Rocketrockel

I am still in the research stage to my engine build and I am hoping that you guys out there could help me out.

Well first off the Engine is a 71' 351 Windsor.
I would like to build the engine so that it makes my 79' T-bird into an impressive street machine.

I guess the only really mods that I've done to the car so far is change the rear end gear to 3.50 which really helped out. Switched to duel exhaust. Oh and new plugs and a high flow air filter. Other than that just a few things to keep me on the road.

Now seeing as the engine is of a low compression era with lower torque and Hp for the engines size and most likely it has parts that are worn out or are just about there, this is where I would like to have some input on engine parts for a rebuild. I am new to this and any info would be greatly appreciated. I hear all the time that you have to match up parts so that you don't waste your time and money. What would be best for my build?

Sterling_Six

Hello and good day:

You may find this Site helpful Ford 351 Windsor Teardown & Rebuild 101


Ford 351 Cleveland V8 Engines - Specs and Information

Budget Priced Engine Rebuild Kits from RPM Machine


351 engine items - Get great deals on Engine Rebuild Kits, Ford 351C 351M 400 items on eBay Stores!

__________________
Good Luck and good repairing Sterling_6
"You know, just like in that Book, When Jesus beats up Moses to get Religion!!"

Rocketrockel

Thanks Sterling_6!!
I did take a look at these web sites they seem to have some good deals on parts. I am still not too sure what parts I would need for my motor to achieve an impressive street machine. I saw a O.E. rebuild kit and a torque torker kit but what would the difference for me be realistically? My car is on the heavy side so would the torque kit be the one I am after? but the O.E kit would bring my car back to is original self + the extra mods I am all confused LOL

George1861

Disregard the Clevland stuff, entirely diffrent engine. Where you have a heavy car you need to be looking @ what's called an RV cam for low end grunt.

Rocketrockel

I was starting to lean towards a torquer cam.

Here is a link to what I was looking at.

Ford 351W RV torque ultimate cam K kit 1969-87 on eBay.ca (item 190476589058 end time 04-Jan-11 11:49:22 EST)
The only thing I can really see wrong with this is that the pistons with this kit are 7.7:1 for compression. I am not going to be running a turbo or a blower so this does not seem to make sense to me.


I e-mailed the seller about it and he also suggested these few rebuild kits.
Ford 351W Performance Engine Kit HV Pump Pistons 9.1:1 on eBay.ca (item
190245351643 end time 05-Jan-11 13:58:34 EST)


Ford 351W Class II street ultimate cam kit 1969-87 on eBay.ca (item 150540001178 end time 26-Jan-11 18:01:45 EST)

Ford 351W Class II Performer ultimate cam kit 1969-87 on eBay.ca (item 150528932711 end time 02-Jan-11 22:58:03 EST)

What do you think about them?

George1861

The bottom 2 cams are high RPM cams, not low end power ones. The cam @ the top didn't sound to bad, maybe like the Edelbrock Performer( check the ed.). The rebuild kit is for the high deck W, so it would work on your '78, but not the '71. Also it said the C/R was with 63CC heads & that's not a normal size, your '71s are 60.4 & the '78s are 69, so the C/R will be something different. Kits can save money, but I'd purchase Felpro no retorque head gaskets & make sure the lifters aren't from China, even if a US brand. Didn't notice anything about 7.? C/R being mentioned.

Rocketrockel

I e-mailed the guy asking about the kit. he told me that about the kits compression ratio.

This is out of the e-mail
The pistons are listed as 7.7 to one. They are a dished piston. I do not recommend using a torque cam with flat top pistons as a torque camshaft has very little overlap and builds compression. If this is going in a truck this will work well with the dished pistons.


As I mentioned in the start of my thread I am new to this so I have to ask and then check on what I am told so I don't waste my time and hard earned money on a finished product that I am not happy with.

George1861

Sounds like nonsence to me. Like you said 7.7 is fine with a blower, dog otherwise. You need to get catalogs from the cam companies & parts suppliers. There should be discripitions like: good from idle to 5,ooo 8-9C/R then incremental step increases in RPM & C/R. Decide witch heads you're going to run & match the piston to the chamber size, probably need to keep it around 9:1 & match a low end torque cam to the C/R. Keep in mind the 71 is a low deck & the 78 is a high deck block. Piston has to match the block or it'll throw off the C/R.

Rocketrockel

I am thinking that I am going to run the stock heads for this motor (1971) and do a little tune up to them(new valves and guides, springs and retainers), then basically change the guts of the rest of the motor.
Ok I will start looking at different cams then from different cam companys and seeing if they have free catalogs

Rocketrockel

Well not too many free catalogs for cams out there but lots of info on their web sites.