302 to 351 is the swap worth it?

[UNTCHBL]

So tell me guys, do you think all the trouble of fitting the bigger windsor in is worth the trouble? Are the big windsors that much stronger? Are there any other parts needed besides the ones I'm listing?

distributor
headers
intake
oil pan
hood or drop motor mounts
brakets
novi2000 bracket (where do you get this?)

[5150 LX]

Dart makes a nice 351 block :D

Why stop at a 351, stroke it out to a 408 :D :D

The bracket would need to be fabbed, there was a recent thread that listed some company that made them I believe.

[UNTCHBL]

so what do you think Sean. worth it? Strength any better? What years should I look for?

Brandon

p.s. I won't use good internals in a stock ford blokc unless it has 4 bolts on the mains. It's like hidding diamonds in turds!

[5150 LX]

Brandon, truthfully I have not done any research what so ever on the 351 so I could not honestly give you any useful info. I am not certain that there are any production 4-bolt main 351 blocks, but I could be wrong here....

[UNTCHBL]

There are none that I know of, but I was just making the point that If I where to do a nice motor with good internals, I would just save and get the good block also.

Stock rods and forged pistons will last longer then any stock production block, but I am just not sure of the limitations of the stock 351. Just trying to get some ideas. I've got an old windsor sitting behind my shed with the rest of my old junk. It's being seasoned! :) I could come up with a stock crank and rods pretty easy, then buy a set of trw or probe pistons, and I just forgot about the different motor imbalance.

Brandon

[regattacoupe]

It's been my experience that stock windsor blocks, includingthe newer ones, are as strong as the 4 bolt chevy production blocks. I may go to a windsor this winter. I think some of the last years of the windsor there were some stragler roller blocks in the f250's and Chicanoline vans.

[UNTCHBL]

Thanks brent, but how strong is that? lol

Brandon

[regattacoupe]

Hopefully i won't find out with my 1K!

[regattacoupe]

If you run large tube shorties sometimes you can get away with it....distributor somes out of the truck you get the pan and hopefully The roller block out of.

[regattacoupe]

You or myself might have to write the windsor/novi swap for novipower.

[UNTCHBL]

I agree, I'm just thinking about it now though.

Brandon

[novi408]

Yes, I would say it is definitely worth it. If you are going to do a complete build up anyway, you would have to buy most of the parts you listed for the 302 anyway, so instead you just buy them for the 351. See my sig for my combo, I made my own blower bracket. The car is not running well right now (I think it is an ignition issue), but it still made 467 rwhp and 528lb-ft and wouldn't pull past 4800rpm. The thing I like about the big cubes are the 440lb-ft of torque at 2800rpm!

[UNTCHBL]

I've made my mind, when the time comes to put a new motor in the next car it will be a mild 357 bottom end with a set of mild heads and a small cam, then on goes the novi. I'm going to start looking for my older 351 block now and start collecting parts.

Brandon

[UNTCHBL]

I want all that damn torque! And not to have to worry about wanting to go a little faster.

Now I just have to decid on what supporting parts, as far as fuel, cooling and driveline goes, are going to cost and on how big they need to be. I won't use any aftermarket computer until I can offord an epec either. Just spout out timing and some sort of btm.

Brandon

[novi408]

I found that most of the supporting parts aren't much different in price than the good parts you would buy for a 302 buildup anyway, so why not go bigger and have a better basis. If I get mine running right and the tires ever hooked, I might have problems with the rearend and trans, but I don't have to worry about that right now.