5.0 mainbearsing and oil pump replacement!

I agree with Beefy on the engine idea. I would purchase a low mileage salvage unit and rebuild your old motor as time allows.

If you do go with another 302, look for a E7 block C8-)

Ill let you do the research on those.

Honestly, if you can get a good running motor for under 500 bucks, why rebuild it? How many miles are on it? I would just swap it in, and then look at rebuilding your old one as time/funds allow, and then you have a backup/parts motor. Just a thought.

Oh, and as for oil pressure, a rule of thumb I was given at school was at least 10psi per 1000 rpms. I’m curious what everyone else thinks about that figure though.

I don’t believe the the 302 Ford is “junk”. It does have weak main bearings, as we would expect in an old 221 cubic inch engine intended to run 150 hp. That’s not much stress on those little mains. When Ford bumped the displacement up they finally beefed up the mains in the 351 Winsor.
It’s not just me who prefers the stronger mains in the 351, it’s Ford.
Those engines are all very light and compact. I think they’re a good choice for some applications like Trans Am racing, but then they need a main cap girdle to add strength.

This engine gets bigger by the post it seems. Something to consider is that I’m pretty sure with what’s happening in the Middle East right now gas prices are going to do nothing but go up, that said you might consider this when figuring out what displacement you go with because the bigger the engine the thirstier it gets and it would be a shame to have a really great engine that you can’t afford to drive. The Europeans figured this out some time ago and went to smaller displacement engines with forced induction in some cases, same or greater power, less displacement and weight.

$100 eh? Yeh, I’d be wondering myself… Is there anyway to hear it run? I would at least pull the pan before purchase, and see if there’s pieces of bearings in the oil.

Also, they stopped making the 5.0 in ’95, per my man dreamer. Are you sure the motor is legit? I really am trying to help ya here bud. Just ‘buyer beware’.

I think buying a good low miles engine is the best idea. I really have nothing against the 302. My comments about it may have been overstated, but I was responding to your question about replacing the crank and bearings. You did not state why you wanted to replace the crank rather than overhaul the complete engine, but I thought you had reason to believe it needed replacement. That’s why I mentioned the small size of the crank and bears.
You know, the Ford small block V8s are over-square (short stoke) engines, like the Chevy small block V8s (265, 283, 327, 302, 350, 400) and lots of other engines, and they do not require strong massive cranks and bearings like under-square (long stroke) engines. The Dodge slant six and old Pontiac V8s and others are examples. Nevertheless, Ford went to stronger bearings for the 351 Windsor and Chevrolet strengthened the bottom end of the small block in later 302s as well as their 350 and 400 engines. The early Chevy V8s with smaller, lighter cranks and smaller main bears were famously “free reving” compared to the later stronger V8s like the 350. In the late 1960s, engine builders and drag racers would claim you could build a 327 that would outrun the 350 just because of reduced rotating mass and friction in the 327.
Reduce the mass of the crankshaft and you can make more hp per liter, but it won’t live as long.
Do have any idea how many miles are left in your 302? If you reckon it will last another 6 months or a year, that would give you enough time to do a “mini” overhaul on that used 302. You should consult a trusted machinist, but my guess would be that you might be able to renew rings and bears and oil pump and camshaft and timing set and have the rods and heads rebuilt for a few hundred dollars. With a mini overhaul, a 302 with 110,000 miles might be good for another 200,000 miles or more.