302 vs L67

doing some research for a swap. looking for 300/300 with weight and CHEAP a concern. so both of those fit close to that bill and can stick a T5 behind, right?

what else? anything to recommend one heavily or not over the other?

I am a huge Ford guy.

LS engine all the way.

In reply to John Brown:

as in LSx? given that i'm not trying to make huge ultimate power, my thinking was that I could save 100lbs on the transmission end and significant cost along with the lighter motor package. what exactly would make the LSx a better option with that consideration?

If you have the room for a 302 and are willing to deal with the wiring swap for an L67 you should just pick up an L53 truck engine and make the power easier.

In reply to John Brown:

L67 is the 3800 supercharged though...

i keep wanting to build something with an L67. the nice thing about that is youre a pulley change away from decent power while a 302 would want heads and a cam at least i'd imagine making it a bit more invasive (though cheap and plentiful plus delicious sounding). plus the center mass of the L67 could probably be further back too.

Now if it were between L67 and V6 Ford I would say build a 4.2L Ford truck engine with a Mustang intake manifold, a couple of DSM turbos a 157 tooth alloy flywheel and a T5 from a 5.0

It may help if you mention what car you're talking about.

I've had cars with both those engines and both are great. I think the 5.0 probably beats the 3.8 as far as being cheaper in the long run. - (cheap) parts availability and greater power potential in the 5.0. Probably more common too.

300/300 out of a 5.0 is pretty well documented and doable without expensive heads. The SBF is a good engine, but the ford heads really restrict the breathing - mostly on the exhaust side. The GT 40 heads help. Aftermarket are even better.

LM4, LM7 or L33 (in that order) All cheep as dirt ($500-$800 complete with ECU and wiring harness and accessories) and 300-320hp stock. 400 by just changing a cam. The LSx motors are still just stupid expensive in my book.

302 is easier to find. The L67 is cool, but expensive unless you manage to beat the stampeding rednecks desperate to literally rip the supercharger off of any of them that show up in pick and pull (destroying the fuel rails, wiring etc), then you have to deal with the throttle body pointed at the firewall in a rwd application, no provision for an intercooler, etc.

yes, I should have mentioned my application. I am planning my build for next spring. I want to start doing track days and my girlfriend has promised to help me build a car for next year. I'd like to keep it challenge legal if possible, but it's not a requirement. I've also been itching to play with something with more torque than the cars i've been driving. If she likes the car vs. it just being whatever I end up choosing, I'm sure it will go a long way with keeping her happily on board. I want to let her pick whatever car and swap in a drivetrain of choosing. goal is sub 2800lbs (closer to 2600 would be nice, of course) and 300/300. just something fun, doesn't have to win any races but i'd like it to be reliable for the abuse on track. to that end, i was hoping to find a mostly stock drivetrain and keep it that way.

a 302 seemed the best option, but it also seemed that if i can find an l67 donor car complete, that it could work almost as well considering cost, packaging size and with t5's being plentiful. the TB configuration but mostly lack of intercooling is a great point. i like the idea of alcohol injection, however.

i'm aware that for power, an aluminum block chevy is fantastic, especially something like an L33 for $5-600 at junkyards, but I haven't been able to figure out a manual to stick behind one other than of course the t56 which adds a big chunk of weight and cost to the budget.

so please, continue to inform me of other options or poke holes in my thinking. thanks, guys.

http://www.transmissionadapters.com/ Have you tried these guys? I don't see the Lx series mentioned, but he does custom stuff. Maybe he can give you an idea what it would cost. Just a thought...

The kind of car makes a big difference. Good cars with room to swap in whatever rwd drivetrain you feel like into them arent really all that common anymore compared to all the newer stuff around. Is no FWD one of the requirements? There are more than a few fwd (or even awd cars) that can make 300hp with forced induction. Turbo dodge, audi 5 cylinder, MX6 turbo, VR6 VW, etc.

I see these for cheap pretty commonly. Just a thought.

Novak and Advance adapters both make adapter bell housings for an ax-15 to bolt behind an LSx. The same bell housing will bolt a Supra 5-speed behind it. Could you really have more fun?

I'd stick with a N/A motor for a road-race application, or at least try to incorporate some sort of intercooling with the L67. I could see skyrocketing IATs and heatsoak happening pretty fast.