351W and clevor options

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351W and clevor options

March 13, 2008, 11:22:21 PM

I have a '76 351W that's been sitting around for several years now, and decided to put it in my 87 Tbird. I was saving it for my '62 Merc. I figured I'd build it, put it in my tbird, drive it for the next couple years or so, and drop it in the Merc when it's ready. I also got a 4bbl Ford factory intake. I'd like to use the intake, but not sure about what to do with the heads (they are the 2bbl smog tube type). Are there a better suited set of heads for the 4bbl intake? JY options? flat-top pistons choices? A couple things to consider: gas prices and gas mileage, and looking for better torque, and not so much high rpm hp. Trying to keep it low budget.
Now the second question topic: What about setting it up for a Clevor? I've read various methods of doing one, but most of the info seems outdated. Are there any "kits" out there yet? If I have to buy heads anyway to make the 351W better, why not go the Clevor direction?
If it isn't too pricey, I may go that route, and buy the JY 351W I looked at this winter for the Merc.....but everything revolves around money. I hate when that happens.

351W and clevor options

Reply #1 – March 14, 2008, 02:44:27 AM

Oh an easy way to do this is get a set of Australian Cleveland heads off fleabay ( search aussie heads or australia heads) there are several good sellers of them there. Check with DSC Motorsports he always has a few sets. Make sure you ask if they have already been cracked checked. They are cleveland 2 bbl sized ports with closed chambers.

http://www.dscmotorsports.com/Cylinder/index.htm They are listed as 302 Australian Cleveland 385.00/pr bare clean and crack checked

Also for an intake adapter kit check with Price motorsports they have all the adapters in the world to match block, heads, and intake.
http://www.pricemotorsport.com/html/body_intake_adapters.html
You will want to use either an AP-02, AP-14, AP-16 depending on which intake. You will also a thermostat housing if using a cleveland intake.
http://www.pricemotorsport.com/html/body_thermostat_housing.html
Mary and Bill Price are some really nice people and will gladly offer any advice you need to help you decide.

351W and clevor options

Reply #2 – March 14, 2008, 06:27:18 PM

If you're just going for some decent low-end torque, why go to the hassle and expense of the Cleveland heads?

Get a set of E7 Windsor or GT-40 heads, do a backyard port 'n' polish, and get a good cam/intake/carb combo for the cost of the Oz heads shipped alone..throw in headers, and call it done.

The Oz heads would be cool though....but costly.
Depends on your budget.

351W and clevor options

Reply #3 – March 14, 2008, 08:26:25 PM

I just read my rebuild book (Tom Monroe), and it says the heads on the 351W have 60.4 cc from '69-77, intake: 1.84, and exhaust: 1.54 1975 started the air injection....plugging them seems to be the trick? The deck height on the block changed after 1970 from 9.480 to 9.503 thus decreasing the comp ratio from 9.5 to 8.7 Am I reading that right?

351W and clevor options

Reply #4 – March 15, 2008, 10:37:17 AM

Upon further reading on my engine, I think I'm gonna leave it alone, and just get it running again. In stock form, it may not be the best, but it's decent. Issues I see are:

Comp ratio being lowered after 1972 for emissions, I can live with that for now.
Dipstick tube is on the front timing cover. Perhaps the swap pan will have it's own dipstick.
Air injection and pump. I believe most everyone just plugs these.
The 2bbl intake stock. I have the 4bbl intake E4TE sitting at the ready. Not sure how much this would help with everything else remaning stock.
Rail-rocker arms. An E7 head swap should fix that, but if I find the E7 heads in the JY, odds are, the rest of the motor will be there, and I may just get the whole thing, and rebuild that while the car is running. (and put the '76 351w in my Merc like originally planned)
The '69 351W, if still in the JY from this last Fall, may be something to get, and go from there.

Been sitting here suffering from cabin fever, and it shows. It probably shows this is my first 351W, too. :pbb:

351W and clevor options

Reply #5 – March 22, 2008, 10:44:27 PM

I think the reason you don't see much about Cleavors anymore is because you can buy a 5.0 for so little. There isn't as much "need" to do 351 stuff when the 302 is so plentiful. Speaking of plentiful, when is the last time you saw a Cleveland in a junkyard? It's probably been a while. I'm talking about the true Cleveland too, not the "M" you can find in pickups and vans that some people mistakenly refer to as Clevelands. Anyway, if you already have the 351W, then it's not too hard to put one in a Fox bird. We put one in an 88 TC and it ran pretty sweet. I don't have many details for you, but I do have a bunch of pics I could send if you wanted.

351w engines

Reply #6 – March 23, 2008, 02:30:32 AM

their are two versions of the cleveland engine. 351 cleveland U.S.A. and the austrailan verson. then the 351windsor , and 351 modified later the 400 the cleveland and windsor have same bell housing pattern. ran them both in the stock car. 351m & 400 are junk motors execept for d.d. i have a 351w in my 83 t-bird. had to make my own frame mounts(as 83 didn't come with a v-8) and used early 60's motor mounts sligthly modified. have some pic.

more pic. on cardomain bad-ve-6

351W and clevor options

Reply #7 – March 23, 2008, 05:56:02 AM

Main reason you don't see much about the cleavors anymore is because of the abundance of aftermarket head choices for the 351W. Now with sme wheeling and dealing a cleavor can be built cheaper than a 351W with aftermarket heads and produce as much if not more power in a streetable package. And it will still leave people with the WTF look when the see it.

As far as the 351M and 400 being daily driver dogs. I guess someone hasn't been left wondeing why he got beat by an F150 that just disappeared. 434 CI making 1.5HP/CI aint nothing to take lightly on the street. The taller deck makes some excellent crank, rod, and piston combinations possible. The M series block is very capable of handling some great HP numbers without a lot of extra work.

BTW
351C, 351W,and 302 have the same bellhousing pattern.
351M and 400 are the same block.
351M and 400 have the same bellhousing as 429 and 460 with one exception there were some M blocks cast with both bellhousing patterns.

351W and clevor options

Reply #8 – March 23, 2008, 09:14:15 AM

Yes, I'm very familiar with the 434...I'm a regular on the 335 series forum on FTE. (actually the 335 series and 300 I6 are the only motors I know alot about) This was the engine I was gonna put in my tbird. But I picked up two more projects, and money will be transferred into those instead of a 434 right now. I had the 351W sitting around (seems like forever) and will use that for expediency and ease of getting the car on the road. Once on the road, I can tweak a bit here and there to my liking. Could be a blessing in disguise? Besides, it'll clean up my yard of all the extra parts laying around.....short of the 3 351M's. :hick:

PS: Mike, I like pictures. :D And I haven't seen a Cleveland 2v or 4v in a loooooong time.

Happy Easter everyone!

351W and clevor options

Reply #9 – March 23, 2008, 10:25:30 AM

Scott, here are a few pics of the 351W TC we had. It wasn't a show car, but ran pretty good. My wife even liked it and that's saying a lot because she's pretty picky. It ended up in your area, sort of. It's in Northern WI now.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2j5l2sj&s=3
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=aow8lh&s=3
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=11s16yb&s=3
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=206fv5e&s=3
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=21es35t&s=3

351W and clevor options

Reply #10 – March 23, 2008, 11:15:57 AM

Nice Pics. What headers or exaust did you use?

351W and clevor options

Reply #11 – March 23, 2008, 11:30:13 AM

It had factory 351W exhaust manifolds and factory TC pipes. Let's just say there were some adapters used underneath to make it all connect up. lol. It actually sounded pretty cool though.

351W and clevor options

Reply #12 – March 24, 2008, 11:04:40 PM

Thanks for the pics, Mike. Now only if it would stop snowing.