Thread: What's the difference...351...

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Can someone put into layman's terms what the difference is between the 351 Windsor and the 351 Cleveland? Is it major?

Thanks.

351W and 351C are completly different engines with no major parts interchangability.

The 351W was basically a larger version of the 289/302 SB Ford engine, with a taller deck to acomidate the 1/2" longer stroke.

The 351C uses a completly different block/head configuration which is a bit wider than the 351W, making it a bit more dificult to fit into tight engine compartments.

The 351C had bigger valve better flowing heads than the Winsor.

Many people feel that the Windsor has a better oiling system and stronger bottom end than the C.levland.

One popular swap several years ago was the addition of 351C 2BBL heads onto Windsor blocks (refered to as a Clevor), but as I recall, this took special head gaskgets and a special manifold to make it work.

The "major" difference is thousands of $ more to rebuild a Cleveland, to end up with a peaky, hi-rpm engine that's a headache on the street.

So Windsor is the way to go, huh?

Too bad. 351 Cleveland sounds so much badder than 351 Windsor. The 351W sounds like a motor that came out of an RV...

use to be that the Cleveland was the way to go, & the Windsor WAS more of a utilty engine. but theres so much great stuff for the Windsor from the aftermarket that $ for $ the Windsor is usually the way to go.
There is also the 351M. The 351M uses Cleveland heads as does the 400, but the M has a differant deck height,.bell housing bolt pattern and a few other things than a Cleveland to add to the confusion. Alot of people also think & will argue that the Clevelands are big blocks...there not...they are small blocks...with a canted valve design head commonly seen with big blocks.

If you wanted a easy way to tell the difference between a 2 barel cleveland head and a 4 barel cleveland head, in the corner of the head it will have 2 or a 4. 2 for 2 barel head or a 4 for 4 barel head.

either way... get um ported and polished... then it really doesn't matter which head you got

Originally posted by thesals
either way... get um ported and polished... then it really doesn't matter which head you got

Actually it does matter. The 4 barrel Cleveland head ports are way to large for most street applications, even in stock form, & just dont perform very well at all until close to 5000 RPMs.
The 2 barrel Cleveland heads ports are nicely sized for street& strip applications, do respond well to bowl work, & installing larger valves.

Ya I have heard that it is better to go with 2 barrel cleveland heads and a 4 barrel carb on the street, than it is with 4 barrel cleveland heads.I also have heard that stock for stock that the old windsor's is quicker in the take off until the cleveland gets up there in RPM,s.

I like the windsor because of the massive amount of aftermarket parts for windsors. Before good heads where made for the windsor the cleveland was the engine for high performance. Today there are so many aftermarket heads and parts theres no reason to build a cleveland unless thats what you want.

later dennis