i just put in my 302 from a 69 ford truck. i blew up my 289. anyways i wondering would some 351w heads fit on my 302 if that would fit i also have a 351w air intake i would like to put on. i think that would be nice together. open to suggestion or comments
what ray said. the heads are interchangeable but the bolts are bigger for the 351w. you can get the special washers from summit or jegs. as for the intake, it has to be for a 302, heads are the same size, but the 351 block is wider.
It's better to buy the special bolts than use washers. The washers take up some of the threads that could be used to clamp the heads. But even washers are better than nothing. Using just the stock bolts doesn't provide much surface area to spread the load. The bolt holes could gall or even crack.
Gaskets are not different. I used the shouldered conversion bolts made by Ford Motorsports-$60. ARP makes some as well. Seth
The chambers are bigger on the Windsor heads. At least I think they are. I have a set on my stock internal 302. They are ported BIG and decked fifty thousanths and still have a 56cc chamber. I have a 72 so I figure my compression is now about 8.6 to 1. It will not detonate even at 38 degrees of total timing!
mine are flat top hypereutectic pistons w/valve reliefs. chambers cc'd at 53 after milling-I have 10.4-10.6:1 w/ '70 351W heads
Bigger ports/valves. The cheapest aftermarket performance heads will outflow most 351 windsor heads though and the cost isn't too far off from going completely through a set of your own. If you look around and find a good deal, a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads can be had for under $1000.00. Call your local machine shop and ask them how much to put new valves, guides, seats, seals and springs, install screw in rocker studs, and a nice port job on a pair of heads you bring in. Spending money in the right places works wonders. Just my opinion.
You need to find out the year of the heads you are considering. Some W heads would be a REALLY bad choice for a 302. 69-74 are the best. They have the small chambers and large ports/valves. If you are willing to invest in porting, these heads will work VERY well. It is true though that if you have to buy new valves and have alot of other work done, new heads are only marginally more expensive. So it kinda depends on the current condition of the heads and what mods may have been done to them already. Good luck Dave
If the 351 heads are worn badly,get a set of 87-93 5.0 mustang heads.They flow reasonably well when the exhaust is port matched to the header gaskets,don't have to use special headbolts and are usually cheap cause most guys are running some sort of aftermarket heads on the stangs.Been getting them around here from $75-$150 complete.
Just a side note about the larger head bolts using the 351W heads. Another option is tapping the 302 block to fit the larger bolts. Of course you would only want to do this if you had the engine torn down completely. I have a 302 in one of my cars with a set of 69 351w heads that came off of an old round track car. I was fortunate enough to get them at a steal since I used to work for the guy that had them built. He had lots of money in these but changed to a larger engine due to weight changes in the class he was running. I got the heads for $100 bucks...complete. Anyway, he always tapped the block for the 1/2 head bolts so I did the same. Of course this was several years ago but I still run the same engine.
Some engine builders say that drilling and tapping a stock 302 block is not a good idea, due to weakening the already weak cast iron bosses. I've also heard that some have had good luck doing it.....so who knows?
