Project Journals

Owner: Silas
City: San Jose, CA, USA
Car Model: Jaguar MK2 1962
Engine: Ford 302 based (331)

General comments: This project has been sitting and I am getting to it now. It is my second project, As I have a 62 Austin Healey 3000 with a similar ford 302 stroked to 331 inches. It made 487 hp on the dyno. So busy that that has been moved to the end of the car project list, even though it is closer in many forms. This MK2 project is an attempt to do a "quick swap" and get it on the road.
We will see how quick it ends up being. I want a mix of performance and economy. My wife wants to drive this car. She thinks she is going to steal it from me, but I will end up with it in the long term. The MK2 is one of my favorite all time cars. I liked the Jag engine but it was going to need a complete rework. I am an old Ford muscle car era guy and the idea of the 302 and five speed combo was just too alluring. I pulled the engine and trans and sold it off fast so there was no return. I will be thrilled with the new drive train. Simple available parts and great weight to hp ratio of the drive train. The MK2 should be under 3000lbs with this drive train. The engine should be around 380hp and 400 ftlbs of torque. A bit much for this car but the short block fell into my lap this way and I had the heads. It is hard to tame myself, but I have the healey waiting, with around 500hp (too much). I will; be picking up the parts to assemble the engine this week. So I am fitting an extra 302 block, heads and pan with a bell housing into the car. Now the fun begins.


Engine: Stroked for 302 yielding 331, AFR 165 heads, Cast Crank, forged rods and pistons. I am trying for a mild version of this engine. Edelbrock performer intake, 600cfm carb, very mild roller cam. Went for 9.5:1 compression.

Cooling: Yet to be determined

Exhaust: Yet to be determined

Transmission: Ford 5spd

Rear Axle: Stock

Front Susp.: Stock

Rear Susp.: stock

Brakes: stock
(master)
(front)
(rear)

Wheels/Tires: stock

Body Mods: None

Interior: Stock black interior

Electrical: Will be hybrid of some sorts.



June 25, Engine Placement is getting closer!
Spent a good chunk of time figuring out the engine location. The big problems are the main cross member and the transmission tunnel.
I set the engine in and put the trans on my transmission jack. I moved things around a bit,. Having a lift and a trans jack really help.
With some trimming on the trans tunnel I was actually able to get the engine to slide back so the pan is just behind the cross member, touching but it slid down. The pan is a rear sump 5.0 mustang pan and has two sumps and two drain plugs. I will have to move the position of the drain plug on the front sump to be on the rear side. I will weld up the old plug location.

I did not spend too much time figuring out the exact how of trimming the trans tunnel area and figured I could add metal back easier than being real cautious. I just have a few places to trim at the base of the tunnel where it meets the floor.
The engine has now slid back very deep into the engine compartment. I am still going to trim and strengthen the cross member to make things fit with more clearance. The pan fits like a champ in this placement. I am very lucky!
Tomorrow the block hugger headers show up from summit racing. I ordered the cheapest ones and I am praying they will be close.
If the exhaust tubes do not shoot out too far when they come of the heads I will be in good shape. Here are a few photos of today's efforts.

Very close!


The pan just touches the cross member.


The bell housing is looking good.

Tomorrow some trim and the trans is positioned for a first shot.

The headers are going to be a big wild card. I have my fingers crossed.

I will fab some engine mounts and a trans mount when all this is set.

June 27th:

Got the engine positioned again with the transmission( Ford Racing Tremec unit).
The front of the double hump oil pan is flush with the back of the Main Cross Member.
I will most likely notch the cross member to get a little clearance, or notch the front of the pan a bit?
As far as the headers go, they were close but will not fit. I will research it more.

The good news is this: The engine and trans will fit fine and the pan location and trans fitment as far as the tail shaft location look good. I am on hold to go any further until I figure out the exhaust/header situation.
It actually looks like a set off of an older 60s ford mustang would fit, they had a shock tower that caused them to stay tight and may clear the steering linkage. Looking at it, a set of headers is possible, but custom might be the only way. Nobody said this would be that easy. I will add pictures when things get locked in a bit more.

June 29th

I have headers now! They fit tight but they fit. The headers are tri-y style for an early mustang. The great news is that I got them for a reasonable price. They are used ceramic coated tri-y headers that were used on a dyno over the years. They fit on the drivers side as though they were made for the car. They slip right in! I had to trim a little on the lip that extends out from the frame rail on the passenger side. This meant cutting the lip that overhangs and bending it up to make room. I need to cut the lower corner of the passenger foot box a bit to make some more clearance, but it is minimal. I am very happy about this. I need headers on this car even though it is a mild version of the 302 based stroker(331). It would be a shame to have a dynamite short block, AFR 165 heads and then run this through exhaust manifolds. The headers will bump up the mileage a tad also.

I have a list of jobs now to finish the install of the "fitment engine" in prep for the real deal. Need a very small notch on the front cross-member, fab a trans cross-member and motor mounts. Do a little trim work and I can be ready for the real engine.

It is very strange. You push and pull and scratch your head and then you get used to the space and what needs to be done and it falls together. Getting those headers is a BIG deal. I guess having run those mustangs around and knowing how the geometry of the engine compartments helped me know what would fit. If I was installing a small block chevy the extra two inches of engine width would have caused a much more complicated situation. The small ford makes so much sense. A more compact package, and they weigh nothing with aluminum heads and intake. I will most likely have just shy of 400hp, which is way more than I need in this car. My goal is a nice idle and reasonable mileage. I have worked hard to keep my natural tendency to build big HP in check. I do not want to break the rear end or rip something out of the car.

Anyway, a GREAT day!!!!!! Here are some photos.


Drivers side!

Passengers side is a bit tighter.

So nice to see the collectors hanging down!

July 4, 2012
I finished the motor mounts. Need to take a very small notch on the pass side frame to gain a little extra clearance for the headers.
Next I fabricate a cross member for the tremec 3550 transmission. I have some heavy 2inch square stock. Looks like I can build a bracket to receive a straight piece of this 2inch stock and weld the brakets to the frame rails, then get a trans mount and weld on a plate to hold the trans mount. If I need to, I will notch it for the exhaust. I will post some pictures of the mounts.

Sept. 2014
I have made some real progress after a long interruption. My engine is together and I am only waiting on the new distributor to fire it up. Ended up with one of the mildest Comp cams hydraulic roller grids and this should put me at around 370hp at the flywheel. It should idle smooth and give little insight as to what is lurking under the hood.
Engine ended up at 10:1 compression. Here it is on my run stand waiting to come to life.



For general information I chose a Milidon 7 quart fox body rear sump style pan. I is 3/4 of an inch deeper than the stock pan but has a lot more oil.


Here is my new driveshaft installed! Goes from the Jag rear end to the tremec 3550 tail shaft. Now I have a full connection. Feels like real progress.


Here are photos of my starter in position and the bracket to hold the clutch slave to the trans on the tremec 3550.



That bracket to hold the clutch was fabbed by a shop that does many cobra builds. It is the key to my clutch system. My master line should be able to be plumbed to the slave and I have a great system.
Also be sure to get a starter with the right snout depth for your flywheel. I have a 157 tooth flywheel and needed the longer snout depth.

So, right now, I have about everything mocked up in the car and the drive train and parts ready to fo in after I clean up my few notches and some metal work. I will update as I get further along.



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2014 07:57PM by selash.

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