351w rebuild decisions.

[69isfine 10]

Machine shop has come back with bad news. My numbers matching block has already been bored 60 over..

Options I am aced with  

 

-289 block sing the 351w heads from my engine $1500

-sleeve all 8 cylinders $125 per cylinder

- rings and bearings only

-buy a 69 351w block with crank shaft that has not been bored at all..$900

Car is not driven much. Max 5 fill ups per year. Street use only. 

Ahoughts n a direction to go?

 

[cavboy78 28]

i wouldn't limit yourself to a 69 351 block. Why not an F4TE roller 351w? came in a bunch of different vehicles in the 80s and 90s.

[cavboy78 28]

Also, i guess you could hold on to your old block because it's numbers matching. I sold mine fwiw, but mine isn't any special or low number car.  Also, is option one to go down to a 289 block? If so, i would recommend staying with a 351w if that's what came out of it. Although some bits and pieces work on both, they all don't and there is $$$ in that. Plus, you'd prob be disappointed in a stock stroke 289 if you just came from a 351w.

[1969_Mach1 333]

I'd stay with a 351W motor.  That said, the 1969 casting has more material in the main web area, thus has a stronger bottom end than newer 351W motors.  If you want a 351W that is factory setup for hydraulic roller cams you will need a 351W from a 1995 or newer F150 or larger pickup.  It is the casting number cavboy78 mentioned, F4TE.  So, it's kind of a wash, newer block factory setup for hyd. roller cams or older block that has a stronger bottom end.  If you want a hyd. roller cam in the older block it's easily done with tie-bar style hyd. roller lifters and they will work with any small block hyd. roller cam.  If the 1969 block and crank are in good condition, I'd lean that direction even though $900 is a little high.  Maybe they will take $700 or $750 for the 1969 block and crank?

One last item, the new blocks do not have the casting boss on the lower left rear of the block for the stock clutch linkage Z-bar to attach to.  There is an aftermarket bolt on bracket to work around that issue.

One thing to caution with any small block Ford, when the cylinders are bore more than 0.030", there is a higher risk of a hot running engine.

[Vicfreg 771]

$900 sounds high.   You can buy a 351W remanufactured complete short block all day long for probably $1200, and bolt your stuff back on.   I would stay with the Windsor if you could.  The extra stuff, like all of your accessory brackets are available, but take time and money to retrofit on a 289 or 302.   

[cavboy78 28]

f4te blocks are good for 650+ horsepower. If you are pushing more than that, than you have more reinforcements to do on your car than the engine block. hydraulic roller is also more efficient than a flat tappet, with less chance of wiping lobes during break in...

[barnett468 418]

yup, the late model blocks are fine if built properly just look at the cam bearing journals first to make sure they are not cracked.

if you use a 69 block it will still not be numbers matching, and date code correct is really meaningless . it either is the orig engine or it is not.

[skidmarky 50]

Just find a 351W std bore block, plenty of them out there. I'm running an '88 block in my '69. As mentioned, if you have a stock zbar you will need a bracket and some modifying on the block to make it work.

[Rsanter 152]

How about just order a stroker 351 short block and go from there.

keep the original block as once you part with it you can’t go back

[69isfine 10]

I bought the block for $900.  The story is that it came out of a Mach1 after a crash at 10,000 miles.  The guy bought the salvage and has had the block since 1970. I'm taking it to the machine shop to measure up and it appears to need a hone only.  What the pros and cons of sticking with stock pistons vs boring 30 over? Would you bore a block that does not need it?

[barnett468 418]

3 hours ago, 69isfine said:

I bought the block for $900.  The story is that it came out of a Mach1 after a crash at 10,000 miles.  The guy bought the salvage and has had the block since 1970. I'm taking it to the machine shop to measure up and it appears to need a hone only.  What the pros and cons of sticking with stock pistons vs boring 30 over? Would you bore a block that does not need it?

nobody i know would bore a block that doesn't "need" it but "need" can cover a wide area. if you plan to keep it, i wouldn't use the standard bore if it has more than around .001" in taper and .001" out of round and if it did, i would consider having the bore trued up on a sunnen hone or similar, but then it might need $600.00 custom pistons  but it depends on the actual size and type of pistons you get. also, if you use forged pistons, you can use a lightly larger clearance.

 

 

[1969_Mach1 333]

I also would not bore it 0.030" oversize if it doesn't need it.  At 0.030" oversize there is potential to have a hot running engine with small block Ford motors.  The only issue that might arise with only honing is having too much piston to wall clearance.  Forged pistons usually need more cylinder to wall clearance than cast or Hypereutectic alloy pistons so that can possibly be one solution after honing.  To the best of my knowledge, Ross Racing is the only piston mfg. that has off-the-shelf forged pistons that fit the shorter deck height of the 1969-1970 351W block.  At least when I built my 1969 351W many years ago that's what I ended up using for that reason.

I think I would first have the cylinders honed, then see what the piston to wall clearance looks like.  It might cost a little more if further work is needed.  But it could save you from unnecessarily boring the block.   

[Vicfreg 771]

Good point on the 1969-1970 deck height.  I did a stroker kit, and my machine shop had to flycut the piston tops.