Halenstone

Hey all. I got a 94 f150 auto with a stock 302. I was cruzing in it this weekend and thought to myself, "I'd be content with 100 extra hp. Happy with 200 extra. Elated, but broke, with 300 extra."

I envy and admire all you out there that can have this though creep in your head and the next day decide to pull your engine, order your parts, and put it all back together and bam, be happy. I've done the easy stuff, change out whole parts, i.e. alternator, water pump, fan. I change my oil, and I've even did an entire overhaul on my stereo system, new speakers, new wires, new head unit, sound deadening, etc. But when it comes to intricacies of the motor, cam size, rod size, lifters, springs, zip ties, super gule, and duct tape, I know nothing about them, and with a new (good) job that's taking very good care of my family, I just don't have time to learn ("wanting" to learn is there, time isn't). Needles to say, I have even less time to work on the truck. Small projects I happily do, but large ones I'm afraid might be left unfinished for months as my job (family) come first.

That being said, where is a reliable place where I can buy an engine that could give me and extra 100 to 200 hp? Or, a mechanic in Houston that could give me what I'm looking for? I've gone to a few and they seem very knowledgeable and skilled, but they are more interested in fixing, maintaining cars, not improving. I'd like to find a seller or shop that is fairly priced. I learned a long time ago that you get what you pay for....until you start paying for a brand.

The truck isn't going to a drag strip either. She's gonna be cruzing the freeway at about 70 to 75 mph. She might haul 4000 to 5000 lbs maybe 3 times a year. I just want a bit more fun. I'd like to, at least, keep up with a current model f150 with a 2.7L ecoboost in a 0 to 60.
So I'm thinking either buy a 302 stroked to 347, already built, and find a good mechanic to pop it in, OR, find a shop with the knowledge and willingness to beef up my current engine and maybe even advise on transmission & diff. I wouldn't mind it at all if I could turn it into a stick.

My budget? Gosh, I haven't thought about it much as I haven't found anyone that does what I'm looking for here in Houston....well there are some "celebrity mechanics" that don't work on any project under $60k, nope. I got a little work to do on the interior, suspension is solid but I do need to replace most, or all, of the bushings and mounts (buddy and I can do that). After that, it's just the drivetrain. I'd like for all that to be at or under $20k. Yeah, if I knew what I was doing on the engine I could probably easily beat the budget, but my mechanical ignorance would cost myself twice that.

So that brings me to this knowledge base. Could yall give me some advice, names & numbers of local shops, or websites that can help me achieve my goals?

Here are a couple of pics of my girl. I like my trucks like I like my women...with hips.

Shagg

Its not as simple as just dropping in a crate motor, or pulling out your current motor and rebuilding it with performance in mind. Pretty much the entire engine management system would need to be replaced with aftermarket, and the steering, suspension, and chassis would have to be modified to better handle the power. This forum seems to be mainly full of people who just want to keep old trucks running, so if you want good advice on building a performance 5.0 that is still powerful, you will probably find better information by looking into the world of foxbody mustangs. Of course the 5.0 in a mustang has a few key differences from what you'll find in a truck, but most of the knowledge over there will still be relevant.

Steve83

You should put ALL the truck's details & history (as much as you know) into your signature so it shows with each post, as this page explains:

(click this text)


Phone apps don't always show signatures, so you may need to switch to a real browser in desktop mode on your phone, or just use a desktop/laptop computer. Put your location in your profile & upload an avatar of the truck. The more pics you post of the truck, engine, wiring, labels, & undercarriage, the more likely we can help you. Not all its details are relevant to these issues, but you don't necessarily know which ones are relevant, so just put everything in now.What are you trying to do with the truck now for which it has insufficient hp? How did you come up with those numbers - arbitrarily?Then you should stick to MAINTENANCE - not grandiose modification fantasies.At a Ford dealership. Not always - when you start trying to re-engineer an antique vehicle as popular & reliable as an F-series, you can get a lot LESS than you're paying for really quickly.Yeah - that's eggzacklee what Ford designed & built it to do, right from the beginning. So all you need to do is MAINTAIN & repair it using top-quality parts & published procedures to accomplish those goals.Buy a dirt bike or a racing drone. Don't ruin the truck.Then buy one of those because that's the ONLY way you'll keep up with one.That REALLY illustrates how little you know about modifying vehicles. Total fantasy. Have you priced just a rebuilt stock engine lately? They're above $5K & climbing, just for the crate - that doesn't begin to touch the labor & incidentals.

Graygoose2021

Building a solid 302 is easy.
Depends on the budget. Mild upgrades, or do you want aluminum heads, better intake and TB? Me and my sons have done several 302. But remember, theres no replacement for displacement.
You can make a solid 347 pretty easy.

Summit and Jegs have all the parts.

Steve83

The 3.5L EcoBoost has been proving that WRONG for about a decade now. It will easily defeat any 5.0L (even the modern version) at anything: torque, hp, MPG, towing, reliability, cost...

Graygoose2021

well by ole means, if the OP wants to find a 3.5 EB and transfer all electronics over, power to him.


wasnt his question..............
He was talking 302 based motor.