In 1968 Ford increased the size of their ‘small block’ engines from 289 cubic inches to 302 cubic inches. A liter is 61.5 cubic inches, so 5 times 61.5 equals 307.5, or darn close to 302 cubic inches. The very first Ford small block engine was 221 cubic inches and was introduced in 1962.
Ford slipped a few extra cubic inches into the 289 and the 302 became one of the longest running engines Ford ran production on until it was retired in 2001. It is still available from the finest engine replacement companies, referred to as crate engines, brand spanking new. It came in all sorts of variations, from the 2 barrel carbureted version that went in the everyday go getters, to the super bad Boss 302.
I had an old Ford Fairlane station wagon with a 302 for a while, it was an excellent running car, not a hot rod or anything, which is why I sold it! One of my first cars was a 1966 Shelby Mustang and that had the 289GT engine which has solid lifters and an aluminum intake manifold. It was a hot running engine, faster that greased lightening.
The 289GT and Boss 302 engines sprung some heavy competition in the Trans Am series of racing between the big 3 automakers. All three introduced their respective versions of cars to compete with the Mustang.
As it turned out the engine was so reliable structurally that they decided to keep it in production for what seems like forever. One of the reasons for not changing the cubic inch size or redesigning the whole engine was that it was so compatible to each new level of technology that there was no need to introduce an other design of engine in the ‘small block’ category until it was progressively replaced by the 4.6 L Ford Modular engine starting in the early 1990s.
Even a walking talking informational factory on small block Ford Engines of the 302 size can’t go into full detail on every version ford produced. The bottom line is it was one of the most successful engines ever made and fits the bill of many vehicles during it’s extensive production run.
My suggestion to you if you are looking for Ford 5L engines for sale is to call GotEngines.com and speak with someone who has the information right in front of them and has plenty of time to describe your options in terms you will understand. Call them now for all of you engine needs. 1-877-28-0664.
