Editing How to identify SB Ford heads without pulling them (section)
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==ID'ing a 302 head== Let's ID a 302 head. If you pull the valve cover and it has 302 then it is a 302, but what year is it? Ford used two designs of rockers for the 302, rail and sled fulcrum. If you have a 302 with rail rocker arms it is a 1968-1977 head. If you have a head with no displacement casting numbers and bolt down sled fulcrum rockers, then you have a post 77 255, 302, 351W head. The 351W will follow the same basic rules as the 302. So what is the exact year of 302 and 351W heads without having the exact casting numbers? The 302 can be tricky, so here is how to look for visual clues. In 1968, Ford used adjustable rail rockers on the 302; the rest were non-adjustable. To tell if you have a 1968 302, look at the rocker arm studs. If the stud is not shanked down at the threads (aka "bottleneck") it is a '68 302 head. In 1969, Ford changed rocker studs to a non-adjustable setup; the stud thread will be shanked down. The post '68 302 will also use a smaller rocker retaining nut than the 1968 302 head. So if you have a shanked down stud and rail rockers on your 302, it is a 1969-1977 head. This is close but not close enough, so how do you narrow it down? Again use visual clues to determine what year of head you have. In 1975 Ford went to internal smog ports on the the SB heads with a tube connecting both heads together going to the smog pump. So if you have a 302 casting number with rail rockers and tubes on the back of the heads connecting them together, you have a 1975-1977 302 head. [[File:302-351W Cyl Head Differences.gif]] <br style="clear:both"/>
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