New Short Block?

[Chris Howard]

Anyone have any experience with the "Economy Short Blocks" from Late Model Restoration? I just pulled the 160k stock 302 out of my 89 hatchback for bearing issues. I'm at the point where I can't decide to get machine work done on this engine - or go with one of these shortblocks? One thing that scares me is that I thought you never wanted to take a stock 302 block and go more than 30 over? But if I'm reading the description, its saying "bored .040-.060 over and precision honed to manufacturer's specifications."

I know most would just pull an explorer motor from a bone yard - but i'm sure that I'd like to build this up to be a nice reliable weekend car....

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas?

 

[mikestang63]

Chris, it's your money so do what you want with it but........... IMO it comes down to a few options depending on your budget. You didn't mention what your thinking for top end. That will make a huge difference in which way to go with the short block. So here goes

1. cheapest- pull an Explorer engine, swap the springs and cam and you'll have a nice little motor that makes about 260-280 hp for under a grand.
2. rebuild your motor- for the same $1000 you can go to a reputable local machine shop and have your block checked, bored .30 over, and all the machine work done. Buy ab Eagle reciprocating kit or another decent budget kit from Woody or Mark @ CHP. You'l know exactly what is in your motor and how it was built.
3. Spend another $1000 and get a quality short block built for your by CHP. You will thank yourself everytime you start the car.

I would say do the Explorer JY motor as it will give you the best bang for the buck if you are on a tight budget. If you plan on anything more than a stock setup, my advice would be spend a little more on the short block. The worst thing is to spend a few thousand on heads and other go fast parts, put it all together, and end up dissapointed.

 

[Chris Howard]

Mike - thanks for your reply. I like your #3 idea - I'll have to look them up. It's not that money is no object - it is - but I don't want to have to do it again in a few years. I feel as if I may be in the minority here, as I'm not looking to make 300+ hp. I'm just looking for something fun to drive on the weekends... putting that in print makes me notice how different my "wants" are from 16 years ago....when I was 16.

As for the top end - I live in Central PA - and I'm hoping to find a decent deal on some new (used) heads / intake at a large Ford show they have near here (Fords at Carlisle).

I paid WAY too much for this 89 GT I picked up a number of months ago, body is in great shape - but if it could leak; it was leaking. Engine is now out and torn down, Transmission is here - ready to go to a shop (For some reason - I'm just not feeling the DIY T5 rebuild..) the drive shaft yoke was VERY warn ( I should post the pics) and the rear end is leaking - from the pinion... so I have some work ahead... and a growing list of things that seem to cost "a few hundred" each....

Thanks again -
Chris

 

[84Ttop]

Hey Chris, Welcome to Stangnet! It's always nice to see new members here! The guys here are great, and there is a wealth of knowledge here. I can certainly appreciate the every part costs a few hundred dollars part of your rebuild! Good luck as you go on with the project and please keep us updated with your progress. As always everyone loves looking at pictures!

 

[90lxwhite]

I'm far from an expert but say you pull an explorer motor from a junkyard aren't the odds pretty good that the shortblock would need some freshening up as well? So this leaves you in he same boat you were in but now w gt40's

 

[84Ttop]

I'm far from an expert but say you pull an explorer motor from a junkyard aren't the odds pretty good that the shortblock would need some freshening up as well? So this leaves you in he same boat you were in but now w gt40's

This has been done time and time again with fabulous results. I've taken motors straight out of the junk yard scrapped the sludge out of them topped them off with aluminum heads and a power adder and made countless numbers of passes in the low 10 second zone. Even if you wanted to do the rebuild yourself it's not that expensive. you could see the refresh I just did on my stock block/pistons/crank/rods in my Project Street Heat Thread. The whole rebuild doing all the work myself was right around 100$ in rings and bearings

 

[Chris Howard]

Again - everyone- thanks for your input. Maybe I should have done this differently. Just today I actually found what appears to be a local machine shop, that seems friendly, and eager to do the work on my existing block - I'm still in the process of talking to them, and as suggested above - I'm really considering something from CHP.... I'll post back with what the machine shop says.

as 84Ttop pointed out - everyone loves pictures - so here's a few after it was torn down- and a close-up of the worst looking bearing that was in the engine....

 

[f8tlfiveo]

Welcome to stangnet... Glad to see another person from central pa in here. Never did the junk yard explorer motor but I did have a gt40p setup before. Made 260 hp to the wheels, was a fun car to drive.

 

[90lxwhite]

This has been done time and time again with fabulous results. I've taken motors straight out of the junk yard scrapped the sludge out of them topped them off with aluminum heads and a power adder and made countless numbers of passes in the low 10 second zone. Even if you wanted to do the rebuild yourself it's not that expensive. you could see the refresh I just did on my stock block/pistons/crank/rods in my Project Street Heat Thread. The whole rebuild doing all the work myself was right around 100$ in rings and bearings

So in the same respect I could throw some aluminums on my 180k mi engine and it'd be ok? Hell it could be 280k mi I really don't know but it doesn't smoke or use oil. It leaks oil at the moment though... Needs a rear main.
Ps: sorry fer steppin on yer toes Chris
- mike

 

[84Ttop]

So in the same respect I could throw some aluminums on my 180k mi engine and it'd be ok? Hell it could be 280k mi I really don't know but it doesn't smoke or use oil. It leaks oil at the moment though... Needs a rear main.
Ps: sorry fer steppin on yer toes Chris
- mike

I've done it and had not a single issue. Installed an So trim on a car with 198000 miles and its still going customer has just under 250000 on the car and no issues. These are really tough motors in my opinion

 

[mikestang63]

So in the same respect I could throw some aluminums on my 180k mi engine and it'd be ok? Hell it could be 280k mi I really don't know but it doesn't smoke or use oil. It leaks oil at the moment though... Needs a rear main.
Ps: sorry fer steppin on yer toes Chris
- mike

Yep. Those motors are set up as low rpm high torque motors that can easily go 200k miles.

You can bring a battery to the JY and many times crank up the motor still in the car to see how it runs before you pull it. They also normally give you a 30 day warranty at most JY. I've pulled 2 of them out of explorers, swapped the valve springs, cam. replaced the rear main seal, and then other than replacing the normal items like plugs, wires, gaskets. ran them for years with no issues. Had less than a grand in them and they made abut 260-280 hp. I continue to say they are the best bang for the buck out there.

 

[90lxwhite]

Cool man

 

[GroverDill]

Car problems aside, nice work area!