Building my own Chevy 302.....
 

Does anyone know what the original Chevy 302's were capable off spinning up to RPM wise?? I've read almost 9000rpm, and other places say 7500. I'm trying to nail down a cam and heads selection and I know I'm probably gonna need a cam with a higher rpm band. And also a good seat of heads that breath well at the top end. Any tips??

I have heard 9000. Mostly due to the shorter stroke motor. The main thing I would be worried about is that all the components match. Intake, Heads, and Valvetrain. You will probably use a single plane intake with a high cfm head and a stiff valvespring. If you figure out what Heads and Intake you are going to run, you can call a cam company and they will help you with your selection. They do it all day long so I would trust them first. Also, look into Aluminum Heads. CNC Heads flow really well and carry big valves.

JEff

How about getting a 3.165" stroke crank for an LS1 and have a LS based 302? :unibrow:

FlatBlack -
The question is - how high do you want to spin it ?

I am looking at a 302 article right in front of me and it makes 501 hp at 8000 rpm. The camshaft referenced is a Lunati RRA-675/669 w/282 deg @ .050. But the heads they used suck (old 2.02 slant plug "Turbo" heads) The engine used an Edelbrock Super Victor type intake. The crank used was a factory 302. The rods were factory "service" rods. The only bottom end change was a switch to lighter aftermarket pistons.

Here is another article where a 302 was destroked to a 287 and the car leaves the line at 10,000 rpm - the cam is even more radical with > .700 lift. My guess it the valve springs need to be changed after every couple of runs. This engine used a tunnel ram.

Neither of these examples is really streetable. Kinda comes down to what/how you want to use the engine.

DOOO IT!!! with 6 bolt mains that thing would really be able to wind up

Na, We run little 1.55 springs in a small block on the street and the track at .684 lift, and change springs ever couple years. We run Isky Tool Room, ex nascar qualifying springs, $100 a set on e bay.

Now what will be a problem on the street will be the 25HP and 50lbs Tq at 2500RPM. By the time you get that thing to 9000RPMs and making 600HP, the ki8d in the Honda Civic will be waiting for you at the next light!

I had a 302 4" bore and 3" stroke and with pink rods it would turn 9500 in the lite but I had to change the valvetrain to do that with the 461x casting 2.020 intake and 1.6 exhaust with 2" header we had to balance the engine rotating parts it will do it easy :yes:

wow...this sounds like another guy on here building a small inch SB2 :_paranoid

FYI you can make a LT1 302 with a LT1 block (4" bore) and a L99 crank (3" stroke) and put some LT4 heads on it. I think that CHP or someone did it but I don't know what year. If you wanted to make a gen 3 302 I would use a LQ9 6.0 block (4"bore) and get a 3" stroke crank made. There are tons of heads that flow really good for a gen 3 block.

I was actually looking to more gen 1 parts in the build. But the LS based 302 sounds like a winner too. I'm just keep doin my homework. I have a 350 block, and I know I can get a forged steel 283 crank. But I was also thinking abot a 350 roller block such as those in GTA's and Corvettes, that way I'll have one pieec rear seal, roller cam, and I thiink larger journals.