boss 302???

hello
my father recently gave me his 71' correct craft. were not currently speaking but he swore to me that it had a boss 302 instead of a regular 302. he said that ford shorted haulmen-moody like 30 (just a guess i have no idea) engines at the end of the year. when all was said and done ford gave 30 boss 302s instead of the regular engines. he found this out a few years ago when he rebuilt the engine. he went to replace the bearings when no 302 bearing would fit. he started calling some of his assoiciates and traced this information back to hallmen-moody. if this is correct then no regular 1971 correct craft engine manuals will work because its not the regular engine.
also are the engine heads and roller rockers some sort of special marine parts or can i just go to edlebrock to get new heads. please e-mail me back if anyone knows anything about either of these questions.
Metallman56@yahoo.com
thanks
metallman56

Like AWhite70 sez...
Yes, the heads are essentially 351C 4V heads.
Block has 3/5 webs were 4 bolt mains, different rods (Beafy, but 289's length), and mechanical cam.

Original pistons were prone to cracked skirts, but aftermarket cured that. Regular 302 pistons will not work.

If it is a boss, I would NOT get new aftermarket heads, they were what made it so special.

Its 10.5 compression will need very good gas to run without detonation. Perhaps the CR was already reduced?

To confirm; How many bolts on the valve covers? 6 or 8?

302 uses 6 valve cover bolts (also 289, 351W)


302 Boss uses 8 valve cover bolts (also 351C, 351M 400)

I've seen Mustangs at White Lake with Hollman & Moody engines in them.

If you look at the sides of your engine block you will see several round plugs over 1 inch in diameter (probably painted over when the engine was painted). Standard freeze plugs are either steel or brass and are pressed into the side of the block (most of us just tap them in with a hammer). The theory is that if the water in your block freezes, it will expand and pop the freeze plugs out and hopefully avoid cracking your block.

Gotta Ski is asking if yours are standard (pressed in) or if they are threaded and screwed in.

ok i checked the side of the block over the weekend. i didnt know what i was looking for exactly but it appers that ALL of the bolts on the side or infact threaded.i wasnt about to take a wrench to any of them but i'm pretty sure i was looking right at them. i also took some pis of the engine and if i can figure out how to post them i will do that as well. y'all have been alot of help so far. thanks

If the valve covers only have 6 bolts then it's not a boss 302.

351W heads can be bolted to a 302. More than likely that is what is on your engine. At times they may have even been used from the factory, I don't know.

If you take a few pictures of your engine and post them or email them that would clear this topic up for good.

for some reason it will not let me load the pic onto the website, so if anyone wants to give me there e-mail i can send them to you. my e-mail is the same as my screen name @yahoo.com. unless there was another msnufacture that stanped a "hm" to the driver side of the exhaust manifold then i am pretty sure it is hollman-mody. will the firing order help solve this mystery?

E mail me the pics at tp32174@yahoo.com and i will post them for you.

Looks to be a Windsor engine to me. I can't tell from the pics if it's a 302 or 351

My guess that it might be a newer than a '71 model engine. The intake has the EGR mounting boss (no pun!) cast into it, Although it was never put on a marine engine,I think it was the late 70's middle 80's before the EGR came onto the automotive sene. .... But That's no Boss 302!

thats not all the pics. perhapes all of them would help. also to all of those who said it looked like a reg 302, why the hell does it have 351 heads? please dont make me take off the valve covers to show you guys the clearly stamped "351" that sounded kinda crapy, sorry its been a long frusterating day. in 2 weeks, when i take out the oil pump, i wll see what else could help. i dont know alot if the major diifernces but i should be able to get part numbers off the rings and bearins, if there still on there. only time will tell.
thanks to all!