Hi All; I'm building a car for landspeed racing . We want to chase lower speeds first with 260 CI or less . The car is a 55 Ford Wagon and I have ready availability of 6 cyl race engines at 240-244 CI ,these make 325 HP even 350 HP on race fuel. A V8 has more power strokes, maybe it can make more power. Has anyone taken a 302 V8 down to 260 CI ? What was the combo? Power ? Thanks
One of Fords first small block was a 260. Looks the same as the 289/302 but it only has 5-bolt transmission. Later blocks are 6-bolt.
Thanks, I was hoping to avoid wreckers and swap meets but knowing their 5 bolt helps. Are the 289/302 just a bigger bore and same crank?
The first small block was actually 221 cubes, then 260, 289 and 302. The 221/260/289 all have the same stroke with progressively bigger bores, then for the 302 they added extra stroke. Why 260 cubes - is this a cl*** limit you are trying to fit into?
302 stroke is 3.00",289 stroke comes in at 2.87"....if you could get it way down to 2.5" with an offset grind.....Hmmmm..... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
That would give you 251 inches and change on a stock 4" bore,4.030 gives you 255 inches,4.060=259ci......you might be onto something.Can you run Cleveland heads on this thing too....? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Had World of Speed come off Dr. Mayfield would have been there running his "Worlds Fastest Sunbeam" using a 260 Ford block turbocharged. If you were to use SBC con rods and offset grind your crank to fit you could easily get a 289 or 302 down to 260. The original Ford 4 cam Indy engines were 255 inch but try finding a crank for that. I looked at two barrel Cleveland heads on the 260 block. Thought there might be interference with the valves and cylinder wall.
I was thinking the same thing:Offset ground stock crank and a set of aftermarket rods with tiny little big ends,and you're making big noise with a little engine. Do the rules in your cl*** allow aftermarket rods? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
If 2.12 journal cut to Honda.s 1.85 stroke goes from 2.79 to 2.52. With a 4" bore displacement is 253.
Early 289's had 5 bolt too. The 5L20 is got 65 L for November (A-M but no I for the month.) and 20 is day. So 11-20-1965. I think you can get Honda Rods to work for a destroker NASCAR rods are minimum of 1.77.
why not use a late roller cam block? and cleveland heads the valves will clear in a 4" bore. is it going to be blown,injected efi or mechanical or carburated (sp) wet or dry sump and gas or fuel?
Honda rod journals, suggested above, you can buy some very nice used nascar rods in multiple lengths to make this work, they go pretty cheap.
Yup. 5.0 blocks are plentiful,cheap,and reasonably tough.A set of Cleveland heads on a 4" bore x 2.nothin' inch stroke motor would be a zinger...!!! If it was turbo'd or blown it would be fun too,but now I really wanna see this combo go together naturally aspirated and just rev like a hummingbird.... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
OP here and a newbie ,you guys are great .Thank you. The idea with the little engine is to get up and running quickly ( spring2014) without having to build for the speeds(and rules) we ultimately want to attain . The drag coefficient of a 55 Ford wagon is .6 . We will be lucky to see 135mph . Not sure what the records are in E/CPRO but there are slicker shapes of cars . E is engine size , C means cl***ic, PRO means as produced
If you do want to go through with running Cleveland style heads on a 302 block,it's not really much work to make everything play nice together,all off the shelf parts,and a wee bit of machining to make the coolant p***ages jibe... I know of at least two sets of 70's Pro Stock style 'faceplated' high port Cleveland heads that would be killer for this combination.Let me know If you're interested in going that route.Theyre antiques,but they make a boatload of horsepower. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I think he said it was 260 inches....at least I believe that was the ci size he was shooting for. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
How fast do you want to go and what's your budget?!? You could do a LOT of stuff . . . most of it isn't cheap unless you have your own machine shop. Short block would be older pro stock style stuff . . . light crank, tiny piston height, ***anium rods, tiny piston rings, vacuum pump, dry sump, canted/splayed valves, solid roller, etc.
You could also find a 1980-82 255 V-8. It was put in fox body cars to meet emission requirements. It was a 3" stroke with 3.68" bore. Had small chambered heads and unigue intake compared to the regular 302.
If you put a 260/283/302 type of Ford in a 55 car you will indeed be running in Gas Coup. Has to have an engine you could buy in the car. The E/CPro record was 203 but I believe it was bumped during SpeedWeek. E/CGC is 210 unless it also got bumped. Tough cl***. Both records are held by a Monza
A Y-block was available for that car, how about a destroked 272 to achieve your 260 CID and some of the Mummert aluminum heads? Might not make as much power, but it would stay correct for the intended cl***.