1978 project motor help

logan78 · May 11, 2009

hey i recently got a hold of my dads old 78 ford and im restoring it for him i have got must of the body work done and now its time to build the motor and i dont know much about motors i want to have atleast 400 hp what size motor do i need i have a 302 block already how much hp could i get out of it.........,i need some help guys

bronc76 · May 11, 2009

depending on your budget and horsepower = $$$, you might want to check out edelbrock, holley, crane, competition cams to look at various cams, heads,intakes, and carbs to what you want to achieve. you can probably squeeze out 300-350 hp out of the 302 and more out of a 351W. but since you already have a block why not just start with that? theres nothing wrong with the 302. (i have two of them) You can always look at a dual carb and intake setup too. another thing you might want to think about is to build up the tranny to handle the extra hp and torque. hope this helps a little. keep us posted.

rednck7736 · May 11, 2009

I have had a 302 that made 400hp.With a little head work alum in take and the right cam.It sounded like a race car.But I didnt build it.I wood go nothing smaller than a 351w.It will fit in and hook up to all your acceries.But since you have a 302 already.That is one less cost and you can speed that money somewhere else in your project.People make good horse power out of the 302 and it will run rev quick.

logan78 · May 12, 2009

thanks alot guys.............. i wanted to put a 351 in but i just got done rebuilding a c6 tranny to go in it and i didnt think the 351w would bolt up to it and i cant find a 351 cleveland anywhere so im probably gonna use the 302 block what should i do to it to get max hp and tq out of it ......budget is not a problem im whilling to spend whatever it takes

bronc76 · May 14, 2009

the C6 tranny was offered in two bolt patterns that will work on either small or big blocks. to get max hp, you would want an aggressive cam, heads, exhaust,carb, and intake (look up comp cams). just make sure that you choose the right combination of components

rednck7736 · Jun 3, 2009

Bronc76 is right.Make sure that all the parts match.They will work a lot better that way.Several companies like holley and edlebrock offer top end kits that will give 300 up to 500 hp out of the box depending on the motor.If your c-6 cam off the 302 it will bolt righ tup to a 351w.If ou build the 351w you want have the weight issue or the oiling and cooling issues that you run into with the 351c ,351m and the 400.

mgawat · Jun 3, 2009

Rickey said:
Bronc76 is right.Make sure that all the parts match.They will work a lot better that way.Several companies like holley and edlebrock offer top end kits that will give 300 up to 500 hp out of the box depending on the motor.If your c-6 cam off the 302 it will bolt righ tup to a 351w.If ou build the 351w you want have the weight issue or the oiling and cooling issues that you run into with the 351c ,351m and the 400.

If your c-6 cam off the 302 it will bolt righ tup to a 351w.

I recommend not using a small block but go to a 460 with a 5speed ZF ttanny...just my opinion.