Bare block and heads

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Dave Woodward
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Bare block and heads

Post by Dave Woodward »

Looking for a block and heads in need of a long term rebuild project.
Have always been thinking of building an engine as this is the one bit I missed first time around.
Would really like to build a Ford, but Rover (4.6) would make more sense given my current spec.
Suspect I am going mad but interested to know whats out there. Maybe I can build something that doesn't leak so much oil :wink:
Thanks.
Dave.
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Dave Woodward
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by Dave Woodward »

Lots of views but no replies. Assume you are all looking for a build project as well?

Dave.
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clive
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by clive »

Cheers, Clive.

(If I'm not here I'm in my workshop or on the golf course!)
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kaiserbilly1
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by kaiserbilly1 »

Dave

I also think Colin may be selling his current 289 engine soon too?

Bill
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Roger King
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by Roger King »

clive wrote:Hi Dave,
Is this of any interest?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-302-V8-SBF-E ... 4aa585cf32
If you're buying a Ford engine (that one's a '74 btw, not a '76) be wary of overbores. If it's standard, or first rebore (+0.030"), it's OK - if it's at 40 and needs another bore you'll be at 60, which I personally don't like to do. You're getting closer to the waterways at this size and overheating can result.
Mark Greaves
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by Mark Greaves »

Roger King wrote:
clive wrote:Hi Dave,
Is this of any interest?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-302-V8-SBF-E ... 4aa585cf32
If you're buying a Ford engine (that one's a '74 btw, not a '76) be wary of overbores. If it's standard, or first rebore (+0.030"), it's OK - if it's at 40 and needs another bore you'll be at 60, which I personally don't like to do. You're getting closer to the waterways at this size and overheating can result.
Actually it is a 76 block. The D4DE part number says that it's a 74 pattern block, however these blocks were used beyond 1974. The 6A29 date stamp shows that it was cast on the 29th of January 1976.

As Roger says, be wary of overbores. I would only ever buy a 302 block if it was on standard bores and would clean up at +0.030 or +0.040. The chances of buying a block at +0.030 and getting it to clean up at +0.040 are slim. You don't really want to be running one of these engines at +0.060 as they are very thinly cast.

There are several people in the UK who sell Ford 302 cutouts. Some of the more reputable ones will even swap the block it it turns out it isn't rebuildable. I bought a 1984 302 cutout engine from Real Steel last summer only to find out it was already +0.030 and wasn't going to clean up at +0.040. I took the engine back and they gave me a full refund.
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Roger King
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by Roger King »

If sticking a 'D4' block through SVA/IVA I would use the D4 coding as evidence that it's a '74, even if it was cast on what appears to have been my 21st birthday!!
Pretty sure 289s with C5 codings pass as pre-'66 blocks for competition purposes despite the suffix numbers.

As already posted, I totally agree with Mark's rebore comments. It's not a bad idea to check the crank and mains if you can - I unknowingly bought an engine last year on which all four of the first two main bearing shells had spun, which posed an extra repair cost.
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by Mark Greaves »

Roger King wrote:If sticking a 'D4' block through SVA/IVA I would use the D4 coding as evidence that it's a '74, even if it was cast on what appears to have been my 21st birthday!!
I was speaking to one of the folks a Roadcraft a couple of months ago and they told me they had built a 302 for a customer with an F1SE block. Looking at the part number you would assume that this is a 1991 roller block and would qualify for pre 1993 emissions. However, the VOSA inspector knew that this part number had been used by Ford up until 1995 and wouldn't accept it as evidence of a pre 93 block. Apparently they were going to have to rebuild the engine on an earlier block.
Roger King wrote: Pretty sure 289s with C5 codings pass as pre-'66 blocks for competition purposes despite the suffix numbers.
Maybe so, but the C5AE block was only used in 1965 - it was superseded by the C6AE block in 1966 which was in use until 1968.
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Roger King
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by Roger King »

Mark Greaves wrote:
Roger King wrote: Pretty sure 289s with C5 codings pass as pre-'66 blocks for competition purposes despite the suffix numbers.
Maybe so, but the C5AE block was only used in 1965 - it was superseded by the C6AE block in 1966 which was in use until 1968.
Duh. Of course, brain not in gear.
The last time I took a 289 block for SVA, the inspector didn't even look at the casting numbers - he went by the photo I gave him of the numbers, due to the starter being in the way(!).
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Dave Woodward
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Re: Bare block and heads

Post by Dave Woodward »

Thanks for the comments and ebay posting. I had seen the ebay posting but its pickup only in Sussex which is a bit far from Manchester!

Also, thanks for the bore comments. Familiar with this as had previously been to Birmingham to pick up a complete 289 which the seller claimed 100% was untouched. Lucky for me I took my verniers with me :) . Was already at +060 and if he had just looked at the face of each piston, it even told him!! Doh.
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