Why pick the 302 engine?
The 302 is actually a pretty small V8 width wise, about 18". Other engines are quite a bit larger, the 4.6L V8 which is a whopping
30" WIDE (SOHC, the DOHC is even wider) and it's also a great deal taller than a 302. The 5.7L V8 is very similar to the 4.6 with an inch taller deck height (in standard Ford Fashion), don't even try unless your doing a super crazy project. The Chevy 350 is about 20" wide. The 5.0 Ford V8 is the fuel injected version of the 302, essentially the same engine, but there is a different firing order. I'll try and find a 351W measurement at some point. All measurements stated above are from the outside of each of the valve covers, not including headers or manifolds.
What is involved in getting the engine to fit?
One thing that is just about unavoidable is to cut into the
airbox. This
WILL interfere with the valve cover of the 302, more so with any other engine.
The firewall will have to be bent a little (I used a truck bellhousing, which is larger than a car bellhousing, more explained later). It is possible to get away with just bending the seam around the bellhousing area flat against the cab. Unfortunately for me, I was not so lucky. I used James Duff's Headers for the 302/Ranger combination and had to seriously bend my floor pan in order for it to fit the headers:
2/10/06 - A body lift will signifigantly help with the clearances underneth, even as little as 1". I forgot to include this because my mounts are currently caving in on themselves and I never looked into it because it was simply not a safe option for me. Hockey pucks supposedly work well, but in certain instances I'm told they will rot, other times, I'm told they hold up for years of abuse. They're cheap at around $1 per puck. New bolts will be required and are pretty much only available at a specialty fastener retailer due to length requirements. 3" is the maximum legal limit for a body lift in Michigan.
*due to conflicting information, I have not included what OEM headers/manifolds will fit. I plan to include this in a week or 2.
What kind of radiator to use?
The stock radiator will not fit. Hands down. Even if you did somehow rig it to fit, it does not have the cooling capacity needed for the 302. There are probably quite a few radiators that will fit so long as they're 3 or 4 core. You will have to mount the radiator under the
grill support.
This is why. Note the distance between the fan pulley and the top edge of the grill support, the fan isn't even on. On top of that my engine is currently
sitting against the firewall!, I need to move it even farther forward. James Duff offers 2 radiators that can accomplish this. One is the standard style
copper/brass radiator, and the other is an
aluminum one. You can use another radiator but it will have to fit into an area 23 inches wide and 17 inches tall. You could squeeze out a little more vertical space by trimming out the bottom of the support a little (I'd find some way of reinforcing it afterwards) keep in mind that that may cut down on the width due to the frame (I'll remember to check next time I go home). You will also have to find a way to get to the filler neck, either by brazing/soldering/welding a new neck on that comes out under the top of the bracket or fabricating a nifty funnel type device. It would also be best to use an electric fan, either a large one mounted offset, or 2 fans on either side due to the water pump.
Is there any way to gain more clearance there?
There are a few companies who make shorter water pumps, Ford Motorsports makes some I'm told. They supposedly require special pulleys, more so the serpentine belt than the V-belt system, but I'm sure with proper planning and ingenuity most of the issues and specialty parts can be avoided. Some pumps on the 302 have different rotations to them, be shure you get one that will work with your setup.
302's came with a number of oil pans, is any one better than the other?
Actually, yes. You need one with a rear sump. There are 2 main types. There is a straight rear sump pan which
could work, but you will need a fair amount of modification to the pan in order to clear the
passenger axle drop bracket. I'll find the pictures of the pan out of the truck in a few days, I know I have them somewhere. A way to avoid this is to use a
dual sump pan, Most 80's Mustangs and Crown Vic's should have them. If you can't find one, I'm sure you can order new ones through the local parts store or the dealership. And trust me, I WISH I had gone with the dual sump pan.
The oil filter.
Here is another must. You will NEED to relocate the oil filter,
here is why. James Duff offers the best kit I've found. It's one of the less expensive kits I've found and I think it will do the job nicely (I have the kit on my truck, however I have yet to even start it, much less see how it holds up). A picture of the kit is
here. Other kits can work as well, but as you can see from the first picture, it's almost impossible to fit something in there that doesn't have an immediate 90° bend out from the stock location. Once that is on, mount the new filter bracket wherever is convenient for you. I've heard from a few of my automotive friends a Chevy Blazer had an oil filter reallocator if your looking into an OEM option. I'm currently looking into this more.
Engine mounts
There is a way to make your own if you have a 4.0L V6. I'm told
this is what they look like, as for more information, I can't really help you; I had to buy new mounts. If anyone has better info on that, let me know and I'll include it. Otherwise, your best bet is mounts from a
1985 Mustang GT. Supposedly these are the mounts that James Duff sells, which is what I ordered. They have the Ford emblem on them but I couldn't find a part number.
Drilling new holes for the mustang mounts:
*****THIS IS FOR AN 1984 RANGER WITH THE 2.8L - THOUGH IS PROBABLY SIMILAR TO OTHERS*****
Drivers side: 1" up from the original bolt hole - 1/2" toward the back of the vehicle, drill a 1/2" slot 1" long (continuing toward the back of the vehicle). Use the mount with a "R" stamped into it.
Passenger side: 2.5" up from the original bolt hole - 2" toward the back of the vehicle, drill a 1/2" slot 1" long (continuing toward the back of the vehicle). Use the mount with the "L" stamped into it.
Use a good, grade 8, washer on the back side of the engine cradle bracket just to make sure the nuts don't pull through.
Truck vs. Car bellhousings
Car bellhousings are smaller than the truck bellhousings. Truck bellhousing flywheels have 164 teeth, compared to the car flywheel which has 157 teeth. Both housings have the same bolt pattern against the block. The car bellhousing I'm told is smaller and is more friendly to the Rangers' dimensions. I had the truck bellhousing, I would agree that a smaller bellhousing would have been much easier. The car bellhousing would utilize the T-5 Transmission and not the heavier duty T-18 as I used.
More in the next post.
November 28th, 2005, 05:43 PM
