As part of my project to turn my truck into a hot rod, I am going to get a new motor put in. A guy I know has a 302 Interceptor he is willing to sell me, that will come out of an old Crown Vic. What I want to know is, what is the difference between a bone stock 5.0L 302 V8 ( the one in my truck) and a 302 Interceptor? If anyone can help, I appreciate it. I'd like to know perhaps some general hp and torque specs for a comparable year model 302 Interceptor, if possible.

 

I'm not to sure about the H/P or torque specs,but i use a patrol car when i'm working.
I know for a fact that the crown vic has dual exhaust and the intake is different.
When i go back to work i'll take a better look at the engine......maybe it will have some engine specs under the hood.

Jerry D

 

Thanks, I am very appreciative, since I don't have a clue. One of my friends told me that they have sturdier mains, and a little better cam. I'm still not sure, so thanks for helping me with my research.

 

I would suspect the car would have a little more cam than the truck. As for manifolds, I'm fairly sure the truck manifolds are different from all other 5.0 manifolds.

You might also have the sequential injection in the car vs. the batch fire in the trucks.

I doubt the car has different mains. Ford did make sturdier blocks than the standard 302, but as far as I know they were never put in production vehicles.

 

The major differences were done to the vehicles, not the engines. Although there were a few small differences, the best was the ECM. The ECM's that went with the police engines had the limiter removed.

Take care,
-Chris

 

I'm gonna kick myself when you tell me this, but what is an ECM? I know a little about engines and vehicles, but not much.

 

ECM=Engine Control Module
a.k.a.:
CPU (Central Processing Unit),
ECA (Electronic Control Assembly),
"The Computer"

Take care,
-Chris

 

The computer. Ahhh yes, the thing that went out on me when I got too bogged down in water at one time. It's been said to me that Ford probably mounted it a little too low in the engine compartment in my year model. Correct me if I'm wrong, it controls spark timing, fuel curve, and some other things, right? Replacing with another chip might help with gas mileage, horsepower, and one or two other things, depending on the chip, am I right?

 

Basically. ECM's have been used to assist the running of the engine since the early 80's, but when they went completely fuel injected, the ECM took over. The ECM controls fuel delivery and ignition timing, primarily, but also effects shift firmness and rev & speed limits. It doesn't work alone, though. It bases it's decisions on information it receives from several sensors and switches. It is very specific to the engine and vehicle it originally came with. Because of this, any time you consider replacing a fuel injected engine with one from another vehicle, it's important to also get the ECM, wiring harness and as many sensors and switches as possible. I can't emphasize this enough. They are not only engine specific (different curves are programmed for different engine combinations, firing orders, etc.), but are also transmission specific. Chips can be added to the ECM to modify it's values, and how it reacts to different signals. When you modify the engine well beyond it's original state, it's best to have a custom chip burned, that is specifically designed for your combination of engine mods, driveline differences and chassis weight.

Take care,
-Chris

 

That makes sense. Is there a chip manufacturer that you would recommend? Also, I'd have to tell them the specifics of my truck (including engine year model, tranny, injector size, etc.), right?

 

You need to go to the Computer Chips forum on this site, and ask for help from Mike Troyer. He works for Superchips, and hangs out in that forum. He can help you better than I can. I went to him first when I decided to buy a chip for my truck, but at the time they didn't have one for my specifics, so I bought one from JET. They had a lousy reputation, but I felt like taking a chance. As it turned out, JET had just released a new line of chips that were better than their past chips, and it worked great.

Take care,
-Chris