U/SA 302 ffffford build

[Rory McNeil]

Originally Posted by Jeff Stout

This. 8.8 is way better for you application

Gotta agree, not to mention it`s a straight bolt in, and should be pretty easy to find a 8.8 from a 5.0 Mustang, which came with 8.8s starting in 1986, and were the same thru 1993. The only real place a 9" is better for something like this, is a wider assortment of ratios to choose from. With the 8.8, unless things have changed in recent years, there is nothing between 4.88 and 5.14, and then nothing again until 5.71. On my 85 Mustang M/S, I ran both the 4.88s and 5.14s, with 29 and 29 1/2" tall tires, with the 2 barrel deal, 28s or 26" tall tires would be an easy way to dial in the ratio/tire diameter combination. As for strength, you will never hurt the 8.8, my M/S 85 Mustang was a stick car, leaving at 6000-6200 RPM, with cheap Moser 31 spline axles, and even with my 331 bracket engine (10.2@ 129 MPH, with mid 1.3 60 foots, dropping the clutch at 62-6600 RPM), I never hurt the rearend. That said, we did weld the axle tubes to the cast center, and made braces to go from the casting to the ends of the axle tubes. Heck, even the stock 7.5 rearend that should be in the car already, would likely hold up with the 2 barrel automatic combo, not sure what the ratio selection for those is, however. For a set of cheap, easy to buy, "off the shelf" headers, I had Hedman long tubes on my street Fairmont years ago, with 1 1/2" primaries, which would be a great place to start for something like that. The 85 4 barrel combo is a pretty decent one, but stick only, is that bothers you, but with the current HP ratings, the 2 barrel is a GREAT combo, as would be the 82 "5.0 HO" 2 barrel deal, which has a larger cam and carb, but again, is a stick only deal. The heads on all the 78 thru 85 Ford 302/5.0 engines are the same 2 barrel, or 4 barrel, although the 85s do have a different casting number, but are identical, other than being relieved at the lower flange, to allow the longer roller lifters used in 85, to be removed and installed with the heads in place.