If anyone knows shit about engine building or the Ford 302 Windsor

3. Can I use my stock roller lifters and connecting rods? I'm not gonna be drag racing or tracking this thing, I just want enough grunt to haul its fat ass away from a stoplight quicker and maybe do a burnout here and there.

4. Will the cast pistons be an issue, durability-wise? I've heard the 302's pistons will generally outlive the block and I'd rather not work on the bottom end at all, because I'm doing this with the engine still in the car and you've gotta lift it out to drop the oil pan.

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>1. lopo pistons are not flat, they have a small dish in them, your correct they do not have valve reliefs. You need a HO computer, be it a HO speed density computer, or a HO mass air (if you do a mass air swap). Changing the plug wires around isn't enough, as it will still fire the injectors at the wrong time, not to mention a lopo computer is programmed for 14# injectors. The AOD is a 100% ,mechanical trans, the computer has no effect on it. You will want a semi decent convertor (stock stall is something like 1600), and a shitkit or valve body.

>2. Depends on what heads/cam you go with

>3. Yep.

>4. Not at all in n/a form

Personally, having done this more times then I care to count, go get a junkyard explorer/mountaineer 5.0.
You get a great upper and lower intake, Throttle Body, 19# injectors, gt40/p's, and a bottom end with flattop hypereutectic pistons.
Throw in some decent valve springs, alex parts has the cheapest kit.
Stab in a stock HO cam
If you get gt40p's, FRPP mustang shorties with a mustang H pipe and some mods fit a box semi decent and clear the spark plugs
Like I said earlier, semi decent convert. Super coupe convertor is a popular cheap upgrade.
Generic shiftkit of your choice or aftermarket valve body if you want to go all out
3.55's minimum and a trac-lok out back

This combo will run fine on a HO speed density computer. Great combo for a daily driver/ occasional fun. I ran if for years in my old 89 vic (except with a t5 instead of a slushbox AOD)

I eventually threw on some cheap trick flows, a TFS cam, converted it to mass air, tuned it with a quarter horse, and promptly grenaded the rend.

>>17416925
You sound like you know more than anyone here already.

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I'm half asleep so I'm sure I missed a bunch, if this threads alive tomorrow I'l add some more.

Of course you also will want to make the thing not handle like shit and stop even worse.

98-02 big brake swap, 92-97 rear disk swap, PI rear sway bar with PI lower control arms, PI or addco front bar, speedway motors lowering springs, PI spec gas-a-adjust all the way around, poly bushings, poly body mounts, it adds up quick.

>>17416925
You need a wiring harness and computer to convert to mass air.
You should already have 19 lb injectors.
Its a 5.0 not a 302 so you already have the other firing order.
Mustang ecu is better- due to C.A.F.E. regulations, the mustang was the flagship and got the most power while everyone else had less power/better fuel economy to get that fleet average within spec. A9P is the automatic computer you'd want to run.
Lift/duration is always tricky because there was no standard. Changes were made yearly and even varied across platforms.
You can probably get away with b303 cam
parameters.
Putting new lifters on an old can is fine. Putting old lifters on a new can is not recommended.
Pushrods are cheap.
The hypereutic piston are fine.

>>17417355
>>17417306
I can't believe there are more than one anons here who could actually help OP.

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>>17417355
>You need a wiring harness and computer to convert to mass air.
You don't need the wiring harness, you need to move 2 wires, and ad a few, been there, done it.
>You should already have 19 lb injectors.
Lopo 5.0's have 14# injectors
>Its a 5.0 not a 302 so you already have the other firing order.
wat lopo 5.0 firing order is 15426378, HO and truck (and 351 panthers) is 13726548
>Mustang ecu is better- due to C.A.F.E. regulations, the mustang was the flagship and got the most power while everyone else had less power/better fuel economy to get that fleet average within spec. A9P is the automatic computer you'd want to run.
If OP stays SD, which for the mild engine it sounds like he wants is just fine, he can run a HO SD computer out of a mark VII (the D9S which I have usually use), which is supposedly a tiny bit hotter then a SD HO stang computer. Supposedly it's a bit more aggressive in the timing department, but I have no facts to back that up, I've run SD HO stang computers before and have never had a problem with one either.

>>17417407
If there's one thing I know, it's modifying shitty old box panthers.

>>17417306
>Personally, having done this more times then I care to count, go get a junkyard explorer/mountaineer 5.0.
>You get a great upper and lower intake, Throttle Body, 19# injectors, gt40/p's, and a bottom end with flattop hypereutectic pistons.
>Throw in some decent valve springs, alex parts has the cheapest kit.
This is what I'm doing, but with an e-cam and a carburetor.

What I'm trying to figure out now is if it's worth it to upgrade to full roller rockers vs the stock GT40p roller top rockers.