Opinions on upgrading exhaust, radiator, fan and intake manifold

[Jake8]

Just found out some awful news about my baby. was suppose to be a easy fix new timing chain and cam shaft and I would have my baby back pushing over 500 horses! Although I got a phone call saying it was back together and the engine was shot, no idea how especially after they went through it and said it would be an easy fix.
Now to the real questions I have another engine but I am not sure about the exhaust, radiator, fan and intake manifold that are the best out there? I am looking for everyones opinion as to what is the best in each catergory?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kdubslugga]

Any aluminum radiator should be fine. As far as picking an intake and exhaust need some more info on the car/engine.

 

[Jake8]

Everything really depends on the next couple weeks with possibly receiving some funds to go into many directions. The problem is the shop that was working on my car never called to tell me anything and had a buddy who had a stock 5.0 who needed some quick cash so he bought that engine and told me he went through and put all new gaskets and took stuff from the "Bad Engine" and put it onto this other 40,000 mile engine and now it is all set and the car is gonna be fast as hell but just not a stroker. Said now I need to get a new radiator and a stock upper plenum. If this new engine is suppose to be as nice as he says it is I am gonna turn it into something nasty like my other engine. I am just stuck because I don't know what he put in this engine and I plan on keeping this car because it is a anniversary '89' and building it back up to what it was before. I am just figuring if I am gonna do it I should do it right from the start. So to be able to pick the car up from where it is 2 1/2 hrs away I can find some cheap used parts to just get it running and then start from home, "AGAIN!"

OR start off with good stuff from the get go and just keep adding and building on... I am completely heartbroken over this, really badly. I am not so much as worried about using big brand name stuff but what is the best stuff that has been tried anf true, if you catch my drift. I feel like a complete beginner right now...

For instance: "Fluidyne 2 row Radiator with an electric fan" or "Champion 2, 3, 4-row radiator" or just some aluminum Radiator will do.

Had Edelbrock intake manifold on my other engine but it was all worked out and won't work now because someone busted the back bolt holes and no one will weld it back together so I am out of that and now if I have to get Intake Manifold do I stick with the edelbrock and try to get the " II" or "Victor" or just the Cobra intake manifold...

I just feel vunerable to be honest and have lost ttrust in myself and I am looking to see what others say or think is the best bang for the buck ya know.

Thank you for replying back so quickly!! ~Jake

 

[FastDriver]

Jake, there is no best. Everything depends on the combination of parts. What works with a ported Victor Jrs. is not going to work with AFR165 or stock E7s.

It sounds like you have a bone stock 5.0 HO motor and you're looking for suggestions on simple modifications. Another important peice of information is your budget. If I were adding the parts you're asking about, I'd get pep-boys "be cool" aluminum radiator - they're cheap and work great. I'd get a set of 1 5/8" long tubes (BBK and MAC are good companies) with an O/R H pipe and a flowmaster 2-chamber mufflers or if you prefer a quieter exhaust then Dynomax Super-Turbo mufflers. I'd go with an SN95 electric fan or Taurus fan with an alternator upgrade (130amp).

Finally, if I'm right about you running stock heads and cam,I'd find an Edelbrock Performer, Cobra, GT40, or Explorer intake. Any of those match up very well and will give you lots of low-end torque, which is the "strong-point" if you can call it that, of the stock 5.0.

Good luck with your build.

 

[Jake8]

Thanks "Fast" for the info!
Ya I have no idea what I am working with and being as far away as I am from my car makes this so hard. I am not sure what I am dealing with as far as the engine goes and the shop is not making it easy for me to get info so I can make those right decisions. I def agree with you on everything you said and maybe just finding the parts needed to get it back here are worth buying used cheap "Filler" parts to get the car back and start all over again from scratch.

Then using this forum to help with suggestions and ideas for my new build which will be another stroker!! That is the actual real goal that I am reaching for to be honest. just getting the car back and seeing if the engine that I have now will be able to handle that process or what but I am not sure until it is in my hands and I can see everything.

What's the difference between long and short tube headers as far as horses/ torque, I know that each have there own advantages for sound and the said above. With that said I don't want to buy something now that won't be right for the "REAL" engine that will be in the car by summer time, wasting money now with buying parts for this engine that can not be re-used for the goal which is to have it back to being a "STROKER" again.

I just need to look at what is going to make everything work to get my baby back and start there. The "whole wrench" that got thrown in was my original engine being toasted which I find impossible, but thats what they said.

Thank you for the info and helping out!! ~J

 

[FastDriver]

Hang out on the website and read what other people are doing. Stroker motors do require different sized heads, headers, cam, etc... Buying the parts one at a time and adding them to a 302 will make performance increases, but they will not necessarily be optimal for a 302. I would recommend taking a look at the build that one of our members here, Nikwoac, is putting together. He's building up a stock bottom end 302 with parts that are sized for a future build. He has similar goals to yours, and he's pretty well-educated on 5.0s and the performance aftermarket. You would do well to take notes and apply them to your build, if you intend to build a 1st-rate stroker motor in the future.