Which 302 to use ?

[joswald]

Hello everyone. In the future I'm thinking of converting my 1964 Comet 202 to a SBF. I would love a 289 but the 302 is more available. My question is can I use any 302 or should I look for specific years? What about late model 302s that came with fuel injection? I know the intake manifold is different but what about the internals? Any positive info would be greatly appreciated.

[Boss/Cyclone]

Any 85 up Mustang, Mark VII 302 is a roller cam. Trucks and passenger cars were not rollerized till 93ish, not sure exactly when. The 87-92 Mustang and Mark VII engines also has forged pistons. 96 to 2000 Explorers are nice because of the GT40 heads, but I prefer 96-97 for the standard GT40 heads. The later explorers has GT40p heads create a problem with shock tower clearance and require special headers. All explorer 5.0's require changing the valve springs do to the low rpm weak springs they come with, but good springs are pretty cheap and work good from these guys. https://alexsparts.com/sbf-e7-gt40-gt40p-spring-kits/ If your car is a manual shift car any 302 from 1982 up requires an bracket for your z bar due to the lack of a threaded boss on the side of the block. Also, 82 up are differently balanced at 50oz., earlier engines are 28oz.

Once you choose an engine there are several other small issues that are easily addressed.