351 c crank into a 302

I'm going to take a different direction here, although there have been some valid points made. Why don't you want to build a 351 Cleveland? Ford didn't stop selling them in the USA because they weren't any good. They made them in Australia for decades! All the previous arguments aside, a 302 block(except Boss 302s and Ford Racing blocks) will not take the punishment a Cleveland will. That's why there are main stud girdles for 302s available in the aftermarket. Cleveland heads flow so much, that some builders install restrictors in the ports. Smog regulations, high insurance rates, and Ford dropping their race program killed the Cleveland in the USA. But when Bill Elliott started dominating NASCAR in '83, a lot of people started shopping for Cleveland parts in Australia. Jack Roush used Clevelands in Pro Stock.
I'm not aware of any successful use of Windsor-based engines in NASCAR. But I never imagined Mustangs having their own drag racing classes, either. I'm guessing there's a lot of hacking going on in those areas to stay competitive, as it was for the buick Grand Nationals in the '80s. If you've got a 351 crank, and a friend that knows what he's doing grinding cranks, go for it! Get an engine bearing catalog for research, it'll save you some time. As they say, 'speed costs money, how fast can you afford to go?'. Learning can be costly too, if you go over budget.Good luck. JD

Originally Posted by feeble

You guys are harsh! Going through this process would also be a good learning experience (although the only thing learned might be that it is easier & cheaper to buy a stroker crank than make one.) Smart @ss comments aside, I don't think you would learn as much about engines and how they work just buying a stroker kit where all of the engineering and the process has already been thought out for you. To put it another way, why do you guys bother to build cars when you can go buy a new one already done from Ford? It would be much easier and (in some cases) cheaper. "You're not that dumb, are you?" (corrected that grammar error for you Big Joe ) The original posters priorities are different than yours, he has access to the resources, wants to use American made steel, and will probably learn something good in the process, something that maybe will help one of you out someday when you have a question. What is so wrong with that?

Man if ford has any fox bodies left I will gladly take an 85Gt instead of spending the 20k on mine. All everyone did was bitch and moan because we never had the junk chevy did, now your going beyond backwards. If your an aspiring machinist you may learn something, but if your doing this just to do it, its silly. I think I am going back to building strokers with chevy pistons and 300 rods

I'm not saying it's for everyone, it's not even for me. I plan on getting a kit.

i guess im just not getting it really , are you wanting to do it just becouse nobody els has or do you really think the steel is better just becouse it was cast in the us ? im not trying to bash on it but there is no way a stock crankshaft is going to ever be better than a scat or eagle no matter how much grinding you do on it , stock quallity just isnt that good if your friend has been machining for long im sure he has seen casting flaws from stock parts that you would never see on an eagle or a scat , i know i have,

On the other hand do what makes you feel good about your build , thats what makes it all worth while. its all for fun.

I seen an artical in Popular hotrod about 30 years ago about doing that vary thing , I know it can be done . I don't think there is any reason to go to that extent today with all the cheep strokers out there now .