Ford 302 Budget DIY Home Engine Rebuild Part 1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- Engine pull, teardown, and analysis of 1983 Ford 302 that was previously rebuilt 20 years and 200,000 miles ago. Had very low compression in Number 1 Cylinder caused by broken Compression Rings, ultimately caused by a carburetor failure dumping large amounts of fuel into the engine. Close inspection of the pistons revealed hairline cracks, and thus a new set of pistons. Cylinder walls were a bit wobbly and on the edge of being in spec, but doctored them up and proceeded with the rebuild.
Part 2 will show a budget valve job.
Good man!...I have a 302 in my living room..my wife would like it finished and back where it belongs..(73 maverick)...I appreciate you...
You better keep the Mrs happy. There's 6 parts to this video series. If on a budget (and who isn't) watch them all, follow my advice and you'll have a great running engine. Your tolerances will let you know if you can rebuild w/o machine work like boring it. If even one cylinder bore taper is too much and out of spec, you'll need to bore it, but if it has to go past .040 over stock, find another block. I built that engine 2 years ago and drive it every day. Just got back from an 800 mile round trip enjoying the AC I put in and the transmission I built, all with zero issues. The AC and Transmissions are also videos on my channel. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Let me know how it goes.
Really appreciate the video! Just bought an ‘86 F150 with a 302 in it, haven’t had a chance to actually look it over and determine if it will need a rebuild, this vid has given a great deal of insight before I start the inspection… also makes me want to find a junkyard I6 and just replace the whole unit, but lord knows the 300’s are hard to come by in my area.
Hi. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. That video is the first of a 6 part series that's also a playlist. I have numerous videos covering the fuel tanks, front brakes, coil, carb, radiator, etc. Hope you're also a new subscriber.
Congratulations on your new 86 F-150. I agree and honestly would rather have the straight six 300 which actually is a long stroke truck engine, and yes hard to find. While the 302 is a great engine, it's not a truck engine. I think Ford just put them to market them as a V8 truck. I'm hoping to do a 351 rebuild soon so the truck can tow better and pass when needed. It struggles otherwise.
Is there an advantage to replace a v8 with an inline 6? Rebuilding it would warrant a better outcome wouldn’t it?
@@joseespinoza93 For my particular situation, I have no idea if rebuilding the current engine will end up feasible. Currently don’t know the compression on the cylinders, (my gauge disappeared, along with my time for auto work haha), however I have suspicions it’s misfiring. Took apart the upper plenum and found build up entirely blocked off the EGR port haha. Oil pressure drops to zero and flutters once it’s warmed up…. Doesn’t make any rod knock, amazingly, but I don’t believe it’s just the oil pump. Engine’s got roughly 260k on it. If all that gives any idea why I’m considering simply replacing it hahaha.
Good stuff bro! You gave some good info! Looking to do this in the near future on my 78 Thunderbird.
Hi. Thanks. Glad you found the info useful. Have a whole series on this engine rebuild and will be doing more builds etc. I cover quite a few genres of DIY stuff including home and vintage electronics. It's fun to fix and improve. 78 Tbird sounds cool. I had a restoration shop at one time and did regular maintenance on one for a customer.
I would recommend purchasing a dial bore gauge and check all the cylinders for out of round and taper before you begin.
Hi. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I actually have a dial bore gauge, but it was in storage, so did this the old fashioned way with a ring checking end gap which let me know two cylinders were out of spec. Since this was a budget build/refresh with parts I mostly already had and wasn't going to bore it, and am going to build a bigger engine to replace it, I just wanted to show folks the basics. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and comment.
Good idea. But cost money.
I am very happy to see you using a 3 stone hone instead of that stupid ball hone, there is alot of power locked up in the stock heads, a paper roller will do wonders along with grinding out the big knob in the tops of the ex ports and put a 351 cam in it
Hi. Thanks again for commenting. Ya the ball hone is really only if you already have true cylinder walls. If they're tapered they'll just follow the contour. A good old school 3 stone will true up the walls or at least make them less bad if you can stop before you go too far and end up with too big of a ring end gap when hoping to just do a budget build and not bore it to the next increment.
I've built quite a few Olds motors, and grinding out the EGR bumps in the exhaust ports does make a noticeable difference.
Can you explain the paper roller?
@@joelmclaughlin2558 Its sandpaper rolled up in a spiral and you take a spike and jab the roll onto the end and use this on your die grinder
Great vid bud, im thinking of doing something similar on my 78 bronco. Old 302 is tired and needs a teardown, hopefully the block is still viable.
Hi. Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video and hope you found it useful. Watch all 6 parts of the series and you'll have a good foundation for doing your '78. Given the age and oils originally used, plan on replacing all moving parts. If the crank is out of spec and needs turning be very picky on who turns it. That's where all the oil pressure is made or lost based on main and rod bearing clearances. The most worn cylinder is the one that determines how far you have to bore it. First stop on the Bore Train is .020. Last stop is .060. You want to get off that train at .040, if you missed the first stop. ;-) Get with me for any questions along the way and I'll help you out.
Good stuff. I'm gonna start this same exact project since nobody can fix it that's near me
Hi Travis. Glad you found the info useful and thanks for commenting. Please subscribe if you haven't already. My channel is only 2 weeks old, so subscribers, views, and comments help me float to the top. Want to help as many folks as possible. I'm editing Parts 2 & 3 right now which will be doing the heads and building the bottom end and have them loaded by tomorrow. Built this engine back in June of this year (2022) and I drive it every day and occasionally pull a heavy trailer with it.
Ford had a buttload of cracked pistons in 5.0 engines back then. Replacement pistons and changing to a 351W firing order stopped it.
Hmm. I'm curious now. I'll have to look into that. Did the top end on a late 70's 188 Mercruiser years ago that used a different firing order (possibly 351). In fact whatever entity was involved in the Ford Mercruisers FoMoCo engine factory to boat journey sort of ground off the factory cast firing order on the intake. I do recall hand turning through the firing order to check TDC for each cylinder against valve timing and if memory serves, it did match the 351 firing order, so seems to me it would depend on the cam lobe phasing in accordance with piston position. A good friend has been building and racing Fords for over 40 years so I'll see what he has to say. Thanks for commenting and giving me something to think about.
@@mkdhdinfiniteendlessconten3873 I used to work at a boat company. The engines used in marrine applications are optimized for low end torque. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the firing order, cam lift and dwell were all different than the "automotive factory" block would suggest. It would be interesting to actually research the differences.
Cracked pistons was only in the early engines after they changed from the 289 to 302. Ford fixed the problem by around 1975.
@@haroldhenderson2824 they are different. But pistons still I found were cracked on early engines. Boat engines had special distributor that had a curve strictly for boats. Also were RPM limited.
@@jesse75 nope. I did plenty of them in the mid-late 80s
Great video. I'm perfoming the overhaul in my 302 engine. I have all things that i need with good quality, however the camshaft that i found to bought are enginetech and Melling parts. Are you could say me with your experience if this brand have good quality. I'm in Brazil so i need to import it. Thanks for your attention.
Hi, Wow, Brazil! Melling is a long time good name. Used many of their internal parts over the years. Engine Tech, probably mostly pumps/Accessories and made in China if I recall, so won't say much on that.
Check you Cam Lobes before you build to make sure there's about 0.003 taper across the high side of the Lobe. Check the bottom of the lifters to make sure they're crowned in the bottom center of the bottom. You can check with a straight edge or touch lifter bottoms to each other and they should not sit flat and rock a bit. Watch Uncle Tony's Garage TH-cam videos on Cams and you'll see. There's been a lot of QC issues in factories sending out new parts that are bad. Don't do his crazy reverse piston thing. That's for racing.
Make sure to properly lubricate all parts and use a High Zinc Oil like Shell Rotella or Valvoline Racing Oil to break it in. As soon as you break in the Cam on the first start running it at 2,000 RPM for 20 Minutes, change the oil and filter. First engine run scrapes a lot of metal loose into the system.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment and ask a question. I have a 6 part series on this engine build, and many more related engine videos that will help you greatly. Let me know if I can be of any more help. Thanks again.
Should this rebuild similar to the 85 5.0l. Fixing to disassemble mine
Hi. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Your 1985 302 is identical to this. I've got a whole 6 Part Series on the tear down and rebuild. Watch them all for helpful tips and tricks, especially on reassembly.
I was doing this as a budget rebuild and did not want to bore it any further as it was already bored 040 over 20 years ago the first time I rebuilt it. You'll probably have to go at least 020 over. Whatever the worst cylinder is determines how far you have to go. I wouldn't go anything over 040. Take a good look at the crank and closely check clearances. This is where all you oil pressure is either made or lost. If you already have good hot idling oil pressure (40psi or over, 20 psi min hot) and the crank isn't scratched you can probably just polish it like I did. Most shops over grind the cranks. If bearing clearances are over .002 you'll loose all kinds of oil pressure. Be very picky about the machine shop you choose. If there isn't a guy with gray hair running the shop, keep looking.
I drive this truck everyday on the rebuild I did over a year ago in this video series. I just did a 700 mile round trip to Florida in it. Gets about 16-17 mpg with 3:55 gears at 70 MPH. My 74 Cutlass with a 350 and a quadrajet actually gets better gas mileage.
I've got numerous videos on all aspects of the truck that will be helpful to you if it's a truck that you have the 302 in. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Thanks again for watching.
Piston smack was funny. Ty
Hi Tom. Thanks for watching till the end and enjoying my little closing schtick. I try to come up with some sort of cheesy tie into whatever the video was about in most of my closings to encourage likes/subscribes/comments/shares. Can't smash things in every one, but I'm wondering if based on views of the Ford 302 if people just like to see stuff get smashed lol. I did use a hammer in the closing of part 3 of the Retaining Wall video, but no random debris flying in that one. Anyhow, thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed.
@@mkdhdinfiniteendlessconten3873 I know Tractor rebuilds will jump your views way up. I have an old 55 IH 300 Utility that turns over but hasn't been started in 20 years. I put some tires on it and bought some parts for it. Then i bought a KW project and it had just been sitting.
i never bore more than needed if .010 will clear it up thats all i do. around here lots of people build 408 out of dodge 360 but you have to bore 040 i never do i leave bore as small as i can the difference in std and 040 in cubic inches will never be felt in the drivers seat
Hi. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Yes, .010 - .020 is as far as I generally want to go, and had to go out to .040 on this block when I first rebuilt it 20 years ago. Boring is just to true up the cylinders. Have to do a stroker kit for any significant CI increases. I'm wanting to either find a decent 302 block and build a stroker 347 or just build a good 351W for it.
You never said how you took the lifters out, there is a right way. I used to street race and rebuild small block FORDS all the time. I bought an engine site unseen hoping it was a good motor, it sure was, whoever built it used way to much blue silicone and plugged the oil pump inlet. The motor was like brand new.
Hi. Thanks for the comment and question. The lifters usually come right out with a magnet. Sometimes there's some varnish around the bottom and they'll get stuck and some needle nose vice grips gently grabbing the outer thickness of the lifter will get them the rest of the way. If it's a really nasty engine that I'm rebuilding and they're stuck I'll get them up as far as possible and after the cam and pistons are out I'll drive them out from underneath upside down with a brass drift and hammer.
Ya, Some folks can't resist using as much blue RTV as possible which seals nothing on an engine and gushes out and gets sucked into the oil pickup as you've seen. It actually broke the oil pump drive shaft it was so blocked and there was so much suction pressure.
Always buy a dirty engine out of a wrecked car. If it's dirty it's been running a long time. If the car is wrecked, that engine ran till impact. Don't buy a clean engine someone else built. I suppose now you know that.
got a quick question does the exhaust manifold used those donut gaskets cuz am having a leak there thankx
Hi. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. No Doughnut Gasket/Packing, at least not on the 80's factory setup. I'd have to look at some of my older Ford manifolds to make sure. Older GM used a doughnut. The Ford 80's exhaust is a Tapered Male into a Flared Female.
They will leak if not pulled up straight and tight and if the flange is out of round.
Loosen the flange and then get it to seat holding the pipe against the manifold by hand with one hand and alternating between the two nuts and even amount and getting them really tight.
Make sure the studs are not worn from heat/rust and put some silver Permatex Anti-Seize compound (it's a paste) on the threads. Ideally use Brass nuts.
@@mkdhdinfiniteendlessconten3873 ohh ok thankx alot ama check on that am traying to see if it has the o ring soo i can replaced….the truck its a 1978 f150 with a 302
I checked my manifold stash and I have a set of 66 Ford manifolds that do take the Doughnut, and a set of 79 that don't. So with yours a 78, it could go either way. You'll just have to check. They will also leak between the manifold and head which there are gaskets for. I also put a bead of orange high heat RTV around the ports too.
i just toke them off and the pasanger side had a doughnut gasket in bad shape and the driver side didnt have nothig at all n yes ama replace those gaskets and the manifolds and engine too
ok. That will quiet it down. Those donuts didn't even last long from the factory. Between engine torquing and the exhaust system moving around that junction acted like a ball joint. Once the hot exhaust gas flow under pressure passes over those donuts it erodes and eats right through them.
And why does the 302 crack skirts on cast pistons and the 289 and 351 does not?
Hi. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Not sure, but it seems to be a thing. I've done several 302's and they all did it. If I recall, it's the skirt on the bottom/outer half of the piston.
@@mkdhdinfiniteendlessconten3873 Its because of a bad rod ratio in a very short block, the rod is almost sideways at the pistons halfway point, the 289 is bad enough and the 351 has a taller block
289 used the same piston as 302 , but the longer rod of the 289 kept the piston up in the cylinder for more stability. Less rocking of piston in bore.
351 has almost a 6 inch rod. Pistons are different. Made stronger. But I have seen a 69 and 70 piston with high mileage crack.
I wouldn't waste time with a 302 if a 351 will fit.
Hi Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
Agreed on the 351. I'm looking for a complete 351W with brackets to rebuild for it now. 302's are for Mustangs. The 302 struggles towing and hauling. The 300 straight 6 does better and uses less gas.
It's a fun truck that I've had since '91. It even survived a 100 year old oak tree falling slowly on it during a hurricane, but not w/o blowing out the windshield and other damage to easily replaceable panels.
Needed it going quick and cheap, and wanted to start my channel so it was a good way to launch my channel and get rolling.
Anyhow, I'll be doing a series on the 351 and some updates on the truck fixup and mods.
You can not budget build any Windsor family engine from Ford. These engines are notorious for eating crankshafts and valve guides, and cracking pistons. You'll have a fortune in just making it the piece of junk you started with.
Hi. Thanks for watching and takin the time to comment. I'll agree on the cracking pistons. Haven't really seen that in other engines except the 302/351. Otherwise though, I built this same engine 20 years and 200,000 miles ago, which is pretty good. The carb power valve failure is essentially what killed it. If you watch Part 3 of my 6 Part Series on this engine where I build the bottom end, the crank journals are exactly the same as they were 20 years ago, both mains and rods which is pretty amazing.
I've got about 20,000 miles on this rebuild, drive it every day, take it on long road trips, and it barely uses 1/2 quart every 2,000 miles, so pretty good for not boring it out and budget building it.
I actually prefer the Ford 300 Straight Six in a truck. The 302 really has no business in a truck. Oldsmobiles 350, 425's and 455's are my lifelong favorite and specialty. What's your favorite engine?
Waste time to fix it
Oh, I don't know. I've had the truck for over 30 years, enjoy doing this, and made a video the point of which is "DIY Budget Rebuild" with over 3,000 views and the rest in the series that's helped a lot of people. I'm very resourceful so was able to barter and trade some parts and had other NOS Parts, really only paying for a new cam/lifters and gaskets, so for under $500 I've been driving it every day for 9 months and over 20,000 miles, it hauls all kinds of stuff, people always want to buy it, it's fun to drive, and I'll be swapping out body panels I've had stashed for years, and painting it. Quite a good use of my time.