The 302 is ready to drop in my '65 Mustang.

302 bore.030, edelbrock top end kit w aluminum RPM heads. Retro roller "rollin thunder roller cam.
Howards roller lifters, trick flow roller rockers, Speed pro flat top pistons w valve relieves.
MSD billet Electronic ignition w rev. limiter. CVF racing billet aluminum pulleys, alt. bracket 8 rib belt.

A pic from yesterday evenings ride around the neighborhood.

New shocks in the rear, rubber bushings in leafs, changed motor mounts,
new thermostat Cleveland style which did improve cooling.

M/T Valve Covers.

My latest Ebay find/buy. A set of beautiful Mickey Thompson valve Covers for my 351C.
Restored and powder coated.

Ram Air Hood.

My latest find. A Cougar hood. Overhere in Europe this is a rare find, not to many Cougars are being scraped. This hood i will use for my Ram Air build, didnt want to cut in the original hood.

A 351 Cleveland is a small block period!

When surfing around the net very often people claims that a cleveland is a big block or mid block. Its a small block. A big block refeers to the size of the block and a cleveland has the same size as a 302 and 351 windsors which is small blocks.
End of discussion.

Meassured push rod length and valve to piston clearance.

With my homemade push rod length checkers i could decide which length i shall use for my motor.
I found out that my length should be 6.385". When i was done with that and my rocker pattern at the tip of the valve was ok, i could check my valve to piston clearance.

With my roller cam Edelbrock 2221  w .520/.520 lift and edelbrock aluminum heads 60229, stock crank and rods, Speed Pro pistons flat top w valve relieves,  Trick Flow roller rockers 1.6 and edelbrock/Felpro cylinder head gasket it wasnt any problems at all.

I used clay that i put on the pistons in the valve relieves and rotated the crank a couple of times with my heads mounted and my valve lash settled. Then i removed the clay and meassured the thickness of the compressed clay.

Minimum clearance allowed at intake valve .080", my was 0.285".
Minimum clearance allowed at exhaust valve .110", my was 0.332".

Perfect rocker to valve tip pattern.

Intake clearance

Exhaust clearance

Push rod length checker DIY.

A important thing is lenght of the push rods. A lenght checker isnt expensive.
I didnt had one in hand so i made my own.

Cut the old push rod in two half, cut off another inch or two from one of the halves.
Make threads in both halves with a tap. I used M6 and i think that 5/16 should work.
Take a threaded rod and 2 nuts to lock the threads. Simple and perfect and almost free.




Threading push rod to be a lenght checker.



My homemade push rod checkers.

 

The 302 retro roller ready for push rod length check.