Sukkoi19

My opinion with a doing an FI 5.0L is this. There is no point in spending money on a motor if your going with production block. Even the DSS level 20 junk will split just as fast as an unprepped block. The stock rotating assemble in the 87-92 is plenty strong enough to handle all the block will take.

I have always run stock short-blocks, when I pop one I just pony up another $100 for a new one or dip into my stash.

If you just want a nice 450 rwhp 10 second ride I would suggest an S-Trim car with a good aluminum head (better for the street in IMO) and entry level intake (Performer or Cobra) and either and E cam with 1.7s or a TFS 1. Couple that with a good LT and a good fuel supply and some driving shoes and you have a very streetable probable 10 second ride.

josh99ta

Driving shoes, I like that.

Very good info guys. Glad to see my goals aren't going to be as tough to reach as I originally expected. This is definitely not going to be a max effort car. I just want a streetable, nice, fun car to drive around in that I can rip through some gears in as well (the Trans Am is and will always be a stalled auto car). And making enough power to trap 120+ in the 1/4 is just a nice side bonus.

Thoroughbred

BLKWS.6

My motor is a 302 with GT40P heads bumped to 10.5:1 compression, flat-top forged pistons, X303 cam (.542 224/224) supporting fuel mods and full intake/exhaust, 1.6 aluminum RR's, and the company that built it rates it at 340/340 hp/tq based on a rwhp dyno of on of their motors at 290/290 whp/tq. Not bad really. It performs ok down low, but REALLY wakes up at 3500+ kinda has a LS1-esque powerband. I have been very satisfied with it so far.

BLKWS.6

Stock 5.0 block=good until 450hp
Stock rods=good for the stock block, same for the crank
stock heads=150cfm intake flow

GT40P heads with NO OTHER MODS are woth 25 at the tires as a rule.

just a few tidbits i found might be helpful

josh99ta

What is a good block that can safely handle higher power levels without costing an arm and a leg? Or what is involved in prepping a production block to handle the extra power?

Thoroughbred

prepping a stock production will be a waste of time and money. Lots of people have made good #'s with the 'sportsman' block from ford. That costs 800-900 somewhere around there new. You can pick em up used sometimes.
If you have the green...an 'R' block from Ford and a Sportsman from Dart are the way to go. But both of those are going to run you over 2k with purchasing and machine work. But breaking those just isnt an option.

Another option, a production 351 block outa an old F150/250 or various vans/cars is alot more beefy than production 302s. For an app like you are wanting......a stock ci 351 and a good blower will easily make the power you want. I know that seems extensive but its really not. You have to buy a new HB and flywheel (just like for a 302 stroker) a 351 specific intake (need to get a good matched intake for that 347 anyways) cylinder heads are interchangable. Need a different distributor (most people eventually upgrade to MSD **** for their 302's sooner or later) Different fuel lines (can cheaply be made with fuel lines hose bought at Autozone) A $50 powersteer,a/c bracket from Ford if you want to run that stuff. Waterpumps are the same. Cams cost the same. Stock Kmember fits 351's. Bellhousings are the same. Stock 351 blocks will hold what your wants no prob and are cheap! Just an idea their for ya.

BLKWS.6

like said, a sportsman or a 351 will do the trick.

Stang Man

Well your questions have pretty much been answered.

There are quite a few satisfied FTI(www.flowtechinduction.com) customers that have dealt with Ed Curtis and are making a little over 300 RWHP out of a stock 5.0 bottom end, with great driving and idle qualities. 300 hp doesn't sound like a ton, but in these cars its enough to get you into the 11's pretty easily. Throw forced induction or nitrous on top of that and you've got yourself a pretty stout combination.

The biggest thing is making sure your combination is matched. Having a HUGE cam on stock heads won't do much as far as making power goes. You need a nice balanced induction and exhaust to make the most efficient power and keep nice driveability.

As far as GT40 heads/E303 cam setups go, that was the first setup I EVER ran haha. I needed heads cheap and fast(stock head bolt broke somehow and warped the stock head) so I got a pair of GT40's, E-303 cam(for free), and an Explorer intake. Car made like 250 rwhp, about 40-50 more than stock, and ran great. Not the BEST setup, but if you're on a budget theres nothing wrong with porting a set of GT-40's or GT-40P's, having a nice custom ground cam setup for the heads, a Cobra/Explorer/Edelbrock intake, and a full exhaust system. I could see a setup like this making about 265-275 depending on the tune, altitude, and what kind of shape the stock bottom end is in.

Arron

J2Pharren1

The sportsman block is NOT stronger than a stock block, I do not care what ford says.

Bottom line, as much as it sucks, is that there are only 2 blocks worth spending money on, the Dart and the Man'o'War, with #1 being the more popular choice.

D.S.S. is a load of crap, girdles dont do a damn thing, sportsman blocks are not any stronger, "mexican" blocks and 69 351 blocks are about as hard to find as Dr. Phils *****, and anything else is a gimmick. The small block ford 302's weakest points are the lifter valley and the 2 bolt mains, no compony besides Dart and World products have produced blocks that have strengthened these two areas. Sure some parts might be stronger in a DSS or a sportsman, but is the lifter valley (that will almost alwayse be where a block breaks) any strong? No, it isn't.

Keep it under 500whp and the stocker should be ok, if you want more than that, do not waste money on anything short of a Dart block.