It was easy to make those cars perform way better then they came stock. Adding lower rear end gears plus an overdrive transmission after cleaning off the smog crap and you have a 17 mpg car that also moves pretty good. The Cleveland came out at a bad time. If it had come around 5 years sooner it would have made a better name for itself. Then Ford gave up on it before technology improved To let it pass emissions and be a performance engine.. Hit the market in 1970. Just as the emissions rules were set to go into effect.

 

Yeah, it was actually a big block engine. Nascar allowed it to be the base for race engines until Bill Elliot's team in the mid 80's had so much more hp than everybody else they disallowed the engine after 86 I believe. Had to go with the smaller block engine based on the 351W. That was the engine used to set the all-time high of 212mph at Talledega in 86. Then the restrictor plates came.

 

Well i wanna be able to run down to home depot and on ranches but still be able to beat up some mustangs and stuff. I want to be quick.

 

Yeah and my dad told me that the restrictor plates are a good thing because people were goin to fast and getting killed and crashing in the walls.

 

No it is NOT a big block. The heads are big! The Cleavland BLOCK is the same size pretty much as a Windsor! The Cleveland heads will fit on a Windsor in fact and many have done that including ford who made the boss 302 witch was the first Cleveland but it was a Windsor block! The Cleveland looks big because of its oversize heads. Clevor.. To this day engines both Windsor block with Cleveland style heads and Cleveland blocks are dominating engine master challenges.

 

You have a huge weight disadvantage. My 96 trans am with 285hp and 325 lb-ft I clocked 0-60 in 5.8 seconds. My regular cab shortbed 4x4 ram with 395hp and 407 lb-ft is about 5.9 to 6.1 I would guess (now at high elevation so I don't know for sure). Both had about the same shift points for 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd gear and my trans am was quicker even with 110hp and 82 lb-ft less. You are going to have to add a bit to beat up on mustangs.

 

It would have to be a small block C6, not the big block. A C4 fits and can be built to handle a built 351C. That is what I ran in my 1954 truck. Great combination for power. Negatives are the cost to build and fuel consumption as previously stated.

 

The 351C is definitely a small block. Has basically the same huge heads as the Boss 302, just different water passages.

 

Yes the 351c heads flow high amounts and have big valves. Problem is that they are 70's technology. Velocity not so good. Port size and shape. Not so good. A modern set of aftermarket Windsor heads will own them. A windsor can and will make more usable torque and was a motor actually offered in the 89 truck. Even the Windsor is showing age and people living in the past will be reminded real quick how much faster, more efficient, more reliable the new stuff is.

 

I had a 78 E150 window van that had a 351W.

 

The guys who enter engines in the Engine masters challeng would disagree. Nearly every ford entry is either full on Cleveland or Clevor=windsor block Cleveland heads. The Cleveland is relevant to this day saying other wise prove you dont now much about the Cleveland.
http://www.hotrod.com/engine-masters/page-2/

 

head comparison, losts of info

http://users.erols.com/srweiss/tablehdc.htm

before the aftermarket head selection exploded there was a case for running the cleveland heads. now there are plenty of windsor heads that flow just as good, are new and have better numbersin the lower range.

i love the engine masters competition but remember it is a competition with a specific set of rules and basically an unlimited budgets, engines are designed for a dyno competition and in a competition where jon kasse comes in 5th place, you better best these guys are good and $$$$$. thinned bearings, expensive coatings, exotic 1 off parts. kind of like saying you should get a 426 hemi because jon force is making 8000 horse power with one. not a comparison for the common man.

the 302 and 351 windsor were offered in the 89 truck. plenty of factory parts for installation and over the counter aftemarket parts like headers and exhaust.

last unless you go after market, any 351 cleveland head and engine you find will be 40 years old.

just do an ls swap the packaging, aftermarket and power is hard to beat.

 

A couple if things here...

I have a friend who has pulled with plenty of 300s and 302s. He prefers the 302 for pulling. I can understand why, too, since the latest 300s peaked at 2000 RPMs and had less peak torque than the 302. So, where that myth that the 300 is such a great tow monster comes from is beyond me. That's understandable, since they don't rev well and they lose breath very quickly, which sorta' defeats the purpose.

Also, the 4.2L has about 220 lbs/ft just off idle, so for lacking a healthy portion of one full liter of displacement, it manages just fine and will do so if you need more pedal (you know, going uphill) much longer than a 300 would. Bless that variable intake manifold creature.

 

There are actually new aluminum Cleveland heads and there is also a new block that has an improved oiling system and thicker walls so it can be bored and stroked to as muck as 440ci. If your on a budget simply find a 2v 351C and rebuild it add a 4 barrel intake a nice cam and you easily have a 350 hp engine. All Iron. Doable for a couple of grand.

 

I didn't say the 4.2 didn't do a bad job...just saying a 260 peak at 3700rpms is usually not going to pull as easy as one that has 265 at 2000 unless it has some long gearing. I had two 4.2L f150s....04 heritage and 08 and they did fine. The 04 had a 3.08 axle and the 08 had the highest available 3.55. I was happy with the 4.2s I had. And I knew someone that owned 17 f150s in high school and had all of the different engines in them. He liked the 300 over the 302 hands down for pulling especially starting out on a hill. All of his were 80s truck except a few mid 70s ones. It could be opinion or whatever. I've never driven either engine so I don't know. I just know I'd rather have my 4.2s over a 4.6 any day.