBay so that might be a worthwhile experiment. That's about the same total airflow as my 4100 but the larger venturis and throttle blades on the Holley will cause some suffering of low rpm torque response, especially if the car has an automatic and...
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    Edelbrock E Street Heads - Any thoughts?

    What's the short block condition? Application? Trans type and setup? Rear gearing? Do you want to grow this combo in the future? Those look like a nice mild head, not much different than the C9 casting W heads I used to prep for the street. They worked pretty good. Only drawback for a 289 is...
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    Cam change Questions

    If the engine is going to be rebuilt and is coming completely apart, have the cam bearings replaced. The thrust plate (there is no thrust bearing in an OEM 289) can be reused if not obviously worn (it should feel smooth to the touch) but I would (and do) replace the attachment bolts. Same for...
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    Rack and Pinion Options

    Back when the race car was relatively stock chassied (front half), we put a Pinto R/P in it. The early flex-shaft version. It's worked fine all these years. I wouldn't do it on a street car simply because of the liability. I'm glad those companies providing the aftermarket units have lots of...
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    C4 kick down issue

    OP, do you have a green dot C4 or a later (67-up IIRC) version?
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    Help carb suggestions 65 289

    I have a bone stock D-code 289 in my 64.5 and found the Cobra intake and the 4100 Autolite carburetor work really well with the automatic and OEM gearing. The Cobra intake is a timeless dual-plane design and the 4100, although not very tuneable (compared to a Holley or Edelbrock), is dead...
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    PRIMING THE OIL PUMP & ENGINE

    OP, normally, on performance builds, the three oil galleries are threaded (it's really easy to do when the block is bare) and use screw-in plugs. Examine your gallery ends for evidence of threads. They may be recessed. If no threads, use the supplied soft-plugs. I prefer to Loctite them in, but...
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