Old school engine rebuilding wisdom welcome here

[DeltaMustang65]

Thanks guys.

Since this would be my first rebuild, I don't know everything that goes into the machine work and balancing. What specifically should I ask for when I take the block to be worked on? I know there are a few oil passages that should be widened, I've even heard of blocking one off in some engines to send more oil to more critical areas, has anyone had this done? Also, do I really NEED to take the cylinders .030 over in order to get in the neighborhood of 300hp?

I'm thinking that if I get a brand new cast iron 302 crank from Ford, it SHOULD be balanced already. Does the machine shop just make sure it's balanced when it's in the block? (I can't think of the word for this, I want to say crank end-play but I think it's more than that. Dynamic balancing or something?) I shouldn't have to pay to have anything actually worked on with a new crank, right? (I've heard somewhere that you can shave the counterweights in order to reduce the weight of the crank, but this seems VERY risky so I'm probably just going to pass) Can I assemble the bottom end myself once the machine work has been finished, and then take it to make sure it's balanced?

I've been told that I can have work done on the block to make it possible to use a roller cam (Again the term escapes me, I blame mid-terms). What does this involve and what can I expect to pay for this? Should I even consider doing this if I use the stock heads? What else should I be thinking about doing as far as the bottom end is concerned?

Again, thanks in advance.