toofst4u666

so ya guys im new to 351's ive always been a 302 man but ya know i jus figured bigger is better so it was time to build one of these. now here is what i got. i have a 351 bottom end from a 96 truck needs a rebuild but everything checks out crank and rods are good blocks got no cracks. so what im wondering is if i rebuild the bottom end have it bored out .30 and throw in some flat top hypertuenic pistons would that be a better short block than a 302 bored .30 with a 347 stroker kit? and what heads are a good choice for this build? im looking to be in the 9.5.1 compression range so i have power but can run premium pump gas im gonna run a cam that makes low to mid range power like a 1200-4500 rpm or is there a better power band in these motors basically im just looking for suggestions i would love to be makin over 300 hp if possible let me know guys thanks alot

thunderjet429

with a good set of heads and proper cam a pump gas 300 hp 351w is easily reached.

toofst4u666

well my rear goal is like 320+ rwhp but i know that windsors are all about the torque so thats what im really looking forward to. what heads would you suggest when using the factory rods and crank and using a .30 flat top piston with two valve relief? single or dual plane intake? 650 or 750 carb? i really dont know much about these motors but i really want that choppy idle something along these lines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_EEs...eature=related . what cam would give me that?

sn95_331_GT_ yellow

the 94 up (F4TE) blocks are already hydraulic roller ready, so your cam choices go up greatly. you cant go wrong with AFR heads, although i recently helped a friend build a motor topped off with a set of TFS Fast Cast heads and was very impressed with the results.
as for your 351W, you will have a worlds more capable block than a weak 302. the mains are much more strong on the 351W vs the 302 and the block is much sturdier. the stock crank will work fine for almost any NA setup, just new rods and pistons.
your RPM range depends pretty much on your cam. remember that a bigger motor like a 357 or a 408 will make a large cam seem smaller since there is much more air going in. make sure to measure PTV clearance as well.
call Jay at Cam Innovations (i believe thats the name). he can walk you through the steps and get you a custom grind based on your combination.
i see no reason a healthy 357W cant be happy between 2500-6500rpm. the 357W i built was a pretty aggressive setup and LIVED between 4000-7200rpm. (it was also 10.8:1 CR, and a solid roller). if you like torque, cubic inches never hurt, if you like a top end motor, you (obviously) need a completely different direction for your build.
do you plan on going carb or staying EFI? a little bit more info for us can never hurt either ;-)

toofst4u666

id love to go with a stroker setup but i really dont have the funds for that at this point im probably just going to have it bored and put some 9.5.1 or 10.1 pistons in there find a good aluminum head , cam and intake that complement eachother a good demon carb and im hopin i can get some fair numbers from it my cars a 79 so i think carb is waaay easier than runnin a ecu. how high can u rev a stock 351 crank i can have some machine work done to it my friend owns a machine shop so i get it cheap i could have it knife edged and maybe get the block decked a little so it sits closer to the head for more compression and so it can rev higher with the lighter crank but how high before one of those rods lets go you think?

sn95_331_GT_ yellow

any time you remover material from the crank you're making it weaker. the stock crank is fine as it is so dont worry about it. as for the rods, the stock rod/piston combo is pressed on, so new pistons will have to be pressed as well by a machine shop. you can for around $600 buy new flat top pistons and forged rods that have a bushed pin. your best bet is just to get the block cleaned, bored and decked to make it perfectly even and go from there. as for a carb, go with a 750-850 and a good single plane manifold. let us know what youre thinking of for combo's.

toofst4u666

ok guys thatnks heres an update as well as a few more questions. the block is at the machinsts right now being bored .30 and bieng resurfaced i didnt want to have it deckd yet until i pick my pistons so i can have it zero decked to them. since money is tight right now the stroker plan is out so im gonna have to settle for the 351 .30 over. im thinkin of a set of flat tops heres the link http://store.summitracing.com/partde...&view=1&N=700+ what do you guys think about them. and im wanted to use this cam setup http://store.summitracing.com/partde...4&autoview=sku because it will give me the idle i want and its got a good power range. but i really cant afford new heads so thats my dilemma how bad will it be with the heads that came on it if i have some work done to them? like a valve job and some porting and polishing? im not looking to run 10 seconds ya know but id like it to be decent. but if i have no other choice ill just have to save up and buy heads i jus hate to see my car sit. and will a 351 destroy my c4 tranny? its rebuilt with a 2400 rpm stall and a shift kit it held up great behind my 302 but i no a 351 is a whole different beast what does everyone think

BlessedHellride

I had a set of KB Hyper. pistons .060" over in my last car. They had a .200" dome on them, really helped with the crappy heads I had. I pulled the engine out of my 1983 F-150 and rebuilt it. Done some minor port work to the junk heads and threw it back together. They will be just fine as long as you don't start throwing the N20 at it. If you are stuck using the stock heads, get your port work done. Change the springs out for better set and go a step or two on that cam selection you have up there. The KB usually have plenty of valve relief machined in them so look for a cam 550 lift or so. Pick up an Edelbrock Air Gap dual plane manifold beings your stuck with stock heads. A 750cfm carb will be plenty for that application.

psuhillbilly150

a good way to go on a budget is a set of factory port late 60s to 1971 casting # DOOE ford heads. They make nearly as much power as edelbrock performer heads just are a little heavier.

I know there is a guy on the philly craigs list selling a bare set of them for 90 bucks which i think is a steal since you can then match your valve train to whatever cam/pistons your going with.

My friend ran those heads with stiffer valve springs on his 351 for years without trouble and he made alot of power with 11.1 comp those heads a fairly large cam and a performer rpm intake.

If you do use those heads your going to have to use a dished piston to make the 9.5 or 10:1 compression you want since flat tops + DOOE heads make 11.2 to 1.