HI DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET MORE HORSE POWER AND ANYTHING ELSE OUT OF MY 302 5.0?? I HAVE TO REPLACE A HEAD GASKET ON IT SO SINCE I'M IN THERE I FIGURED I MIGHT AS WELL BEEF IT UP A LITTLE. THANKS FOR READING HOPEFULLY I GET SOME RESPONSES DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD JUST GO WITH A 351 OR JUST REBUILD THE 302...?

 

If you're pulling a head anyway, then swapping to a set of 3-line GT-40 heads is a very nice upgrade

 

how much more hp will i get?

 

What is with this concentration on HP? Peak HP means next to nothing; what you need to be concerned about is how much a mod increases performance throughout the RPM range not just the peak number. The 3-line heads alone won't yield a huge increase in peak number, maybe 20 maybe more, maybe less, but they will improve performance from off idle all the way to peak and add some usable RPM in the upper ranges. They will also serve as the basis for future mods since they will provide the better breathing that anything else will require.

 

well do you suggest any kits then to improve the all over performance of my truck?? otherwise i have a 98 Mountaineer (302 5.0) just sitting in my driveway that i could swap into my truck too...?

 

there are only 3 ways to improve the performance of any vehicle:
1) reduce weight
2) reduce parasitic losses
3) increase the breathing capability of the engine.

On a truck, weight reduction is not always practical since you need the weight for stability when towing and besides there's just not a lot of excess stuff to jettison.

The biggest parasitic losses on a truck are aerodynamic. The biggest single improvement there is a tonneau cover but that will do nothing for your acceleration. It will improve highway mileage by 1-2 MPG but I suspect that's not what you're after.

In getting the engine to breathe better you need to address the things that limit airflow and on a stock 302 that is the heads. The reason that I suggested the GT-40s is because they can be had cheaply and because they are compatible with an otherwise stock engine and because they form the basis for other upgrades. So what exactly do you think you need or want to do?

 

I think he should go with the Mtnr swap in his other thread since it accomplishes several goals at once.