Strengthening a stock Windsor block?

Does anyone has any experience with Block filler? I am looking at building a stroker Windsor in the future, and as I can't afford Motorsport or Dart block, I am looking for ways to strengthen a stock block. I am planning on running a main girdle for sure, but was wondering about block filler. This will be a street car, so cooling is important. I have heard of filling the block up to the bottom of the freeze plug holes. Will it make any difference? How about screw in freeze plugs? I have access to the tap needed to install them in a Windsor block, but again wonder if they will make a difference. I am hoping to make 500-550 Hp on the motor and spray another 150 or so. Will the above mentioned parts hold up? Thanks!

I really wouldn't be too worried about the block going south at your intended power level. With a main girdle, good rods/pistons and a quality crank you should have no problems. The assembly will be more important in that respect than most anything else. Be very fastidious in your efforts, be consistent, deburr the block to prevent stress risers and above all keep it clean.

You'll need to be closer to 750hp to hurt a Windsor block anyway.

A 351 block will take 750hp and likely not have a problem, but about 450-500 is the safe limit for a late 5.0 block. One of the local autocross guys busted one last summer at about 375hp. Now he did turn some rpms with it, and I don't believe it had a girdle.

the picture in the link is NOT his, it was busted back to the rear main but did not come completely apart.

http://members.cox.net/mr428/split50.jpg

_________________
1988 Turbo Coupe...5.0 Conversion... AOD... 3.73s
NA 13.11@105.32....W/90 Shot 12.23@112.19



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: TurboCoupe50 on 2/7/04 7:47pm ]</font>

what kind of power can the early 302 blocks handle?

289/302 block is good for around 500-550 hp,Mexican block is good for 600[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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I highly recommend tapping the frostplug holes and putting in the screw in plugs.
If you're going to do any kind of streeting the motor, I would not put in block filler. Well, I wouldn't put in block filler anyway, I guess.
My machinist put together a 408, that pushed over 600 hp, and every time he wung it over 6k, it'd pop freeze plugs out. (block stress).
In either case, I installed the screw in's in my 84 block, and have had nary a concern with 'strengthening'.
My .002

But then again, I'm only pushing 615 hp.......[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_ghey.gif[/img]
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On 2004-02-07 08:03, drag79stang wrote:

But then again, I'm only pushing 615 hp.......[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_ghey.gif[/img]

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If I were only that gay.....[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img]
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So what is the correct way to install the screw-in freezeplugs? The motor will be bored with a deckplate(of course) so I guess I'll have to have them in before I haul it to the machine shop. Do I put thread sealer on then? When the machine shop hot tanks the block will it wash the thread sealer away? Is there a proper torque value on putting them in, or do I just screw them in until it feels good? Will I have to remove them for cleaning once the block comes back from the machine shop for any reason? Thanks for your replies.

The shop can thread the holes, then after they wash the block they can put the srew in plugs in[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_tup.gif[/img]