Learn me on 302s

So, I got me my MGB GT. And I'm busy dealing with little stuff. But as some might remember, the goal is to stuff a V8 in there eventually.

I know waaay too much about Miatas, but nothing about Fords. So I ask for your help.

Goal: decent performance for a good price. I don't need 400 hp, and $1700 heads are not in the budget. What factory parts are worth hunting down? I've heard of "GT40" heads on Explorers, for example. Should I look for one, or just get myself a wrecked 225 hp Mustang GT and install the whole package?

What tricks are there to make the engine smaller? Are the EFI intakes shorter than the carb ones? Is there one application of water pump or harmonic damper that makes the engine shorter?

I'm not much on 302s in general, but I do know a little about stuffing them in an MGB.

Size-wise, you don't have too many problems. You'll want to move the radiator forward, using the later-style support. You'll PROBABLY need to smack out the fender-wells a little, mimicking the later style. May not have to.

Headers may be an issue. Some people try to get some that fit tight and go down between the frame rails. Others say to hell with it and run 'em out through the fender wells (MG did this themselves on the RV8s)

There's aluminum 302 heads that are worthwhile if you can find 'em cheap. Bring the total weight to within a whisker of the original iron 4.

Keith, you should go pick up a complete Explorer engine. The stainless 1996-1998 headers actually look like they may fit into the B chassis without much of an issue. It is a few mods away from being the perfect engine for what you want.

Man, I know where a MGB GT is just rotting away in plain site (outside of Mechanicsburg PA), and always had a thing for those cars.

A V8 would be dreamy.

Headers don't scare me :) I can deal with that. I can move radiators too. I've been collecting pictures of V8 MGs, including some really high-rez shots of a build one of the big shops is doing.

John, what mods would make the Explorer into the perfect engine? That has the GT40 heads, right? From what I understand, this means a different port location so you kinda have to commit to one or the other. Which is more common on the aftermarket aluminum heads?

Are the EFI systems in these stand-alone? In other words, is there an engine wiring harness that's more or less divorced from all the messy HVAC/lighting/power seats/radio stuff?

The Wiring harness has three power connectors and are stand alone, the computer mounts in the firewall and it is very simple to relocate it into the recieving vehicle.

The Explorer engine needs very little for what you want to do. I would swap the accessory drive for a FOX 5.0L setup (narower) The elbow in the Explorer intake setup can be removed if you want to clean up airflow, but in its stock form it will breathe well enough.

A set of pistons, an F303 cam, TFS stock replacement valve springs and proper intake and exhaust flow will make the engine sing.

Now that's the sort of info I'm looking for!

Any bellhousing oddness? Will a Mustang transmission (what's that, a T5?) bolt right up to the Explorer engine, along with a Mustang flywheel and clutch?

Mustang transmissions bolt up. Use a 5.0L flywheel (50oz imbalance) and buy the King Cobra clutch (nice linear take up with great grip).

I have converted V6 transmissions to work with use of the 94-95 bellhousing (input shaft length differences, primarily).

FOX V8 transmissions=short input shaft SN95 transmissions=Long input shaft

I have a core FOX trans, flywheel et al for cheap + shipping. LMK

The 5.0 engine won't take more than 450 hp, but you don't seem to think you'll push that far. Also, note that GT-40 heads are named almost arbitrarily. They are not even close to the heads that were on the actual GT-40 car. They're not really that great, from what I hear anyway.

Watch the T-5 transmission. Put enough power into them (not much more than stock) and you'll start breaking gears if you're hard on them. [EDIT: This really only applies if you are putting down some major traction from what I hear - watch it at the drag strip. Otherwise, you'll probably be fine.] Also, the rear oil seal can fail leaving you without transmission oil.

The engine is pretty good. If you get the HO (High Output) from a Fox body Mustang, aim for the last two years (1991 and 1992). I think there were minor changes in the Mass Air Sensor and some other bits. They tend to run out of steam at about 5,500 rpms though (the redline is a lofty 5,900 lol) so a camshaft (notice I said one hehe) might be in order to help it breathe a bit better at higher RPMs. Maybe you can do some work to the stock heads to get them to breathe better (valve job and porting). Otherwise, for a Miata, to preserve lightness, get some aluminum heads like Tim recommended. The iron ones are over 60 lbs a piece IIRC.

Have fun. I think I might do this too if I can get the time and find a cheap engine.

The goal for this car is not to be a massive hp monster. There are four track cars in the garage already! Did I just write that? Wow. Anyhow...

It's just to be a cruiser with a nice bit of shove and a rumble. If I can keep stock T5 internals and retain the MG rear end (with a little work on location), great. That certainly limits my power levels and also my costs! 250 hp would do me fine - but I'm always looking for the hot tip.

Aluminum heads would rock, no question. Are they usually the GT-40 style or the, umm, not-GT-40? Or does it matter? I might be misremembering about the port and header info. I might build the car with stock heads and then throw in some alloy units later.

Edelbrock makes the best value-dollar heads on the market. TFS and others are all really close but for a stock replacement alloy head, the $1000.00 you spend on a set of Vics finest will shock you.

But you will not need them.

Go drive a 1998 Mountaineer, then imagine removing removing 1500lbs from it as well as adding a 5 speed... A stock mill will scare you just fine (and i know how HARD it is to scare you ;) )

I'm going to try this "reply" feature.

Sorry, I didn't mean to misread your post (if you were talking to me). I know you said you weren't looking for too much power, but if I remember correctly, the Ford Motorsport transmission I upgraded to could only handle (according to Ford) 350 ft-lbs of torque - just 50 more than what a stock 302 puts out. I don't know what the stock one can handle, but I hear it's not much from some people who have broken them. I don't think you'll have a problem though.

[Reply kinda just did what I expected it to do]