WWWWAAAAAYYYY OT

[fordwannabe]

Tycer the 400 will not physically fit in the car. I am using a cleveland and the header bolts touch the shock towers now. It is in a 1966 mustang with a stock front suspension. I have several set of cc 4v heads but spares are never a bad thing. Am trying to build a 408 stroker for the long run but finances dictate a 30 over forged 11:1 build for now with the stroker as a three year plan, but I have a couple extra blocks, heads, roller cams ect. The last time I had it on the street it was a 2 stage N2O, 7200 rpm, screamer in a light 66 now it is tubbed so I can actually launch the car. Anybody else on here a car guy too? Tom

[Terry Murbach]

ABSOLUTELY !! I couldn't have said it better myself.

[Buck Elliott]

Anybody else on here a car guy too? Tom

I have one...

[Nath]

Just a way out idea but could the block be rotated some so one head is slightly higher than the other on special mounts???

Nath.

[dirtcowboy]

Tycer the 400 will not physically fit in the car. I am using a cleveland and the header bolts touch the shock towers now. It is in a 1966 mustang with a stock front suspension. I have several set of cc 4v heads but spares are never a bad thing. Am trying to build a 408 stroker for the long run but finances dictate a 30 over forged 11:1 build for now with the stroker as a three year plan, but I have a couple extra blocks, heads, roller cams ect. The last time I had it on the street it was a 2 stage N2O, 7200 rpm, screamer in a light 66 now it is tubbed so I can actually launch the car. Anybody else on here a car guy too? Tom

Since the car is tubbed, junk the front towers and run something like this
http://www.totalcostinvolved.com/mustangf&r_intro.cfm

or this
http://www.totalcostinvolved.com/ford_f ... nt_end.cfm

Why the Cleveland when the Windsor makes so much more easy power?

[fordwannabe]

The reason the motor was out in the first place is, I was going to put a front end on it and run a 514...but.. got married bought house, got kid, blah blah blah= no money. The cost of the front end was just more than I wanted or could afford to put into a project at this time. So I decided to put it back together with a cleveland. After I decided that it has kinda hit home that I wanted it back together the way it was in the 80's. As far as the cleveland and the windsor I have had both and the cleveland 4V with a decent cam FOR ME!! is the hands down winner on the street. I know heads for the windsor are plentiful now and parts are more available but I had extremely good luck and the power was fantastic(look at the ports and decide) with the cleveland. The reason I had it tubbed was a buddy of mine has a picture of me going through the traps sideways( cause I shifted late and it broke the tires loose at the big end) NOT GOOD. It isn't for everybody but I really like the cleveland. Tom

[Old Time Hunter]

I agree with dirtcowboy, why not just go to Windsor? A 408 stroker is a heck of power house that you can still down grade to a street driveable engine. The Cleveland or Modified ('78-'80), especially in the 400 configuration is not that good of an engine, the 4bbl heads have too big of ports for lower RPM torque and the 2bbl heads cause cavitation in front of the intake valve. Here's a suggestion, find someone that builds IMCA claimer motors. They are generally very competitive price ways. Pay the extra for the steel crank and 4 bolt mains, add roller rockers and lifters, World Product Heads with either 1.93 intakes (more street and under 6250RPM) or 2.02s (3500-6800RPM), stay away from the 2.14's (4100-8000RPM), with balancing and all I'll bet you could have a nifty power house under $2500(long block) if you buy the short block and put the rest together. The spring towers, even with the Windsor, will still be a tad tight on a '66 but the engine will drop in. Personally I cut the towers down to just above the upper control arm mount on the engine bay side of the towers and weld a flat steel plate in, gains about 1-1/2" across the towers at spark plug level and allows for more conventional exhaust headers.

Just my .02

[wavetrain75]

I'm restoring my Dad's old 1949 Ford F-1 truck. I was working on the new wiper kit today. It has the stock flathead V-8 and will look pretty much original when it's done, but now includes fiberglass front springs, disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, heated seats and a few other things.

I told the paint shop it will be in to see them around the second week of February and I expect to have it on the road by the end of May. Can't wait.

[dirtcowboy]

I agree with dirtcowboy, why not just go to Windsor? A 408 stroker is a heck of power house that you can still down grade to a street driveable engine. The Cleveland or Modified ('78-'80), especially in the 400 configuration is not that good of an engine, the 4bbl heads have too big of ports for lower RPM torque and the 2bbl heads cause cavitation in front of the intake valve. Here's a suggestion, find someone that builds IMCA claimer motors. They are generally very competitive price ways. Pay the extra for the steel crank and 4 bolt mains, add roller rockers and lifters, World Product Heads with either 1.93 intakes (more street and under 6250RPM) or 2.02s (3500-6800RPM), stay away from the 2.14's (4100-8000RPM), with balancing and all I'll bet you could have a nifty power house under $2500(long block) if you buy the short block and put the rest together. The spring towers, even with the Windsor, will still be a tad tight on a '66 but the engine will drop in. Personally I cut the towers down to just above the upper control arm mount on the engine bay side of the towers and weld a flat steel plate in, gains about 1-1/2" across the towers at spark plug level and allows for more conventional exhaust headers.

Just my .02

I'm with OTH as well, cut the tower and plate then run an export brace to keep the whole mess from folding up. As long as you ain't turning corners, that is!

Real racecars race in the rain!

[fordwannabe]

Guy's thanks for the opinions on the switch to a windsor..but I am a kinda stubborn lot and when I make up my mind to do something I pretty well can't be pursuaded to do it another way(ask my long suffering wife), so I think I'll stick with the cleveland. Yes it is a pain in the hinder to change plugs and yes I gave it a ton of thought before I decided which way to go but I guess I'm reliving my youth or something. It's kinda like why I am shooting leverguns again, yes I did the black rifle thing, yes I did the Milsurp thing, still have a bunch of bolt action savages(and a 99 or two), but I never totally got out of the leverguns and I guess I won't get out of the clevelands. When I find something that works for ME, I tend to stick with it...I am carring the exact same style of pocket knife for the last 18 years, third one but it's the same model number. Just how I am again ask my wife. Have a great day. Tom

[dirtcowboy]

Ford,

Nothing wrong at all with the 351 cleveland, in the 70's and very early 80's they were the powerplant to have. I remember building a "quasi" Boss 302 engine using the Aussie Cleveland 4Vheads. Thank Ford for the milestone '81 Mustang GT 5.0's, they have changed the car world. Remember Kar Kraft jammed a Boss 429 in that same engine bay for Ford by trimming the towers and plating with steel. It's yer ride, GO FOR IT!!

Greg