Head gasket went out time to build!

mikemounlio · Nov 28, 2014

So the head gasket has been slowly getting worse. Today i said enough and parked the buggy. It needs some tlc before its to late.

Since i will have the heads off i thought now would be a great time to do some building.

as of now its a stock 5.0 from a mustang gt 92ish (roller motor)

The plan is gt40 heads, e303 cam, and all the basic stuff to get it back to perfect.

What kinda power gain could i see from the gt40 heads and e303 cam?

I am going to turbo the motor but i will worry about that a bit later. I am just gonna do an ebay turbo kit for now.

Dirty_Stroke · Nov 28, 2014

I can't speak actual power numbers but I had a buddy with an e303 cam and stock heads and it was a very stout little motor. It will be very torquey down low and in the mid range. I know the GT40 heads will only amplify the gains.

wannabe · Nov 28, 2014

If your dead set on that eBay **** atleast get a quality waste gate and blow off valve.

mikemounlio · Nov 28, 2014

nothing is dead set yet! I do want to turbo it. I also want to put better heads and a cam in it. Im not afraid of putting money into it. I want the motor to be strong but sound good. The buggy does great and i want it to look great and sound great.

I only say the e303 cam because i have heard that its a good cam to run with propane

Elliott · Nov 29, 2014

don't just throw an off the shelf cam in it if your going to turbo it, you need a cam ground for boost. My brother has a 32 coupe with an 8:71 on it that we ran 16 lbs of boost on it, we had a full on race roller cam in it that we swapped out for a smaller cam that was ground for the blower and the boost we were running, and you could not believe the difference, if you are going to a turbo then build it for the turbo. Im not a ford guy but I would just swap in a Windsor and get some real grunt, the last mustang I had Had the setup you talking about and I was not really impressed with the bottom end of a E303 cam, It sounded good but If you hooked it up it didn't have much low end grunt

wimpykid · Nov 29, 2014

I agree Piper and Elliott, just go ahead with doing turbo now with stock heads and all. I haven't done it, but a buddy that has built plenty of Ford race engines said that was quick and easy power. Correct cam will be the ticket for keeping your low end.

mikemounlio · Nov 29, 2014

Any ideas of a great cam to work well with a turbo setup? This will be my 1st turbo build so I'm going to guess it won't be perfect. I was going to do the cam and heads to help out in the power department due to my turbo setup most likely not being the best.

Still lots of research to be done before I start buying stuff tho.

rpf500 · Nov 29, 2014

Are you swapping axles? Motor plans sound great but not sure axles will hold it. 8.8 and 44 if I remember correctly.

muddinmetal · Nov 29, 2014

Big cams that "sound good" ain't worth a **** for crawling unless you have a lot of gear or cubic inches. You can put $3000 into a 302 and not make as much power as a 6.0 LS with $500 put into it :****:

infamous1 · Nov 29, 2014

Re:

An e303 is not a "big cam"

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Dirty_Stroke · Nov 29, 2014

muddinmetal said:
Big cams that "sound good" ain't worth a **** for crawling unless you have a lot of gear or cubic inches. You can put $3000 into a 302 and not make as much power as a 6.0 LS with $500 put into it :****:

Hell I would hope so! It's got a whole liter larger displacement! Damn ford nazis never compare even. Cubic inch for cubic inch a ford engine will make more power :dblthumb:

Add in the initial cost of a 6.0 LS vs an initial cost of a 302. I've had people literally GIVE me a 302 before. People think LS motors are made of gold.

Elliott · Nov 29, 2014

Y'all are on the same crack that dynamite design is on.

twizt3dfuc · Nov 29, 2014

Re: Re: Re: Head gasket went out time to build!

Dirty_Stroke said:
Hell I would hope so! It's got a whole liter larger displacement! Damn ford nazis never compare even. Cubic inch for cubic inch a ford engine will make more power

Add in the initial cost of a 6.0 LS vs an initial cost of a 302. I've had people literally GIVE me a 302 before. People think LS motors are made of gold.

Aren't they made out of gold?

Elliott · Nov 29, 2014

Sbf heads have ports the size of a leprechauns butt hole. It's pretty amazing that they make the little power that they do.

TheViking · Nov 30, 2014

Re: Re: Re: Head gasket went out time to build!

Dirty_Stroke said:
Hell I would hope so! It's got a whole liter larger displacement! Damn ford nazis never compare even. Cubic inch for cubic inch a ford engine will make more power

Add in the initial cost of a 6.0 LS vs an initial cost of a 302. I've had people literally GIVE me a 302 before. People think LS motors are made of gold.

X2

Rockwells607 · Nov 30, 2014

I have an explorer 5.0 witch has the gt40 P heads, e303 cam , ford racing pushrods and a dual plain intake and headers , very reliable decent powered motor, I had it in my rockwelled wrangler, just took it out and put it in my wife's Buggys, it's not an animal but no slouch either, never runs hots and always starts, also on propane, very good motor for the money I actually have into it, I choose the E cam because the torque and power curve was off 1500rpm or so witch was the best suited for offroad of the ford Racing cams in my opinion , works great

mikemounlio · Dec 1, 2014

I don't care about LS motors at this time! WHY? because i have a 302 in the buggy already. The 302 is so cheap to replace if i ever need to. It has enough power for my buggy already so a bit more is simply perfect. To swap to an LS motor would be way more money then it would take for me to very mildly build two 302 motors. 0% chance i will switch to an LS at this point. In my next buggy i might go with an LS not this one.

I have to pull the heads to replace the gaskets anyway. While im in there i might as well add a few goodies. Cam, Lifters, Push rods, GT40p Heads, Springs, use my connections at one of the best head porting shops ever to setup the head for me for freeish, im already running propane so a simple cheap turbo setup would be cool and easy as well.

Again im not looking for top HP numbers. I am looking to make the buggy my own.

Rockwells607 i like the sound of your build. That is the direction i want to go. Would you change anything about your setup?

Rockwells607 · Dec 1, 2014

Bang for the buck , NO I wouldn't change but the P heads have angled spark plugs so shorty mustang headers need to be dented in a good bit on two cylinders to clear the plug boots, there's a couple Companies making shorty headers for the P head, other than that I love that little motor

mikemounlio · Dec 1, 2014

rednecklights given the amout of motors that you have done how would you build the 302 if you were me? My key points i want it to sound good and still add some power. I want a turbo setup simply to have one. The cam is not a must have but would be nice.

Give me your opinions or ideas.

pushrod-racing · Dec 1, 2014

I made 21 more hp with a tfs2000 camshaft over a motorsports e cam when I ran gt40p heads. and as far as denting the headers, if you order a well know set that doesn't have to be done. I made 318rwhp and almost 340rwtq with a stock roller short block, tfs camshaft, edelbrock performer intake( im sure exploder been close to same numbers), 70mm tb and 75mm mass air with 24lb injectors. those numbers where thru an aode overdrive transmission. you find a good person that knows there stuff to tune it for you, its amazing how much power is hidden in the ecu alone.