Cleveland horsepower question

[turboclevor 10]

Hi all,

i am currently in the stages of building the motor for my '69 grande and i an trying to figure out what to do to get the maximum horsepower for a daily driver but still be able to hit the strip on the weekends.

Motor:

1973 cleveland 4v 4 bolt main no headwork or any cylinder work ever done to it

 

thanks guys!

[maxum96 32]

Nitrous. You can build a mild motor for the street and then hit it with a big shot of nitrous. But be aware, 351C blocks are notorious for having super thin bores and blowing the sidewalls out in high horsepower applications. Have your block sonic checked.

[Burn 14]

Stroke it +NOS!

[RogerC 136]

Go here

http://www.network54.com/Forum/119419/

Also check out the pantera forums.

 

I've been doing some research in preparation of rebuilding my cleveland. You can build a powerful yet reliable cleveland without going nitrous and worrying about damaging the engine. I found some posts by a guy named George Pence that were very informative.

[fordguy69 24]

CHI heads. They are without a doubt the key to making big power with a Cleveland. Look at past Enginemasters, nearly every build with a small block used CHI heads. They have perfected the Cleveland head.

[turboclevor 10]

you guys have made some good suggestions, i am having my brother build it but he is usually building 2000+ hp racecar engines so his suggestions are awesome but impractical

[69droptopgt 10]

Make sure you modify the oiling system on the cleveland. Cleveland bottom end bad design reportedly taken from GM.

[RogerC 136]

Make sure you modify the oiling system on the cleveland. Cleveland bottom end bad design reportedly taken from GM.

 

Not a bad design. You can't build a cleveland like any other small block, ford or chevy. There's some unique things you have to pay attention to. Yes the oil system is one because its a different design from other fords (except 429s & 460s) and chevys. Like I said, hang out at the pantera forums. These guys build and race powerful & dependable 351Cs.

[Burn 14]

I'm building a Cleveland right now and have already done tons of research. The oil mod is only necessary if you're going to be turning 7K + RPM for extended periods of time. I had to weed through a lot of post on network54.com to figure that one out. If you’re looking for 500-550 HP the stock 4V Cleveland heads are the hot ticket. IMHO, the only reason to run a Cleveland is so you can brag about running the legendary 4V heads. Like others have mentioned, Cleveland’s are not cheap or easy to build.

[Max Power 74]

I'm building a Cleveland right now and have already done tons of research. The oil mod is only necessary if you're going to be turning 7K + RPM for extended periods of time. I had to weed through a lot of post on network54.com to figure that one out. If you’re looking for 500-550 HP the stock 4V Cleveland heads are the hot ticket. IMHO, the only reason to run a Cleveland is so you can brag about running the legendary 4V heads. Like others have mentioned, Cleveland’s are not cheap or easy to build.

 

I agree on the oil mod thing, all though it is not that difficult. From what I understand, the passages feed the cam bearings and crank bearings equally, and the mod involves tapping the feed holes to the cam and installing restrictors. I never really hear about crank bearing failure on anything street, so I am not sure I would worry about it.

 

There are lots of heads out there now, most playing off the philosophy of the early 4v chamber with the early 2v ports. The early 4v ports are just to big to generate good port velocity at low-mid-range rpms, and all the aftermarket solutions seem to fix that. There are lots of options, some require unique intakes and some can run standard aftermarket intakes.

 

I would skip nitrous for everyday usable horsepower, meaning I would stroke it, get a good HCI package and enjoy your 450hp all day long.