Hello everyone new member seeking professional help!

84GT351 said:

I can always use a direction change if im going the wrong way wanna do it right, but have hard time explaining to wife why I need this or that much more. I started with a budget of 1200 now she bumped it up to 2000 with lots of asking. My end goal is a faster car if it runs close or around 12's in the quarter i'll be happy. I still have a day or two till my income tax is here and I make my final decission.
atm I have the 351 already and still have all my 302 stuff I have no intent on running anything but N/A. those heads are crap can you point me to any heads that are ok for my goals and maybe have ability to be ported in future. but again I can't at the moment get away with getting 1000 dollar heads. wife wants to pay bills. but if upgrading other stuff first then coming back to the heads later will work then ok. More I learn the More I realize I know nothing.

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Man, it's tough to argue paying bills off...gotta try and keep your guys' head above water ya know. Just save where you can, and you'll thank yourself later for not making hasty/costly decisions later. Many if not most of us had to learn the hard way that breaking stuff isn't cheap, and when you have to do it multiple times, then it's just dam frustrating. So, you've got your goal set: 12s...that can be accomplished easily with a 351 in a fox body. Now, you just need to realize that the engine is only about a third of the equation. Fox bodies need traction-that requires better than stock or modified stock parts (you can box weld your factory control arms and save some there). Once you can get up to speed, you need to be able to rapidly slow the car...again, brakes in '84 left much to be desired...there was no difference between 4 cylinder and GT brakes until '87! So, keep that in mind...upgrades don't have to be drastic to make a significant difference, but they do need to be executed using good parts that are known to work.

...learning this stuff comes pretty quickly if you're willing to understand it...do plenty of research and find out what works for others too...

84GT351 said:

I Will give update thanks. I do have the msd box and coil already on car got car for 3500 had a good bit of add ons but I do belive it is the 7.5 any fear in running it till it breaks and if I switch it will a 5 bolt wheel be mandatory only reason i ask is because car came with centerline wheels that I kinda like. Also what is zero deck the block? shaving off that extra .003 to bring it to 9.5? also the brakes and other upgrades will come in future to add support to body. just need it running to get to work so wife does not have to wake at 4:30 every morning. and anything I can do now that would be easier or mandotory with engine out. When I think i know what direction im running sometimes I just get stopped in my tracks. also how important would new cam bearings be?

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Ok, already have good ignition parts-check...

If you're still running the 7.5, just don't beat on it too much, and try to take care of what you have right now...you can stay 4 lug with the 8.8...lots of people do. If you like the wheels, no need to swap right now.

Zero deck is where the machinist will cut the deck surface down to where the pistons are even with the deck when at top dead center (TDC). You mentioned the pistons being down in the hold like 0.020" I thought. If you zero deck the block, not only will it square up any warpage, but it will also increase compression since the pistons are now even with the deck-AND-since they're closer to the deck, that increases something known as quench...quench is the phenomenon where turbulence is increased during combustion-this promotes better flame travel, and complete combustion. What that translates to, is less need for timing, and better power.

Probably the best thing you can do with the engine out is get a set of subframe connectors-even an inexpensive set with seat braces is better than nothing...although I would recommend full length versions-they usually run about $130 or so depending on brand. Also, weld up the rear control arm mounts upper and lower-this will aide in chassis rigidity, and help keep you from ripping the factory spot welds when you launch hard.

New cam bearings would be a necessity if you have the block cleaned...the stuff a machinist will use to clean the block tears up the bearings...or at least, thats what the guy I used to go to told me...he could've just be squeaking out another $50. The short of it is, it's a good idea, along with honing the cylinders, and installing some brass freeze plugs.

I just saw a set of RHS pro-topline heads with a 58cc combustion chamber on eBay for $1050 buy it now...I'm not sure how they stack up comparatively though...never really did much reading on them

You shouldn't have any difficulty finding pistons when/if you go to rebuild it later. Most pistons I've seen apart from custom stuff will have a standard compression height (distance between pin boss center and piston crown). If you're concerned about it, have it taken down to about 0.005" in the hole, and you'll still be fine. The first stroker I built, pistons were 0.008" out of the hole...all tolerances were fine...close but still good.

You're gonna have to shop around to be honest though bud, any machinist worth a damn isn't cheap. But, decking will probably be the most expensive part other than balancing.

IMO, with a $2000 budget, I would rebuild your original 302.
Get it running and have a reliable ride to and from work.
Slowly work your drivetrain/chassis up to par to be able to run 12's.
Once the drivetrain/chassis are there, slowly start your 351 build, going slow peice by peice.
Take your time, save up for each part you need, and learn with the process.
Building a 12 second car that you want to last shouldn't be done hastily on a tight budget.
In the end, you will have a reliable, 12 second foxbody, a wealth of knowledge about your own car, and a sense of satisfaction knowing you built something with your own 2 hands that will last and is worth having.

I think sealed power makes some for a fair price...might wanna look at probe FPS too...

The blockage you showed will definitely cause some heating issues if you don't get rid of it. the ring ridge isn't out of the ordinary for a high mileage engine. Sometimes the "ridge" is only carbon deposits, but scratch through that crud with a razor or something like that, and you might find a ring ridge too. And based on the condition of your crank, it probably has a ring ridge, and if you can catch a nail on pretty much any surface, it'll need machined. If you saw copper, that means either the engine was high mileage, or led a rough life...possibly both. You don't have to replace the crank though unless it has to be heavily ground. Take it to your machinist, and they can likely grind it down 0.010-0.020" and it would be fine. It's been a while, but I seem to recall paying about $120 to have the crank ground...probably a little more these days. But, if you buy a stroker kit, you typically have to buy new rods too.

I'd think you can still get out for about $1500 for a fresh shortblock with forged pistons. But, talk to your machinist and see what all you could work out.

Well based on the pics I think it had a veery rough life, Ive never seen coolant passages that packed and it definitely had less then ideal oil changes....

The crank looks like a polish will clean it up but really it needs to be measured and looked at to be sure. If you decide to go 393 let me know, Ill hook you up...

It may be a good idea to pull a 1987 and up roller 5.0 block from a pick n pull. They have forged pistons the 90's blocks have hyper pistons. Then get a pair of GT40 heads from either 5.0 explorer or mustang cobra. They are all over ebay and sometimes craigslist. Put it together with a good camshaft and intake. It will run strong and go fast. Thats what I did and my car is fast. I don't know what it would do it a 1/4 mile maybe mid to high 13's. Cheap way to build a good motor. I have problems tuning edelbrock carbs because I don't know what im doing. I like Holley I put them on and it runs great. Nothing against edelbrock.

...pretty sure the OP is already set on his decision to run a 351...parts are nearly equivalent in price-just the initial cost of buying 351 parts. Even a mild build will be capable of putting him in the 12s with traction.