Determining An Ho 302 Vs Non

[99fummins]

So Im going to look at a 302 this weekend that is supposed to be an 89 mustang 302. The heads are off right now due to headgasket failure and the motor is pretty well disassembled minus the bottom end. Im trying to figure out how to make sure it is an ho motor when i go to look at it. The plate is off the upper intake, and the distributor being off means i cant follow plug wires to determine firing order. Do forged pistons look different? Mustang accessories brackets look different? I appreciate any help, just want to be certain

 

[99fummins]

These are the pics he sent me

 

[25thmustang]

No help from me other than that sure looks like a mustang motor.

 

[stykthyn]

Sure looks like one to me too

 

[RangerJoe]

Its hard to tell from the pics, but do the pistons have valve reliefs in them?

Joe

 

[99fummins]

I cant tell either in the original pic. Would that determine if it is a mustang h.o. 302 or not? If so ill ask him

 

[RangerJoe]

I think the 86's didn't have valve reliefs. Jut really limits you on cam choice.

Joe

 

[revhead347]

The only thing that makes it an HO motor is the firing order. Put an HO cam in it, and it's an HO engine. It's a roller engine, and that's what counts. If that's the original intake, which it probably is, the firing order is stamped on the top of the forward most runner. Check to see if it's an HO firing order. I would give it a 95% chance it's an HO cam in it. Are you intending to use it stock, or are you going to modify it?

Kurt

 

[99fummins]

I was thinking the distributor was different because of the firing order but that doesnt make sense. I know the h.o. motors should have forged pistons though and i want those. I just plan on a letter cam, gt40 heads, headers, and explorer intake for now. I want a turbo or supercharger down the road so i want a forged piston motor. Ill check the intake

 

[revhead347]

The distributor is the same, you just hook up the wires in a different sequence. The only problem with the older non HO engines was that they used to fire #1 and #5 in sequence which was very hard on the number one main bearing. 92' and older engines have forged pistons, 93' and newer have hypereutectics. The hyper pistons in 93' and newer engines are in many ways better than the old forged ones, so don't be scared.

Kurt

 

[elarm1]

The only thing that makes it an HO motor is the firing order. Put an HO cam in it, and it's an HO engine. It's a roller engine, and that's what counts. If that's the original intake, which it probably is, the firing order is stamped on the top of the forward most runner. Check to see if it's an HO firing order. I would give it a 95% chance it's an HO cam in it. Are you intending to use it stock, or are you going to modify it?

Kurt

^^^
This. Those pistons do not look like HO pistons.

 

[99fummins]

Well, i asked him about the pistons, his response was that it's an xxx block and that he'd get me the numbers off the block tomorrow. And he sent me a pic of the car it came out of, a 90 mustang. Ill do some searching and try and figure out what im dealing with based on block numbers

 

[99fummins]

The block is an e6se-ba. What i understand from this is its an early h.o. mustang motor. But it looks like an 86 motor that has the crappy flat top pistons. I told him if thats the case im not interested, since hes advertising it as an 89 and i do want to run a bigger cam. Not replacing pistons and rebalancing, ill find the correct motor

 

[stykthyn]

Good move

 

[TOOLOW91]

Its hard to see but those pistons have reliefs in them. When you blow the pic up you can see it through the carbon on them.

 

[99fummins]

I can see the marks youre seeing when i blow up the pic on my phone, but i had him check and he said theyre flat. Just an illusion i guess

 

[TOOLOW91]

hmmmmm that sucks