302 upgrade - Roller Rockers question

Rusty_S85

Rusty_S85

Member
I have this nagging question I want to pose here to see if anyone can give me a more direct answer than a vague one.

I want to reuse the '82 Ford factory stamped steel valve covers on the 302 in my truck. how ever I am upgrading to a newer '96 Explorer long block that I will back date to be carbed and DSII. Thing is though this engine is a roller lifter engine which should have the sought after F4TE truck cam.

My thing is everyone I talk to with these trucks goes on and on about running a 1.7:1 rocker over the stock 1.6:1 rocker as it will really waken up the small factory roller truck cam by giving it a bit more lift.

I am thinking of doing this and found out Crane makes a bolt in non adjustable roller rocker in 1.7:1 but it says you may have to dimple your factory valve covers for clearance or go with aftermarket tall valve covers.

I want to know if anyone done this before were they able to run a factory ford stamped steel valve cover? I hate to get aluminum valve covers after I bought so much 2 stage epoxy engine blue to paint the whole engine stock.

I had one guy in summit questions tell me he maintained his oem '84 302 steel valve covers with no problem but that is questionable for me and would like to find out more before I go spending $220 for the rocker kit and find out I have to also buy a $100+ set of aftermarket tall valve covers.
 
JeffB2 said:
You can go this route https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Ansen-120-4002-Small-Block-Ford-Valve-Cover-Spacers,35302.html The Summit guy is pulling your leg no way do roller rockers clear a stock valve cover.
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Thanks for the reply, that's the thing I don't know. Looking at the way how these are made they are low profile they don't even have poly locks which is what typically raises the height of roller rockers. These are plain old non adjustable pedestal mount rocker arms just like the old stamped steel ones.

This is the pdf for the instructions it has a drawing of them assembled.

https://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/crn-453e.pdf

And this jegs link shows how the rockers are setup. You have a rocker pedestal guide to keep them square, a pedestal, the roller rocker itself and a bolt that you torque to spec to lock it down.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Crane+Cams/2...MIycWB-Zvg4AIVmbXACh2sMwZ5EAAYAiAAEgIlVPD_BwE

That's why I want to make sure cause if I have to end up running something like those valve cover lifts I will just stick with the stock stamped steel 1.6:1 rockers as my truck has a York A/C compressor with the lines running almost over the valve cover. To raise them that much would be a nightmare to get them replaced when I have to do gaskets.
 
Install those with studs and there will be no "gasket change" issues. The AC lines should not present a problem with those spacers in place.
 
Ford blue blood said:
Install those with studs and there will be no "gasket change" issues. The AC lines should not present a problem with those spacers in place.
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True. I will keep that in mind.

Right now I found theses made by Proform under license.

They are a slant design and will fit aftermarket roller rockers. I can also save money getting them bare and paint them blue like they offer but use the same 2k engine paint so it all matches color wise.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/pro-302-146
 
I think the Crane rockers you are describing are the ones that Ford used on an original '93 Mustang Cobra 5.0. Crane actually supplied them to Ford for this particular application. I believe they will fit under the '82 covers. I used them under a set of '86 pickup OE tin valve covers with no interference.
FWIW, my pickup 302 I installed the same F4 roller cam you described, headers, true dual exhaust, no cats and no A.I.R pump. I did some work on the exhaust ports, gasket matching and ground out the thermactor humps and it ran the stock '86 non-sequential port fuel injection. All said and done the seat of the pants power was a little better than stock, but probably not worth the cost and fooling around
 
craig said:
I think the Crane rockers you are describing are the ones that Ford used on an original '93 Mustang Cobra 5.0. Crane actually supplied them to Ford for this particular application. I believe they will fit under the '82 covers. I used them under a set of '86 pickup OE tin valve covers with no interference.
FWIW, my pickup 302 I installed the same F4 roller cam you described, headers, true dual exhaust, no cats and no A.I.R pump. I did some work on the exhaust ports, gasket matching and ground out the thermactor humps and it ran the stock '86 non-sequential port fuel injection. All said and done the seat of the pants power was a little better than stock, but probably not worth the cost and fooling around
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Yep that's what I found out the 93 - 95 cobra 5.0`s used this roller rocker.

My thing is I have to get a new engine for my truck, the balancer broke apart and spun on the crank, crank wasn't damaged but I think it egg shaped the snout as the crank bolt came out hammering on it about 3/4 of the way then twisted off in the crank.

So my option is to pull the old engine that was rebuilt back in the early 90`s and has used oil ever since it was rebuilt to throw a $300 crank in it or pull it and throw in a newer engine.

Pricing has changed a bit from powertrain Products so now I am looking at going with just a 94-96 truck 302 with the same roller F4TE cam as the explorer but it doesn't sport the GT40 heads. I can upgrade later on to GT40 heads as I can get a pair of remain factory GT40 heads off summit or jegs for $600 for the pair with core charge.

So with this all taken into consideration my options is to spend $2,200 including core and shipping for a correct year reman long block for my truck or spend $2,500 including core and shipping for a updated 94-96 reman long block that is ford rated at 195hp vs my original that was rated at 135hp.
 
Hit the yards and look for an Explorer engine. Not sure of the availability in your area but here in Birmingham 302 Explorer engine run from 500 - 1K depending on miles. Never had one with right at 100K smoke or give problems. They can be "back fitted" with no issues.
 
Ford blue blood said:
Hit the yards and look for an Explorer engine. Not sure of the availability in your area but here in Birmingham 302 Explorer engine run from 500 - 1K depending on miles. Never had one with right at 100K smoke or give problems. They can be "back fitted" with no issues.
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I checked, all the local junkyards don't currently have a '96 Explorer engine. I put a line out online and got junkyards as far as Chicago saying they have one but all of them wanted well over $1,000 for the engine not including shipping.

If I could have found one local I agree that would have been the way to go
 
I have a 2000 Explorer 302, has 260,000 miles and runs great, no smoke and no leaks. Where I live there are traditional wrecking yards as well as "you pull" yards. There are usually half a dozen 302 Explorers there at any given time and the complete engines are just a couple hundred dollars, short blocks even less. Have you tried Craigslist?
 
craig said:
I have a 2000 Explorer 302, has 260,000 miles and runs great, no smoke and no leaks. Where I live there are traditional wrecking yards as well as "you pull" yards. There are usually half a dozen 302 Explorers there at any given time and the complete engines are just a couple hundred dollars, short blocks even less. Have you tried Craigslist?
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I haven't checked craigslist. Will give them a look how ever.

Gene F said:
With the oil chemistry what it is today, roller is the way to go.
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It is. Why I am going for a 302 made after 1994 as the truck based 302`s after 1994 all used the same F4TE roller cam. Only upgrade I am contemplating is the 94-95 Cobra 5.0 roller rockers which is basically a roller 1.7:1 rocker over the stock 1.6:1. Would help with the small cam the F4TE is.
 
Rusty_S85 said:
I haven't checked craigslist. Will give them a look how ever.



It is. Why I am going for a 302 made after 1994 as the truck based 302`s after 1994 all used the same F4TE roller cam. Only upgrade I am contemplating is the 94-95 Cobra 5.0 roller rockers which is basically a roller 1.7:1 rocker over the stock 1.6:1. Would help with the small cam the F4TE is.
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For a little more $$ over those GT40's these would gain you about 40-50 more HP https://www.skipwhiteperformance.co...190cc-aluminum-heads-60cc-nkb-ford-274_90210/
 
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