Mex 302 block

raccol · December 6, 2006 at 10:54 PM

Has anyone ever heard of or seen any documentation stating Mex 302 blocks were sold OTC as HiPo replacements?

Sold for ?? by seller <BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>This auction is for one high nickel large main cap 289 service replacement 1968 mexican block. This was used to replace the 289 hipo motors that were in the shelby, ac cobra, and hipo k-code cars. This was available from ford through there early high performance catalog in the late 1960's This was used to replace damaged or worn out 289 hipo blocks, and was part of the LeMans series replacements. This block has the longer bores and stronger high nickel content, if you want to use it for to build a stroker motor. The build date on this block is 18D9 and you can see this in the picture. This block was aquired by me 3 years ago as a back up to my 1966 mustang 289 hipo car, but now I have a extra 289 hipo replacement. This block and caps have been baked, blasted, magnafluxed, and the bore checked by a local machine shop. It has already been bore 30 over and would need bore 40 or maybe 60 per machine shop. The line bore is true and this block only needs to be bored and built. The bellhousing side had the factory green hipo paint before the clean at the machine shop. I have a picture of the green paint before I took it to the machine shop posted on this auction. It now has been cleaned and the factory paint removed when baked by the machine shop. I have several pictures for the buyer upon request of the paint on the rear if needed after the auction. The outside of the block has been painted with cast coat and the inside coated with oil for protection from the machine shop. These blocks are known for being stronger blocks due to the nickel added by the factory, making them a great motor for building strokers. This block has the original main caps which are like the 289 hipo main caps and comes up 1 inch all the way up for added strength. This is the block that ford started to sell over the counter begining in 1968 as a service replacement blocks for the 289 hipo blocks in the shelby and such. This block can be bored and built to 60 over without a problem due to the extra nickel and thickness of the walls. If you want a block to build for a stroker motor, or to replace your original 289 hipo block than this is it. This is a factory service block that came from a old time Nascar racers collection. This is one he used in one of his race cars back in the day. I saw the factory parts catalog that he bought it from in the 1960's.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

link

RalphJr · December 7, 2006 at 9:40 AM

I've never heard this.

I have heard from multiple FoMoCo parts managers and machine shop buddies that these blocks were for TRUCKS and Marine, plus some heavy duty applications - but never as a direct HiPo replacement.

I think all the stories in Hot Rod in the 80's about this heavy duty block have perpetuated this rumor - HiPo's were scarse even then and the Mex302 was readily available. Hot Rod and others commonly mentioned finding one of these blocks "as a repalcement" for the true HiPo block.

OK my 2 cents.

raccol · December 7, 2006 at 11:42 AM

I also wish someone would produce some authoritative documentation to put the "higher nickel content" rumor to rest one way or the other.

Everyone keeps promulgating the info from wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Windsor_engine#302

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>For 1968 only, a special, high-performance version of the 302 was offered for the Shelby GT350. Its main features included an angled, high-rise intake manifold (aluminum or cast iron), larger four-barrel carburetor, and bigger valves, 1.875 in (47.6 mm) (intake) and 1.600 in (40.6 mm) (exhaust). It had a longer-duration camshaft, still with hydraulic lifters. The block was a high-strength, "Hecho en Mexico" design, with larger, two-bolt main bearing caps. The heads and high flow cast exhaust manifolds were similar to the 289 HiPO K-code's, with small, close-tolerance pushrod holes. Heavy duty connecting rods and a nodular iron crankshaft were also included in this HIPO package. Rated power (SAE gross) was estimated at 315 hp (235 kW) @ 5000 rpm and 333 lbf•ft (451 N•m) @ 3800 rpm. The package, which cost US$692 (including some other equipment), was quite rare, and did not return for 1969.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Even if this is correct, it doesn't mean that every Mex 302 that followed would be higher content. Is the block "high strength" because of the content or bigger caps and extra material added?

289kford · December 26, 2006 at 5:28 PM

at the risk of starting a fight, this topic has come up earlier. there are past threads indicating mexican blocks were used for hipo service short blocks. I found info on other sites (fairlane?) where posters quoted buying such a thing and had the part number listed.

I also talked to some old timer dealer parts people that were inclined to think that was correct.

past thread on service blocks speculated on this subject.

found this at cougar site....

hawkrod October 23rd, 2003 09:02 PM

i can help...

bet when you take off the intake there will be a casting that says Hencho En Mexico! yup, you gots one of dem dere mexican 302 blocks! i have heard them talked up and i have heard them talked down but i do know that ford actually used them as service replacement blocks for HiPo 289's in 1970 (i just sold a crate motor!). hawkrod

bruter October 24th, 2003 06:11 AM

so if it was used as a replacement block for hi-po engines then its a good one, right........or wrong.

hawkrod October 24th, 2003 01:40 PM

********************************************************************************

that was kind of the point to my statement...."i have heard them talked up and i have heard them talked down but i do know that ford actually used them as service replacement blocks for HiPo 289's in 1970". i can't say for sure if they were better or worse but i had a C5ZZ assembly and it had a C8AM block, boss 302 rods, C8ZZ balancer, hipo heads, cam, counter weight, etc... it had a 1970 assembly date and tag and when we checked the bearings for rust or damage it had 1970 date coded ford bearings. did ford think they were good enough or were they what was available? why didn't they use a boss 302 block? they used boss 302 rods (which are the same as hipo's except for the bolts and the way it is machined for the bolts). can't really guess what was on their minds back then. hawkrod

Edited by - 289kford on 12/26/2006 17:33:50

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