Re: 302 marine conversion
Glad your project has come together so nicely for you and I wish you many happy years of fun and safe boating!
Nice work, looks very good.
I just wanted to say that I see a lot of conflicting info on Ford motors in this thread, I can almost hear the Chevy guys snickering...
A few basics regarding 302/5.0 351w/5.8...
As far as interchangeable parts between the 302 and 351 Windsor...
Timing cover and water pump. Keep in mind Ford made many variations over the years from cast iron and aluminum water pumps of different designs to timing covers with and without mechanical fuel pump mounting. Match your pump to the timing cover and remember water pumps are available in standard rotation and reverse, (serpentine belt driven), rotation. Harmonic balancer and pulley combinations need to align as well. The 1994-1995 5.0 Mustang and 1996-2000 Explorer 5.0 use a completely redesigned timing cover, each has the same design R.R. water pump but with different hubs/shafts for pulley/fan/viscous drive mount. This combination with the correct harmonic balancer makes a 302 that is 1.75" shorter in overall length, great when space is tight. The balancer for these applications have the serpentine pulley integrated into them and also have the 36-1 trigger wheel attached, all very compact.
302 and 351 were originally both 28 oz imbalance which means the flywheels and harmonic balancers were interchangeable, however the proper selection of diameter, 157 or 164 tooth count etc must be observed per application, but somewhere around mid 1980 model year or so Ford changed the 302 crankshaft to a 50 oz imbalance so not only did that put an end to swapping between 302 and 351 balancer and flywheel it also means you have to be careful not to mix early and late 302 balancers, cranks and flywheels. Of course the crank is not interchangeable between 302 and 351.
Heads, while technically they can be interchanged the 302 heads are drilled for 7/16" head bolts, 351 are 1/2". Of course the 302 heads can be drilled for 1/2" and you can buy special washers to allow use of 351 heads on the 302 with 7/16" bolts, this is what is done in the case of most aftermarket heads which are drilled for 1/2" bolts, rather than make two versions.
Of course head swapping involves much more than bolt size, you will need to consider combustion chamber size for your intended purpose as well. Valve covers of course bolt up, again height/clearance considerations depending on valve train pieces used.
A note about GT-40 factory cast iron heads... These were found on ALL First Gen Lightning 351w motors 1993 to 1995 and are for 1/2" bolts. Identified by the III bars cast into the ends and GT on the corner by the valve cover. Best factory head for the SBF ever. They were also found on similar years of Cobra Mustangs with 7/16" bolt holes and on EARLY Explorer 5.0, '96-'97, (and Mountaineer '97 only I believe), again 7/16' B.H. Later Explorers had GT-40 P heads, identified by the IIII bars cast into the ends and GT on the corner by the valve cover. These had slightly smaller valves as well as a slightly straighter plug angle but more compression due to the smaller chambers .
Intake manifold, oil pan and DISTRIBUTOR are NOT compatible between 302 and 351 I see ebay ads all the time selling distributors as "302 and 351", don't believe it! The blocks have a different deck height due to the 1/2" longer stroke of the 351 so the shaft length is different, besides Ford felt the need to beef up the shaft for the 351 so it is also larger diameter.
Cams... 302 became steel roller cam and lifters around '85, maybe a bit earlier and adopted the 351w firing order at the same time ONLY ON H.O or High Output motors. As far as I know Ford never produced a Factory powered 351w with roller cam and lifters although late '93 and newer F4TE blocks are "roller ready" meaning they have the taller lifter bosses to accept roller lifters and have the drilled and tapped bosses in the lifter valley for the "spider" hold down bolts. The First Gen Lightning crowd commonly swap out the wimpy stock flat tappet cam for a much better performing roller cam setup. The Cobra R 351 Mustang MAY have been equipped from the factory with the roller cam and lifters but they produced I believe only 200 for the mid '95 model year.
Timing chain/gears are the same but be aware with 302 around 1980 that some sets are marked/aligned differently.
Although the Explorer GT-40 5.0 is essentially an H.O. motor, (roller cam with 351 firing order), for some reason Ford decided not to equip them with the double row roller chain and sprockets... hmmmm. easy swap though.
I'm sure I have left out a few details here but for those who care there is my 2 cents worth...
P.S. The whole 351 Cleveland thing is another can of worms by itself... Great motors though... and not all 351C's were "BOSS"
Some were 2 bbl. The 4bbl closed chamber heads are what made those motors scream...
Mike
