Just take it to the machine shop and do a basic ring and bearing job on it. Hone it with a torque plate and polish the crank. Probably get out way less than $1000 for a bottom end refresh. Then score you some used heads on Market place or worst case, some Explorer GT40 heads from the JY. You can get the AFR 185 Enforcer heads for $1200 for the pair… Slap them on with a good cam and make some power.

Trust your soul! Keep it ford!

Art , looks like your keeping the local scraper busy with junk . Don't forget your local auto part rebuilder buyer . Will keep you in sodas. I enjoy watching.

I have a small blk chevy in FJ60. runs great.

I agree at this point its definitely worth looking for something else with the condition of that motor.

Just subbed, great video man. Rah

Buy a Explorer or a 5.0 mustang short-block for like 300-500, or do what I did and build it right while ya can. That way you can always throw a turbo or Supercharger on it. I’d throw a 351w in it if it was me…

I enjoyed your video we've been there ourselves with the same decision with the ls sitting there in front of us , it makes it hard to do when you have blue blood running through your veins, good luck with whatever you decide to do

First i would like to say, I really enjoy watching your channel and can't believe you don't have more subscribers yet although I think that will change in the future. Secondly ls is way better just saying. I have a 86 foxbody that is the same color. Would love to see what it takes to swap it. Keep up the great work. Look forward to seeing the rest of this build no matter what way it goes

First off I’d scrap the boat anchor ls and second I’d get an explorer/mountaineer 5.0 and go from there.

DO NOT LS SWAP!!!

Sucks man. My son and i just rebuilt the 302 in my SSP last fall. If you go through with a rebuild or even start fresh with another donor SBF, im happy to be a resource for you. That notch has a lot of promise left in it.

Looks like the 2 non firing cylinders had clean areas on the edge of the piston. Lack of lubrication, or the unburned fuel cleaning it from then not firing. Id confirm Ignition all good too.

Another great video. I lost compression in two cylinders as well back in 2022. I ended up buying a replacement engine and did all new motor mounts, new water pump and new rear main seal. It has been running great and just mounted it all up against a new Tremec TKX. Please still resist the urge to LS swap. Thanks

Hey dude! I appreciate your vids man. From the title of your KZfaq channel i say from one military vet to another respect and gives me motivation to tackle projects on my 1988 lx 5.0 vert. I did the AOD to T-5 swap last summer now about to do the rear end rebuild and 355 gears. I am also gonna do a old school nostalgic gt40 set up on my car, but after watching this video and seeing what a old stock bottom end could look like I am hesitate hahah. My car only has 105,000 miles on the motor and seems to be in good health. Keep the content going!!! hopefully you get your old girl up and running again. Interested to see what the plan is for your build!!! respect from Maryland! IZZY

The recipe: Healthy junk yard Roller motor 92-96 351 Windsor swap w/ gt40p heads/ B cam / single plane intake manifold/ brawler 750 carb / HEI distributor. 100% bulletproof also helps to have a good fuel pressure regulator 5-7 psi

Diff fluid smell is haunting! Great vids CANADIAN SUPERMAN APPROVES

I would make it a 347 and have fun

Plz keep it 5.0, mostly cause I’m building mine and I love to see the SBF getting some love, stay warm in state 48

lol bro i have a 93 GT that im about to start doing a top end on. I just found your channel and i love it.

Definitely signs of oil starvation, most likely from the pan being smashed into the pickup. Watching this video gives me anxiety lol. I was a diehard ford guy and went through all this crap a few times. So glad i went ls, much nicer to work on! Not to mention they can handle tons of power. Absolute only downfall is everyone has one now, but for good reason.

We didnt even torque plate our 302. Added extra thousandth and a half piston clearence ( .0015 ) and used arp headstuds. It lived at 6500+rpm happily. It was meant to be budget and temporary. Ran so good buddies used/borrowed it, we always relied on it while the monster engine was getting upgrades/refresh, on and on. Just an fyi, cast rings (not moly) are pretty darn forgiving. Just give her some miles of calm driving break-in, if you don't bore it.

There’s a saying my pappy would say boy if you want to be you better have deep pockets

As an Aussie I clearly am biased but if you can afford a Barra swap you'll be pleasantly surprised....

Yup Scappy,❤LoveJim J&R mobile service and God Bless y'all and your critters

I could care less what people put in what. I'm a chevy guy, and I'm gonna put a big block Ford in my chevy dually. I just don't want to watch another LS video.

Great video

Could also coyote swap it too or if you like pushrod engines then Godzilla swap it.

Just send the block to a machine shop, have them check the crank, put new cam bearings in it and go from there. Honestly I have seen worse when tearing one apart. As long as the crank can be saved then the rest isn’t that big of a deal because you would replace all the bearings anyway as long as none of the bearings spun. Keep the LS out of your mind! Throw a cover over it so you can’t see it!

If ur wanting a peppy cruiser keep it ford, if you have drag racing in mind possibly LS, id never go with a chevy in my 88, i just built my 1st engine, the factory stock block into a 331stroker and i might be seeing alot of what happened to ur engine, something isnt right with mine, i didn't wanna do the rockers because i didn't know what i was doing. Alot of utube but they are probably not adjusted right, i went all out on mine, trick flow 170 heads , systemax new upper and lower, new 75mm bbk throttle body, bbk 1-3/4 longtubes, new bbk 75 mm MAF calibrated to 24lb injectors new excell 24lb injectors and a ton of other stuff, got alot of dough in this motor but it aint right, if you do build another 302 make sure to use a reputable machine shop and do the whole block, i only had mine bored 30 over for the dss pistons in the scat crank kit, i opted not to do the line hone and the machine work to the lifter holes

Eh, only good solution is $$$$ and like me, probably not a great option! I would polish crank, check bores at machine shop. New bearings on polished crank is ok, I’ve done it plenty of times. Check out my Buick grand national video, bearings were worse, machine shop polished crank and I’ve been stomping on it ever since with no issue at all. I don’t like cut cranks, I’ve always had problems once the crank is cut, thicker bearings don’t last imo…on something that is beat the crap out of it all the time. That mustang block looks like it could be saved easily, then do the heads and cam stuff new and start doing some valve floating burnouts for distance Lol

Keep it Factory! All I have to say

Be careful, that LS will put itself in that front of that car while you're not looking. you know what to do... Find something Blue Oval , you'll be happier. That LS will just have to wait. Earl wants a Blue Oval brother. (find another motor home?😅)

You will be further ahead time and money wise if You just rebuild what You have it's a Fox body Mustang 🐎 not a chevstang , there's so much that You can do with what You have in front of You and keep it a true 🦊 🐎 that will be more desirable to the 🦊 body purest but it's Your car and it's Your choice as to what You want to do ⁉️ Best Wishes and Good Luck , Please keep Us updated on Your build and Thank You . 🇺🇸🇵🇷🦊👍

Keep the 5 L. From what I see you can build that block fairly easy. Mike, the cylinder walls to make sure the round cross hatch them if they’re OK have the crank either polished or turned 1010 by new pistons forged. When you take it apart, you’ll find your oil problem is more than likely seized oil rings. Could be valve guides in the heads, but nothing serious with that block. You’ll spend less money putting together that motor with the parts by new heads. Put a lumpy cam in it. New rockers, push rods and lifters if you put the LS in it you’re just going to bastardized the car and the value is going to be a lot less than what the well-built five L

Ring and bearing it... carb, 600dbl pmp, Ebay HEI/Done. If you want it economical.... LS. I could tell you every part to buy, I have it down to a science...Lol

You know that hood will lay all the way back right? Put a blanket on the windshield and lay the hood back on it.

I hope you can find a 351 roller motor. I own two 88 fox body. I would keep it Ford .

Where did you get those headlights they look super clean

Fight the urge to put that Superior engine in the oval car. Stay true to the blue. It will cost $1,200 to have the machine work done to that block to make it a 347. Go that root maybe . By the way I think if the exhaust valves were tight on those front two cylinders while it was running with the lifters pump up it could hold the exhaust open just enough. you would have dead holes. You wouldn’t see it on a compression test because theirs no oil pressure. Just a thought

I did a 306 stroker with mine f303 cam. Very pleased with my results if you want a mod motor find a 4v 4.6 lol dont ls it lol l.s stands for lazy shi# we Ford owners aint lazy

You really want to flip people out, put that inline 6 in there.

Good post personal I would build what you got. You'll know what you have. PLEASE NO LS !! I was watching another tuber not to be named. He had gotten a 65 2 door galaxy 289 4 speed ( I think ) got it running and then put a L S in it. I've got to where if I watch his post ok or not. That's just me !

I subscribed just because I’m also a veteran and an idiot

I sent my block to the machine shop, had them hot tank the block and hydraflux it, new freeze plugs and oil galley plugs and they also installed the cam bearings for me. Motor was .030 over and needed a set of pistons because they were super cheap. $1400 bill wasn’t too bad at all. This stuff is expensive nowadays and I’m first to know that lol, 21 years old with ALOT of money into a 35 year old motor but hey I love SBF

Let's be positive, statistically speaking it's gotta be harder to find a worst engine that this one !

New to the channel. LS swap it. That's the smart thing to do.

Put a 247 stroker crate engine in it and some prep and go racing or ls swap it !

Could you keep saying that the where is from the valve train being over tightened but yet the valve train on that year of 302 is non-adjustable so the pushrod length would have to be off

Art, build a Ford or buy a Ford please do not use the LS you’ll spend more money trying to adapt that correctly then you will with the Ford build.

Put a lq4 in it. You know you want to

Great video i really enjoy laughing at you/with you. Keep it Ford all day everyday but on the other hand the LS is a Ford design that they sold to chevy so it kinda will stay a Ford if you drop it in.

I have a 302 for sale 500$ and have gt40 head and a cobra intake manifold

A nice 460 would look good in there.👍

You know Art, I'm just sitting here watching, it wouldn't take that much to get me out of this recliner and lend a hand. Kind of a long walk from Fairbanks tho, but hey.. Just sayin..

I'd love for you to keep it Ford powered but if I had a LS sitting next it I don't know if I could resist.

I'm a big fan of the LS, it's a great engine but like you, it would hurt my soul to put it in that Mustang. I'm also a fan of the small block Ford. It's a good motor when properly maintained. I think that block can still be saved by a good machine shop. That and some aluminum heads and a new cam. You'll have a really good motor.

You put that LS in that car and I will buy the car off of you to save the car

If you decide to go budget i have rockers and pushrods i can give to you. Wouldn't be much to ship from Norcal

Put that ls in there while you rebuild, bore and stroke that block or better yet bore and stroke a 351 to put in there. Take your time and do what's best for you. And of course have fun!!!

Ronnie James Dio..... sing the whole song please? 🤣

Sell the ls or by a vega to put the ls in.

Stroker kit.

Stop teasing us and do what needs to be done. LS swap, TKX trans and watch TDF enjoy this thing

351 swap

What size tires are you running on the back?

What part of AZ are you in?

Out the Ls in

Yes just ls swap it if you have one.

If you had a pair you would buy a Camaro and put a Coyote in it.

Save your money and time go back to junkyard and grab you a late 90s 351w throw it in, you’ll thank me later!

LS swap it…..its just a clapped out fox…its not like its a 1970 boss 302 mach 1

No way you shouldn't rebuild that engine. Normal wear and not all that bad. Easy to get a reworked crank with fitted bearings, and cam didn't look that bad if you wanted to keep it. Otherwise, why so slow? Even at 2x speed video seemed long.

I like the car and the vision of the build, I’ve been there with my own. I just can’t watch because you are imitating the guy with a Canadian sounding accent on here. Just be yourself.

Lack of oil

Build a 351 trust me I’m a doctor lol

Wat size is that good

are you trying to act like Derek vice grip garage?

🦊🔧🚗👊🇺🇸💪🙌🔥

Don't do it 😂 ill quit watching 😂