Anyone using a Ford Racing Crate motor?

N

Nobody

Founding Member
May 9, 2000
2,515
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Kenmore, WA
#1
This looks like a really reasonable route for time and money. I am considering getting the x303 head 5.0L crate motor, swap the cam out for a Crane 2031 or Steeda #19 and transfer my stock Cobra intake to it. Supposedly, it should be good for about 300 to the wheels for about $3,300.

Is there any compelling reason not to go this route? My only reservation is the need to swap the cam and the heads are not AFR's. Is there a better head/cam route that is in the same price range?

Thanks,
Gabe
 

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#3
i have the 340bhp 302 w/ the ecam. its ok, i have beat the hell out of it. its not the fastest crate out there (esp.for the money) but it works. when i say i have beat on the engine i mean it. everytime i drive it the pedal goes to the floor, i have over revved it, ran it hard on bad tunes and it still keeps comming back for more. i am impressed that it has lasted this long. most of my mods are in my sig, if i could have done it again i would have gone with a gt40 intake but i plan on doing something wih my heads so i went with trick flow so i had room to grow or i would have gone elsewhere for the motor like suggested above. fyi i got the engine from jenell/genell? ford for $3k, you have to switch some parts over including the oil pan and some front end accessories-it comes with explorer parts. you are right on with swapping the cam, do not use the e cam. my computer hates it. after running hard and comming to a stop my engine always wants to cut out and die. i have to rev it to keep it alive. the e cams drivability with my computer sucks, getting cought in traffic is the worst. it just wants to stall so i end up burning my clutch up to keep it running. i have heard great things about the steeda #19 cam. if you dont choose to swap the stick then get some kind of piggy back computer. do not count on a chip to solve your problems, its a waste of money. i am looking at the Tweecer rt and PMS.
good luck pal,
you can take my suggestions seriously everything i have said above is true please add my thoughts to the overall game plan you have with your mustang. PM me with any further questions, i do not mind answering them at all.
-fawcett
 
#5
i dont know about those crate motors....

my freind has an 90 fox with 3.08 gears, 24lb inj's, and the 340hp versionwhen i had iron gt40's and explorer intake with stock 2.73s he could not beat me.

i went 13.8@103 and he went like 14.1 @ 99 or something like that. on the street he couldnt beat me either


One of my other freinds who is a big mustang guy and a ford tech told me that while at UTI they dynoed a 34 horse version......and the results were nowhere near that:nono:
 
#9
Buying a crate motor and then swapping the heads and cam defeats the purpose of buying a crate motor (which is to get an easy drop in motor with factory seals). But you will be doing nearly the same work as if you bought a long block, and paying more to boot.

If I were you, I would take a look at Coast High Performance. You will make a whole chunck more power, have aliminum heads and whatever cam you like, a solid bottem end, hell you could even go stroker. All that for bout the same as you are looking to spend now. Oh ya, don't forget that with a CHP setup you will be all set for boost.
 
#11
I'm with the others on the alphabet cams. Steer away. My '95 reacted to it similar to Fawcett's.


And my opinion on the crate engine thing goes right along with Grady & Brad's. CHP or DSS is the best bet. Or if you have down time and want to build it a little cheaper, you can even use your stock block to build your own stroker.
 
#13
fawcett said:
i have the 340bhp 302 w/ the ecam. its ok, i have beat the hell out of it. its not the fastest crate out there (esp.for the money) but it works. when i say i have beat on the engine i mean it. everytime i drive it the pedal goes to the floor, i have over revved it, ran it hard on bad tunes and it still keeps comming back for more. i am impressed that it has lasted this long. most of my mods are in my sig, if i could have done it again i would have gone with a gt40 intake but i plan on doing something wih my heads so i went with trick flow so i had room to grow or i would have gone elsewhere for the motor like suggested above. fyi i got the engine from jenell/genell? ford for $3k, you have to switch some parts over including the oil pan and some front end accessories-it comes with explorer parts. you are right on with swapping the cam, do not use the e cam. my computer hates it. after running hard and comming to a stop my engine always wants to cut out and die. i have to rev it to keep it alive. the e cams drivability with my computer sucks, getting cought in traffic is the worst. it just wants to stall so i end up burning my clutch up to keep it running. i have heard great things about the steeda #19 cam. if you dont choose to swap the stick then get some kind of piggy back computer. do not count on a chip to solve your problems, its a waste of money. i am looking at the Tweecer rt and PMS.
good luck pal,
you can take my suggestions seriously everything i have said above is true please add my thoughts to the overall game plan you have with your mustang. PM me with any further questions, i do not mind answering them at all.
-fawcett
Click to expand...

That is a great reply fawcett. Thanks for taking the time to give the details. Your experience is a rundown of all my concerns. You rock. :nice:
 
#14
GRGT1994 said:
Buying a crate motor and then swapping the heads and cam defeats the purpose of buying a crate motor (which is to get an easy drop in motor with factory seals). But you will be doing nearly the same work as if you bought a long block, and paying more to boot.

If I were you, I would take a look at Coast High Performance. You will make a whole chunck more power, have aliminum heads and whatever cam you like, a solid bottem end, hell you could even go stroker. All that for bout the same as you are looking to spend now. Oh ya, don't forget that with a CHP setup you will be all set for boost.
Click to expand...


what he said.
 
#16
ive done it, idle is set at like 1100rpms, iac is set as good as it gets, i have tuned that thing for such a long time. i got a iac restrictor plate from RC, its going on soon and from others experiences i expect to get some great drivability improvements. like i said before, our 94-95 computers hate frpp's alphabet cams and most other off the shelf cams. look at steeda's #19 cam or something similar to it otherwise you will need some sort of a piggy back computer system.
good luck with your shopping
-fawcett
 
#17
Right now its only 461 @ 4800 because we had to shut it down when the air/fuel went from 10.5 to 13.6:eek: at 4800. Like an idiot I didn't want to use to t-rex pump because I had a 255lph fuel pump. Boy was I wrong and right before fun ford to so I have to get a move on it.
 
#18
I had the 345hp version in my old car. Had the X heads and b cam of course. We swapped the rockers out for some 1.72's and that was it. I got the motor for a steal used (1k, with about 5k miles on it)

Even though most people on here will want you to believe you cant run good times with this motor, dont listen to them. I went 12.7@ 107 with a 1.702 60ft, best trap of 109.99. Looking around here it was faster then most of the high dollar combos.

I had the usual bolt ons, shorty headers, x pipe, catback, 70mm tbody, typhoon intake mani, 3.90 gears, 17" DR's and so on.
 
#19
yellow1995Cobra said:
I had the 345hp version in my old car. Had the X heads and b cam of course. We swapped the rockers out for some 1.72's and that was it. I got the motor for a steal used (1k, with about 5k miles on it)

Even though most people on here will want you to believe you cant run good times with this motor, dont listen to them. I went 12.7@ 107 with a 1.702 60ft, best trap of 109.99. Looking around here it was faster then most of the high dollar combos.

I had the usual bolt ons, shorty headers, x pipe, catback, 70mm tbody, typhoon intake mani, 3.90 gears, 17" DR's and so on.
Click to expand...

Wow those are some awesome results. Did you do any ECU tuning? THis was in a '95 Cobra right?
 
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