Buy or Build Your Engine - Engines: Buy Or Build ? - Tech

Do I Need That?
The crate 302 is prepared for a Ford Explorer with a front-sump oil pan. Mustang guys need to use a kit (PN M-6670-A50) to drop the 302 in a '79-'93 Fox (Mustang or Capri) chassis. It includes a dual-sump oil pan, oil-pump pickup tube, dipstick tube, crank damper, timing pointer, reverse-rotation serpentine water pump, and a timing-chain cover. If you're putting this in a '75 Mustang II or a Nancy-car '63 Falcon, use the original tin and hardware from that application.
Price: $225.00

Do I Need That? The crate 302 is prepared for a Ford Explorer with a front-sump oil pan. M

How Long Will It Take to Build?
Here's an actual experience we'll share with those of you who have never built your own motor. It's sort of painful, but in a good way-like when your mother-in-law drives off a cliff in your '70 Yenko Nova.

Saturday, day one:
Yanked our old motor and made the biggest mess of all time.

Sunday, day two:
Found out the machine shop was closed.

Monday, day three:
Skipped work and gave up a day's pay to visit the machine shop, where a guy unceremoniously dropped our precious motor in a line with nine others and bid us adieu.

Tuesday, day four:
Called the machine shop, and the employees didn't know who we were. We explained it to them, and they quoted us a price that represented one-third of the final cost.

Wednesday, two weeks later:
Called the machine shop, and the employees didn't know who we were. We explained it to them, and they found our engine. Made decisions over the phone about pistons, rods, and how much power we wanted to make for the money we wanted to spend.

Monday, the following week:
Called the machine shop (explained who we were), and they told us that we needed another crank. Drove 80 miles into the middle of the desert to pick one up out a barn full of cores. Price: $100.00.

Friday, beginning of the second month:
The motor was ready, we really don't know what cam the machinist finally put in it, and he wouldn't tell us. He did want $2,200.00 in cash for Friday party money.

Saturday night, five weeks into the project:
Dipstick and tin are nowhere to be seen. The machine shop claims it never existed.

Sunday, five weeks, $600.00 over budget:
The motor is fired, runs fine with no runs, no drips, no errors.

Final price:
$2,600.00 using our own block, heads, and rotating assembly

Final time:
Six weeks

Note:
This was a simple rebuild using the factory short-block; start adding performance parts and things get complicated.

Strokers
Since many strokers require clearancing the block, Nowak Engines supplies engine templates for the do-it-yourselfer to make sure your crank and rods clear. If you don't have one, it will cost $100.00 to get the job done at most machine shops.

Strokers Since many strokers require clearancing the block, Nowak Engines supplies engine

By CC No-Motor-Havin' Photo Team

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