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Building Ford 351 Clevelands: The Power Physics

Building Ford 351 Clevelands: The Power Physics

We’ve long been led to believe horsepower is what “power” is all about. But horsepower is rooted more in Madison Avenue advertising rhetoric than fact. In the power picture, horsepower doesn’t count for much, especially on the street. What counts is torque and when you have the most of it. Engines make torque when you […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips

Ford 351 Cleveland Power Build: 600 Horsepower

Ford 351 Cleveland Power Build: 600 Horsepower

When I proposed building a 351C for this book, Jim Grubbs of JGM Performance Engineering hauled out a fresh D2AE-CA four-bolt main block and boldly suggested 600 hp at 7,500 rpm. That’s when I contacted Alan Davis at Eagle Specialties for a 4340 steel crank, H-beam rods, and Mahle forged and coated pistons to fill […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips

How to Build a 500 Horsepower Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

How to Build a 500 Horsepower Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

There are two Cleveland engine builds for you here: one from Trick Flow Specialties and another from Hot Rod magazine contributor Jeff Huneycutt of www.horsepowermonster.com. Each of these builds shows what can be done with both the 351C and 400 given budget and savvy engine-building technique.   Trick Flow Specialties Trick Flow recognized the dilemma […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips, The Best Ford Tech Articles

Building 351 Cleveland Power: 400 Horsepower Build

Building 351 Cleveland Power: 400 Horsepower Build

It isn’t hard to get 400 hp from a 351C. All you need is the right combination of parts, including CNC-ported, factory, iron-head castings from Powerheads and a budget stroker kit, and get ready for great street power. Here are two examples: one from MCE Engines and one from TMeyer, Inc.   MCE Engines Marvin […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips

How to Break-In Your Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

How to Break-In Your Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

Begin engine tuning with proper break-in. Regardless of what type of cam you have (roller or fl at-tappet), the rules of proper break-in apply to every type of engine because you want to seat rings and bearings with a proper run-in. When the engine fires, confirm oil pressure and take it immediately to 2,500 rpm […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips

Tuning Your Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

Tuning Your Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

When you fi re your Cleveland for the first time, you get a rush of excitement and anticipation because all of your hard work either proves or disproves itself with the roar of combustion. Don’t get so caught up in the experience, however, that you forget what you’re supposed to be doing. Preparation is everything […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Guide: Exhaust Systems

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Guide: Exhaust Systems

As much as we’ve complained about noise ordinances in the years since “back in the day,” people are finding noise just isn’t cool anymore. Open headers may free up horsepower, but torque and your hearing suffer as a consequence. Racers are learning there’s torque hidden in those silencers. Companies such as Flowmaster, Magnaflow, Hooker, and […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips

351 Cleveland Ignition Guide: Distributor Sources

351 Cleveland Ignition Guide: Distributor Sources

Unfortunately, there’s not much good to say about Ford distributors because they’re just not up to the job of high-RPM use. The Autolite/Motorcraft distributor family consists of distributors with bronze bushings, with some having only one bushing and others having two. Because oil distribution is so poor, bushings and shafts wear out quickly causing side […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Breaker-Point Ignition Tips

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Breaker-Point Ignition Tips

Point-triggered (breaker-point) ignition is a simple on/off switch that opens and closes the primary ignition circuit to charge the coil and reduce a brief discharge of high-energy current to fire a spark plug. It can be debated who invented the breaker high-energy discharge ignition system, but who cares? What you’re interested in knowing is how it […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Ignition Guide: Timing

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Ignition Guide: Timing

Adjusting ignition timing must be performed with a timing light with an accurate harmonic balancer. Be sure your harmonic balancer has its timing marks properly indexed. You’d be surprised how many times you get it wrong using a worn-out balancer or one improperly indexed from the factory. Even a new harmonic balancer must be checked […]

Filed Under: Ford 351 Cleveland Engine, Ford Tech Tips, The Best Ford Tech Articles

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The Ultimate Ford Transmission Torque Converters Guide

The Ultimate Ford Transmission Torque Converters Guide

Torque converters are probably the most misunderstood component in an automatic transmission, yet they’re the simplest in both theory and function. Think of a torque converter like a water wheel in an old saw mill: the waterwheel is driven by fluid … [Click here to read more...]

Mustang Engine Swap Guide

Mustang Engine Swap Guide

In this chapter I cover the common engine swaps for first-generation Mustangs that increase performance potential. My philosophy is “There’s no replacement for displacement” when it comes to increasing performance, but the key is how you get it. I … [Click here to read more...]

How to Install Ford C4 and C6 Transmissions: Step by Step

How to Install Ford C4 and C6 Transmissions: Step by Step

Although I focus great attention on how a transmission is built, installation and proper adjustment after the unit is installed are just as important to durability and longevity. To get longevity and durability, a transmission must be properly … [Click here to read more...]

How to Disassemble Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Engines – Step-by-Step

How to Disassemble Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Engines – Step-by-Step

Because the Modular V-8 has so many different applications, it is impossible to detail all the removal and installation specifics here. However, I can touch on what you can expect across a broad range of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury applications. Gone … [Click here to read more...]

How to Build a 500 Horsepower Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

How to Build a 500 Horsepower Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

There are two Cleveland engine builds for you here: one from Trick Flow Specialties and another from Hot Rod magazine contributor Jeff Huneycutt of www.horsepowermonster.com. Each of these builds shows what can be done with both the 351C and 400 … [Click here to read more...]

How to Assembly Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Engines – Step-by-Step

How to Assembly Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Engines – Step-by-Step

Once you have disassembled the engine, selected the best parts, and finished the machine work, it may seem as if the toughest part of a rebuild is over, but it isn’t. As with every other aspect of a Modular engine rebuild, the assembly is challenging … [Click here to read more...]

Ford Small-Block Rebuild: Torque Specs, Sequences, and Alignment

Ford Small-Block Rebuild: Torque Specs, Sequences, and Alignment

Cylinder Numbers and Firing Order / Torque Sequences This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, HOW TO REBUILD THE SMALL-BLOCK FORD. For a comprehensive guide on this entire subject you can visit this link: LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK … [Click here to read more...]

Ford FE Engines:  The Complete History

Ford FE Engines: The Complete History

The FE Ford engine was released into production in 1958. The earliest applications included use in the short-lived Edsel program. The FE was not a replacement for the Y-block; it was a larger companion to an engine family sharing some design … [Click here to read more...]

Ford FE Engine Intake Manifolds: The Ultimate Guide

Ford FE Engine Intake Manifolds: The Ultimate Guide

Ford FE intake manifolds are unique to this engine family, and instantly recognizable when compared to any other engine’s parts. One third of the valve cover extends over the intake casting, and the pushrods run through cast or machined passages in … [Click here to read more...]

Ford Cylinder Heads and Valvetrain Interchange: Small-Block

Ford Cylinder Heads and Valvetrain Interchange: Small-Block

Few things determine an engine’s personality more than cylinder heads, camshafts, and rocker arms. Ford V-8s have always struggled to make power because they’ve always been limited by factory cylinder head design. Port size on small-block Fords has … [Click here to read more...]

Ford C4 and C6 Transmission Trouble Shooting Guide

Ford C4 and C6 Transmission Trouble Shooting Guide

It’s good to have a source to guide you when you’re struggling with troublesome transmission function. You can be methodical and cover all the bases during a rebuild and still things can go wrong. This is where a step-by-step approach to the problem … [Click here to read more...]

Ford Axle History and Identification: Ford Differentials

Ford Axle History and Identification: Ford Differentials

Before you embark on the rebuild and start scouring local scrap yards and online websites, it will be helpful to understand what to look for and what to avoid in these axles. First, you need to understand some fundamentals of the Ford axles to help … [Click here to read more...]

Ford AODE/4R70W Guide: Calibration, Building, Troubleshooting

Ford AODE/4R70W Guide: Calibration, Building, Troubleshooting

Ford’s AOD evolved into a highly successful mechanically modulated transmission from its 1980 introduction until production ended in 1991. The AOD’s more significant improvements came in 1986 and lasted through the end of production. Ford developed … [Click here to read more...]

Ford AOD Transmission Installation and Swapping Guide

Ford AOD Transmission Installation and Swapping Guide

Although transmission installation and adjustment appears straight-forward, you should take an orderly, methodical approach to ensure success. You’re either swapping in an AOD, AODE, or 4R70W, or you’re removing and reinstalling one. Size up the job … [Click here to read more...]

Ford 9 Inch Differential Guide: Third-Member Assembly

Ford 9 Inch Differential Guide: Third-Member Assembly

This is where you combine the assembled differential with the gear case and hypoid gears. Plus, you also add the necessary bearings, seals, and shims. You can purchase individual pieces or a complete kit that includes everything that you … [Click here to read more...]

Ford 351 Cleveland Engines: Block Identification Guide

Ford 351 Cleveland Engines: Block Identification Guide

There has always been some confusion when it comes to Cleveland block identification. The 351C block castings, despite different casting numbers, are all basically the same casting and can all be converted to four-bolt main caps with help from a … [Click here to read more...]

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Ignition Guide: Timing

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Ignition Guide: Timing

Adjusting ignition timing must be performed with a timing light with an accurate harmonic balancer. Be sure your harmonic balancer has its timing marks properly indexed. You’d be surprised how many times you get it wrong using a worn-out balancer or … [Click here to read more...]

4.6L & 5.4L Ford Rebuild Cheat Sheet: Selecting Parts

4.6L & 5.4L Ford Rebuild Cheat Sheet: Selecting Parts

Parts selection is one of the most important elements of engine building because all parts must operate in concert with one another. Never has this been more crucial than with Ford’s Modular V-8 because of the many variations produced since 1991. You … [Click here to read more...]

4.6L & 5.4L Ford Rebuild Cheat Sheet: Before You Begin

4.6L & 5.4L Ford Rebuild Cheat Sheet: Before You Begin

When Ford introduced the 4.6L single overhead cam (SOHC) “Modular” V-8 in 1991 in the Lincoln Town Car, it took Ford enthusiasts by surprise because it was unlike any other Ford V-8 ever made. It wasn’t like the classic FE-Series 427 SOHC V-8 that … [Click here to read more...]

351 Cleveland Cylinder Heads Guide: Factory Iron Heads

351 Cleveland Cylinder Heads Guide: Factory Iron Heads

Although there’s some confusion over Cleveland cylinder heads, the 335-series engine family has the easiest line-up of Ford cylinder heads to understand. • 351C-4V closed wedge chamber (bolt-fulcrum rockers) 351C-4V closed wedge chamber, … [Click here to read more...]

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