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11-27-2006, 03:28 PM   #4 (permalink)
MarauderMan
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 228
4 bolt main caps on 351W

There are several companies that sell billet splayed caps for 351W's -- cant recall the name but there was one at the PRI Show who had them for every Ford since the Y-Block.

But you have to be careful that the holes you drill in the webs to mount the splayed bolts don't weaken the web.

IMHO you might want to think about one of the Ford Racing blocks if you are putting enough oomph into one to blow the main webs out.

Production blocks are gray iron, and have only a limited service life. They are good for, probably, half again the peak rated hp of their strongest configuration without serious damage. In a 351 W, that would be somewhere in the 450-500 hp neighborhood. Yes I know all the magazines publish stories about 600 hp Windsors, but think about it -- that was one pull or at best a series of a few.

A purpose designed and cast race block will have lots more beef where it counts, have a more stable cylinder wall and a more stable deck for better sealing, plus it will keep everything else from wiggling around and causing a catastrophic failure.

In the end, it is cost-competitive with all the 'trick' machining operations you would need to do to a boneyard production block to let it live for even a little while in a high hp / high load environment (and let me guess, the squeeze was on when it went bang?)

You can get the parts, but you have to look at the whole picture before you fork over the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Good luck!
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