ls 302
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 68
Likes: 1
From: Brooklyn New York
ls 302 has anybody ever made a ls or lq 302? i was thinking about doing this for awhile now. Buying a used 4" bore engine and making it into updated 302? i know people would say it was done already with the 2001 camaro concept. But that engine didn't stay true to the 4" bore x 3" stroke of 1967-69 302ci. It was a 3.84 bore and 3.268 crank. Does anybody have idea, who i would goto to make the crank shaft with the reluctor wheel? And how about opinions about this engine configuration, bad and good. It would be going into a 97 camaro with a build up t56 tranny, a 3.73:1 posi and a 12 bolt rearend
4.8 LS truck engines had a 3.26" stroke crankshaft still that puts you around 311ci.
Callies does make any stroke LS crankshaft you want from 3.000" - 4.500" but it would be a magnum crankshaft, $1950.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 537
Likes: 1
The 302 was put together for all Gen I Z-28 Camaros. Needed to meet 305 cubic inch limit for Trans Am racing. Starting in 1970 you could shorten the stroke and they went to 350's.
The early 302's used 283 crank in 4 inch bore. The 69 used larger journal crank, 3 inch stroke and 350 4 bolt block. Great revving little engines - came from factory with solid tappet cam - something that died out a long time ago. Not uncommon to see these little guys run 7000 rpm in near stock condition.
The early 302's used 283 crank in 4 inch bore. The 69 used larger journal crank, 3 inch stroke and 350 4 bolt block. Great revving little engines - came from factory with solid tappet cam - something that died out a long time ago. Not uncommon to see these little guys run 7000 rpm in near stock condition.
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as AES said, custom crankshaft. I also considered doing this for my rx7, using low torque to get off the line clean in a light car then spinning the engine up high to get the power back on the top end. great for road racing, not so much for street use, you have to remember that the "old" 302's made alot their power at 7000 rpm and up. take into account technology and materials today and you could definately do 8000 rpm easy, but its going to cost alot for valvetrain and custom rotating assy. and your not going to see any power till your in your upper operating range.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 68
Likes: 1
From: Brooklyn New York
yea, everybody is saying it doesn't make any power down low. but it has to have some type of power, to get it off the line. if i can cruise around town, at about 2500 rpm and have around 200 hp bearly sipping gas? i think i'll be happy. but when i stomp the gas and stay in it and the tach buzzes pass 6500 rpm, with the engine still pulling for more and i can get 400+ hp. i'll be very elated. is that to much to ask for? can it be done? old school meets new school. best of both worlds
If you are really serious about it, call one of the sponsors from the site, as they are some of the best LS builders in the country, and tell them what you want. Assuming you actually have a significant amount of money to build this. To make this actually somewhat worthwhile, youre going to be invested in some very nice valvetrain components. The people that would be building this would be able to answer all your questions about what would work, what wouldnt, and what it would actually cost. Anyone you call will be happy to take your money and build whatever you ask im sure, but they will probably tell you that they can build you a better motor for your money anyways. A lot of people have started down this road asking about these motors, and I havent seen one built yet ( not saying it hasnt been done ). When I started building the engine for my truck, I was going to build a 302. I had all the brand new valvetrain parts needed, crank, and block with machine work done, oil system covered, just needed a cam, bearings and seals, had lifters, even had the remainder of induction covered, and I still ended up buying a 6.2L and building off of there instead. Just wasnt worth the effort to go with the small cubes/$$
man, i think this would be a sweet project. be way sweet to see an ls based 302 z28, nostalgic as hell! but as people said, it'll cost money, and that money would be better spent going bigger.
then again, i like the idea of a 400 or 455 for my ta, for that nostalgic number, but have only seen like 402s, 403's, 408's, 427 (would like to see a 428), and the 454....then again, whats one cube, but i dont think i could advertise a 455 as a 454....kinda like ford stretching the 4.9 to 5.0 back in the day...lol
i dig it tho man!
then again, i like the idea of a 400 or 455 for my ta, for that nostalgic number, but have only seen like 402s, 403's, 408's, 427 (would like to see a 428), and the 454....then again, whats one cube, but i dont think i could advertise a 455 as a 454....kinda like ford stretching the 4.9 to 5.0 back in the day...lol
i dig it tho man!
Nostalgia, and to be different. Depending on the weight of the car it might be a fun project. But then again, if I'm going to spend big coin on a project, it's going to be ***** to the wall with a stroker. To each his own though.
Even the shops/sponsors on here will tell you to go bigger (>or=6.0) because of such limited parts available for that small size and how much power:$$$ ratio is so off its just not worth it unless God has told you 302 or nothing else; There is no point. You can rev the bigger bores up to 7k as well no problem. Why do you think you need a small motor to do that? People do 6.2l 7500rpm revvers that still get 20mpg+ when you keep the gas peddle off the floor.
I think finding a good head/cam combo to suit your needs is what you want to look for, not redesigning a whole new block/engine just to have a lil 302 revver..like stated above, to each their own...
I think finding a good head/cam combo to suit your needs is what you want to look for, not redesigning a whole new block/engine just to have a lil 302 revver..like stated above, to each their own...
OP, why not just use whatever engine you have and put 302 badges on it or get 302 engraved on the valve covers with the coil packs relocated
Teching In
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Could try giving Callies a call and see if they could build you one. They just built me a stock stroke Compstar crank. I had to pop off a reluctor from an old crank i wasnt using, send it to them and they built the crank for me.