phildownunder

Has anyone checked the cylinder wall thickness in the XE Cleveland block compared with the earlier blocks. I have heard that they were made a lot thicker? Do they have a bulge on the outside inline with the cylinders? I read somewhere that Dick Johnson had Ford cast a number of them for racing back in the eighties, and they ended up in the last of the XE V8 Falcons.

Racer

Just about all of the XE blocks end up as successfull race engines, yet internet folklore says they are thin rejects.

I have also heard the same thing about DJ's blocks. One thing that is historical fact - Ford got caught by CAMS casting "improved" heads with regular casting numbers.

Rhett

How can I tell if my XE has the original factory block?
Apart from being painted black, will the engine number shed any light?
Did the XDs come with a blue block and use the old castings?

Racer

Sorry i mis-read the question...

paull

XD had the black block. Also available was the Pillow block (2 bolt)
XE had the black block. Also available was the so called NASCAR block. Casting number XE192540 (if memory serves me). These were all 4 bolts.

Both Pillow and NASCAR had the bulges (pillows) on the side of the blocks. Both had larger sleeve thickness but XE's suffered from core shift.

Paul

4Vman

This is getting tedious....

What do you guys call a "NASCAR" block? how is it identified as a "NASCAR" block??
"Pillow blocks" were std cleveland blocks with extra water capacity via "pillows" on the side, NO thicker bores or 4 bolts, just std 2 bolt blocks that held a bit more coolant. They were randomly disposed of through out the entire cleveland range as a way of getting rid of these experimental blocks.
They WERE NOT "NASCAR" blocks!!!
XE code blocks were made with thicker pan rails and "thicker" bore walls but ive never seen one (ive seen about 15 now) or ever heard of one with pillows!!!
These blocks were originally manufactured as mototrsport castings however the ones found fitted to Australian vehicles failed the stability check for export to the US.
That doesn't mean most aren't good blocks for hotting though, all it means is they werent suitable for shipment to the US.
I also believe some of the good XE code blocks have found their way back here via importation as second hand blocks..

__________________
F6: the fastest factory 4 door falcon in the world!

Racer

Looks like i didn't mis-read the question......

Contrary to what is written above, XE192540 blocks came in both 2 and 4 bolt (i've seen both)

They got their "Nascar" name because they were made in Australia for the US Nascar market. They were not intended for Australian domestic use. Only left overs remained here.

4Vman

Spot on! an XE192540 code block is what people call a "NASCAR" block and ive also seen 2 and 4 bolt versions!
By the way, has anyone seen an XE182540 block too?

__________________
F6: the fastest factory 4 door falcon in the world!

Rhett

I think the original question was in regard to a factory block found in a Ford Falcon "XE" body style, but you guys are talking about Cleveland block with an engine number stamped on them that begins with the letters "XE".

I have a factory 351 XE Falcon, but the engine number doesn't begin with the letters "XE".

I'm going to be very general here, but are we to assume that the average black block is better then the average blue block??????

"mummy, I'm frightened and confused !"

xdclevo

Maybe your looking at the wrong blocks dood. XE Nascar blocks have the so called "pillows" and so does the "sort of" rare 1982 pillow block i have from an F100 and also in certain XE's and XE ESP. Black blocks are the go