R.I.P. to my 302 - What should I do now?

[dagoof]

If your carb setup works well I would just stick with the carb, I like EFI alot but I think for the initial cost (money and time) of putting it all together a carb would be the cheaper and simpler set up. When I do my 302 swap (soon!) I think I am going to a carb...from EFI


On the overheating issue It might have something cloging the cooling system and I would highly recomend using fel-pro gaskets when you go to put it back together

I am planning on sticking with a carb. I like the simplicity, and it looks cleaner. I like the old muscle car thing.

You might be right about the cooling system being clogged. Something definitely has not been right with it.

I did use fel-pro gaskets. Pictures are on their way.

 

[dagoof]

Okay. The autopsy is mostly complete now.

I pulled the intake.

And the gallery looks pretty clean.

The intake had signs of antifreeze, so I'm assuming that I didn't spring a leak in six of eight cylinders, but I sprung one big leak and the vacuum pulled the coolant up into the intake and then into the other cylinders.

 

[dagoof]

So we pulled the passenger side head.

Anything wrong with this picture?







Look closely.

Not good.

 

[r1hatman]

Yikes!!!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Did it fail in the same place as last time?

 

[bobbywalter]

better have it looked at.


good time to start hunting up a 96 351

 

[dagoof]

Did it fail in the same place as last time?

It never failed completely the last time.

The last time this engine started burping into the cooling system, so I pulled the heads and replaced the gaskets. The gaskets were still intact, and it was a little hard to tell, but it looked like it had been blowing past on the same passenger side.

My current theory is that the block may have been machined wrong. I think the middle two cylinders might be too close together causing the head gasket to hang over by just a hair. That would explain why it's been pumping compression gasses under the head gasket and into the coolant system until the entire gasket finally gave way. I think that the cylinder might have been damaged by getting water into it. I never did find any pieces.

Needless to say, I don't trust this block any more.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It doesn't look that far off from the next one in the pics, but the fire rings on the headgasket look a lot farther apart... that could be the gasket shifted when the head was pulled or after it failed too.

 

[dagoof]

better have it looked at.


good time to start hunting up a 96 351

A 351 has a taller deck height, meaning that I would have to re-do all of my leg work to make sure that everything fit and works out. Also, if I switch to a 351, I can't re-use my intake manifold, and some of the other stuff.

Nah, If I rebuild this ranger, it will be with a 347 stroker. That way I'll have the same size block, with more displacement and more TORQUE.

You can get close to 400 HP and 400 ft/lbs out of a well built 347. That should be good enough for me.

 

[feellnfroggy]

Im thinkin the head bolts were tightened in the wrong order, from outside in instead of inside out maybe?

 

[dagoof]

Im thinkin the head bolts were tightened in the wrong order, from outside in instead of inside out maybe?

It looks that way, but I know they were done right.

We took special care when doing the head gaskets a year ago.

My dad helped out, and he's been doing engines longer than.......
.........a long time.

 

[bobbywalter]

the looks of the pic may be decieving, but the block looks worked to me where it blew and lends possibility to being out of square or the head is a lil wobbly. possibly simple had a bad fastener or two as well....happens.

strokers are fun, and 400 hp is pretty easy. 400 daily driver power is pleasant with fuel injection though.

freshen the heads and some match/cleanup grindin maybe if your bored, and go a bit more conservative shooting for 330-350 hp and i think it will last longer and be easier all the way around on your wallet.

easy and fun can be friends too

 

[baddad457]

Just me, but I'd also be suspicious of those POS (Print-O seal)head gaskets. They don't have a good track record. I only use the O.E type expanded graphite Felpros now

 

[bobbywalter]

Just me, but I'd also be suspicious of those POS (Print-O seal)head gaskets. They don't have a good track record. I only use the O.E type expanded graphite Felpros now

good luck with the reinze products here

 

[bigmike]

When you had your block machined last time did they deck it? I don't know much about machining engines but it may just be lower than the rest of the engine, and if thats lower it wouldn seal as well in that spot.But if it was decked it would be level. It might be a warped head too. You might try taking some thing with a strait edge and seeing if it will lay flat across the block then seeing if the head is strait too.

good luck, hope you can find a simple solution