I picked up a Ford 302, 5.0 motor the other day and now i'm trying to find out some information about it. As far as the block casting numbers I found some on the lower right side where the starter bolts up but couldn't find any others except for a set of large letters (FISE-BB) the other numbers are in the attached photos. Hopefully someone can help me out! Thanks, KJ!
F1SE means 1991 Thunderbird engine, that is the vehicle the part was first designed to be used in. 3K30 is the casting date, meaning 3rd year of the decade, 11th month of the year, 30th day of the month. so it was cast Nov 30th, 19x3.
so you say it was cast Nov 30th 1983? When do you think it was assembled? I was told it was an HO motor!
Probably 1993. If it were 1983, the part number would start with E instead of F. the first letter in the part number is the decade. A=1940s, B=1950s, etc. But there are probably more clues, too. I think EFI didn't start until around 1986, so if it has no provision for a mechanical fuel pump, it's probably from 93.
Should be a roller cam motor, and it's the 50oz imbalance so make sure you use the right front damper and flywheel. If it's a 'HO' motor, it will have the standard vanilla heads on it; the GT40 heads didn't appear until '93, and only on Mustangs initially. 1993 was the last year for the 302 in T-birds, they switched to mod motors in '94.
F1SE indicates the first year it was produced, so for 1991 Thunderbirds, this was a new casting. The date code info above is correct. It is a 50oz crank imbalance engine so (as noted) get the appropriate flexplate/flywheel and balancer. Even if it was a H.O. engine, aftermarket heads are immensely better. It will be a roller cam motor. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
What about a cam with a mild lope and roller rockers? What would you suggest? I think the can and lifters in there now are hydraulic!
It should have hydraulic roller tip lifters in it, but they may have been changed to flat tappets. Have you pulled the intake?
I doubt the lifters have been swapped. Roller tipped rockers from the factory? Uh, I don't think so. Cam suggestion? Motorsport E303 Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
5.0 was in Explorers and Mountaineers until the early 2000s. I just tried to buy one with a smashed front end and it had the 5.0 motor in it. The guy advertised it for sale for 3 days... I contacted him and made an offer. He said the junk man was coming in the morning and the offer wasn't enough to call him and cancel. From what I have read they have what are called the 4 bar heads which are supposed to be excellent on 5.0 motors. Lot of info on them on the web so it shouldn't be very hard to figure out what will work in em.
it is tooooo new. maybe if it was a 260. gotta follow the rules. in my humble opinion anything that survives twenty years should be old enough. butt i ain't the rule maker.
Yep, roller tip lifters still there. The e303 cam suggestion was a good one if you want to stay roller.
If you're sticking with these springs, I believe the bumpiest stick you can roll is a B303. E303 requires work. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
The 302 was gone from everything except Mustangs and trucks after '93. In '96 Ford added it to the option list on the Explorer/Mountaineer as they couldn't shoehorn the V8 mod motor into them. The 302 disappeared for good out of the Mustang in '95, trucks a year later. It soldiered on in the Explorer until 2001; the Explorer got a major redesign in '02 and the mod motor would now fit, ending US production use of the 302.
Both of the cam upgrades require a mass airflow system. Some T-bird of that era used the speed density system which relies heavily on monitored engine vacuum. A mass airflow system is easy to identify. A mass airflow sensor will be mounted on the back of the air cleaner box or in the intake tract. The speed density system will have a MAP sensor mounted on the firewall with a vacuum line running to the intake manifold. Make sure of your system before cam changes.
Comp cams makes an awesome > 512 lift hyd roller cam and throw those boat anchor heads away. There are tons of aftermarket heads out there on the net and any of them outflow the stock heads. I used that cam in my old Morris Minor hot rod and drove it every day with a set of worked Pro Comp heads that I bought for $ 650.00 a pair and had new valves and matching springs for the cam. Had a Performer intake and Eddy carb. I started with an 86 Lincoln engine.
PM me if you want to a 5.0 build that makes 400hp on a reasonable budget. Dont buy an E303 cam, or any of the "alphabet" cams. Or GT40 heads. Or a lot of other things. I have built so many of these, I could do it in my sleep. The HAMB is great for traditional stuff, but not for engine advice.
Sorry, have been non-stop. Will respond tonight. Feel free to call me too, will PM contact info. Responses sent. Wow, I never expected so much attention from a simple post. Will help all of you out, stand by.
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