Ford Boss 302 Block

[Jacobn4056.]

This is a fast and uneducated question on my part but I’m hoping someone will know this?
I need a little help from you experts online.

Is the boss 302 block the same as the 302ho in my 1995 GT? I’m looking at a little boost after I get engine together. and have considered going with the stronger boss block. I could start from scratch.
What I’m asking is if all my 1995 tech era bolt ons will work here. I’ll upgrade but not gonna change intake style.

 

[Noobz347]

Yes it will work.


Have you looked at a DART Sportsman block too?

 

[nickyb]

To with the stronger block of you can, you won't regret it.

 

[Jacobn4056.]

Interesting things to look into.
Guys this will be the best of the MILD that I can make. I just thought of the stronger block.
Could anyone tell me first hand if I stripped my ford 302ho from 1995 down, -and set it beside this Ford 302 Boss block what would be different?
Saying as if I didn’t change nothing.
Would the idea of 302 boss block be interchangeable but stronger with 95 Ho Equipment? I do realize that outside of a drag strip and 550 Hp a boss block isn’t necessarily needed.
But, I never intend to sell this car.

 

[Jacobn4056.]

This is my sons Great Grandfathers Mustang.
We’ve driven it all my life.

And at one time it was the most important thing in the world to me. Current 302 has 100k

But I’m telling you. When I get down on it at The cars 55mph and it throws the driver through the trunk I feel like I may snap something on this old girl.
I’d hate to dog it to perform confidently.

This isn’t a Trick flow car
But I can get by with Edelbrock seeing how the old man hated to see a Holley carburetor on the counter at the store. Never could get them to stay right.

 

[Jacobn4056.]

Is the ford boss block here The same blueprint and engineering as the 302ho? Is it only a better block?
I heard I could chance 302ho numbers for a good block number and year for a clean build swap.

I guess im begging to know is the 302 boss a clean swap better block.

 

[Jacobn4056.]

Yes it will work.


Have you looked at a DART Sportsman block too?

Just noticed your yes. You think so? What does the dart block have going for it? I’m interested. But This idea is Late age muscle. Standard. It will have tires a size too high. Solid

 

[Monkeybutt2000]

Both the Ford Boss and Dart SHP are 4 bolt mains. Also thicker webbing throughout. A full built Dart block from Fordstroker or ZSR is 11k. You can't build it cheaper.

 

[manicmechanic007]

Your 95 block has no 4 bolt mains or screw in freeze plugs
It is good for 700HP IMO as is
I have 2 boss 302 motors, one stock 1970 and one Bogus Boss I built with Gap and Roush's help
You can add crankshaft support caps with studs, which is a "C" plate over the main caps (stronger than a 4 bolt they said) (doubtful)
I had to use Hi-Po 289 rods due to the length and the Cleveland head Boss piston
The screw in freeze plugs are what you want if you can afford a block
The 1970 motor I have for my 69 cost me 8k
Those old blocks are out there
Your crank and the one piece rear main is the issue for you new school guys (different balance on the crank)
I can't put my forged Boss crank in one of the new Boss blocks and visa versa
You run your block until you have blown up a couple
Before I got a forged crank, I used to ask the machinist about them .(expensive)
He asked back, "how many cast cranks have you broken?"
Answer was zero

 

[AeroCoupe]

So the 302 roller cam block started making appearances in Ford vehicles in and around 1985 all the way through 1995 in the Mustangs and continued into 2001 in the Explorers. They have been beat on like a stepchild for a long time and basically once you get past 500 fwhp its a crap shoot on when (not if) it will give up the ghost. Me personally I think a stock motor with a turbo seems to last longer followed by naturally aspirated then blowers and nitrous seems to end them the quickest but I will admit that it mostly bad tuning.

With all of that said to me it sounds like you are going to build a very mild combo so skip the heads, intakes, and cam and add boost of your choice and get it tuned. You can make 300 to 350 rwhp and it will be very docile and fun to drive.

There are a couple guys on here that can guide you on this and believe me it will be a lot simpler than a HCI swap that will cost as much and produce less power.

 

[General karthief]

My opinion:
500+ hp better block
Under 500 hp stock block will do for many, many miles.
I would get this if I was looking for new stuff with a different cam

https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/engines-bare-blocks/product-line/ford-performance-parts-boss-302-engine-blocks

Not to be confused with this

Something like this has Cleveland style heads on a 302 ci block,
More power, more money, street car, depending on the condition of the block, I'd rebuild the bottom and pic my cam and heads for what the car will be used for and works with my(your) intake and ride.
JMO.

 

[limp]

My opinion:
500+ hp better block
Under 500 hp stock block will do for many, many miles.
I would get this if I was looking for new stuff with a different cam

https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/engines-bare-blocks/product-line/ford-performance-parts-boss-302-engine-blocks

Not to be confused with this

Something like this has Cleveland style heads on a 302 ci block,
More power, more money, street car, depending on the condition of the block, I'd rebuild the bottom and pic my cam and heads for what the car will be used for and works with my(your) intake and ride.
JMO.

So what exactly are the heads summit recommends for these blocks?? Can you use an aftermarket head on them?
I just read an article on Boss 351 engines and they take the cleveland heads?
Just curious here...

 

[Bullitt347]

First off, the FMS Boss 302 block is much stronger than a stock 302 block.
The Dart Sportsman block is much stronger than the FMS Boss block.
The FMS Boss 302 block has shorter skirts than the Dart Sportsman block, so stroker kits work "better" with the Dart block.
An original Boss 302 was a heavy duty 302 block with 4 bolt mains (center 3 only) and screw in freeze plugs.
The original Boss 302 used a Cleveland 4 bbl cylinder head. This required a unique intake manifold.
Any Boss 302 block (FMS or original) can use any aftermarket or stock SBF cylinder head.
A Dart Sportsman (or Iron Eagle for that matter) have much more material around the cylinders, so much larger over bores are possible, upwards of 4.200 inch.
A Dart Iron Eagle block has 4 bolt mains (splayed) on all 5 main bearings. It is capable of supporting over 2,000 HP.
The Dart Sportsman block is capable of supporting over 1,500 HP.

 

[General karthief]

So what exactly are the heads summit recommends for these blocks?? Can you use an aftermarket head on them?
I just read an article on Boss 351 engines and they take the cleveland heads?
Just curious here...

Available in the Boss 302 Mustangs of 1969–70, it's a unique Ford small-block engine featuring a thin-wall, high nickel content block casting. It differed substantially from regular 302s, with 4-bolt mains, screw in freeze plugs, and heads using a canted valve design being developed for the planned 351 Cleveland (which debuted the following year), credit Wikipedia
For the Boss 351, the entire Cleveland engine was used instead of simply the heads. Credit CJ Pony parts