preformace cam for 351 c
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Engine, goals, budget?
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Yes, more info needed. You wanting to do something on the cheap and easy, or are you willing to change valve springs and other stuff too?
Oh, and welcome back Andy. I was about ready to put an APB out on you.
Oh, and welcome back Andy. I was about ready to put an APB out on you.
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13,577 Posts
If you are looking to go mild for the street, I have a nice Crane cam and lifter set BNIB, 133042:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CRN-133042/
Regards,
Bob
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CRN-133042/
Regards,
Bob
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I've been pursuing a grad degree in Physical Therapy, so I'm taking some leveling classes so I can apply to a program. It's all physics and anatomy in my head right now. Not much Cougar time these days. But, thanks for missing me, Bro.
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For a mild street car, just go with the cheapie Summit SUM-5200 cam. copy of the old-tech Crane 260 Econopower. I have the Crane in BetaCat w/ 10.4:1 comp, 600 vac sec Holley and stock exhaust and it puts out around 350hp easy. Great throttle response. Very peppy around town. Gets kinda winded at 5400RPM though... Never tried it with headers.
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The Cleveland heads are just starting to wind up at 5K. I would go with something in a 6500 range. As far as headers, Ford Powertrain makes some of the best. Kinda pricey though. I also went all roller valve train. Haven't fired it yet but anxiously waiting.
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Most all valve springs give up long before that...
If you went roller, hydraulic rollers are only good for around 6k. Serious race cams (NOT good for the street) are good for more. Since the OP never stated 2V or 4V, odds are it is a 2V and should stick with something under 6k RPM.
You also have to remember that Clevelands had very weak 2-piece valves that are prone to breakage at higher spring pressures. Aftermarket one-piece valves are a must!
If you went roller, hydraulic rollers are only good for around 6k. Serious race cams (NOT good for the street) are good for more. Since the OP never stated 2V or 4V, odds are it is a 2V and should stick with something under 6k RPM.
You also have to remember that Clevelands had very weak 2-piece valves that are prone to breakage at higher spring pressures. Aftermarket one-piece valves are a must!
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I noticed he didn't state 2 or 4 bbl. Well you'd better not tell my brother and his son that the lifters are only good to 6 K (that's for the stock ones)...they've been past that with them ( Comp Cams says 6800) . As far as valves, I run a stainless valve with a hardened ( no-lead )seat. The Cleveland blocks are also prone to breakage in the crank saddle at 7K or more RPMs.
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One of the other more prevalent problems is the rod bolts. Stock rods can be used to 7k or so, but the factory hardware stretch and grenade the engine on occasion.
So, per Milo's suggestion: replace the valve train (valves, springs, keepers, the whole enchilada) and the rod hardware.
Block split can be attributed to casting variation since Ford was relatively new to mass production thin-wall casting techniques. Very seldom do machinists find a Cleveland with everything exactly where the blueprint says it should be. Manufacturing variance made some blocks weak and some quite strong. Most are in the middle and do just fine north around 7k.
On the upside, there's a lot of old Nascar stuff and some really great parts coming out of Australia and New Zealand for the Cleveland, where it lived on years after it was given the axe here in the states.
The old saying "if you want to make 400 horsepower with a 351 Cleveland, just use good parts and start pulling plug wires until you get there," still applies as it always has.
here's a detailed build that you can copy for some very good and reliable power that won't be twitchy and need to be tuned every weekend or every time it gets humid.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/263038/thread/1315614851/last-1317319910/351+4V+C-4
The builder lists it as doing mid-high 12's in a Cougar sized car at over 4k feet of elevation. Not bad.
So, per Milo's suggestion: replace the valve train (valves, springs, keepers, the whole enchilada) and the rod hardware.
Block split can be attributed to casting variation since Ford was relatively new to mass production thin-wall casting techniques. Very seldom do machinists find a Cleveland with everything exactly where the blueprint says it should be. Manufacturing variance made some blocks weak and some quite strong. Most are in the middle and do just fine north around 7k.
On the upside, there's a lot of old Nascar stuff and some really great parts coming out of Australia and New Zealand for the Cleveland, where it lived on years after it was given the axe here in the states.
The old saying "if you want to make 400 horsepower with a 351 Cleveland, just use good parts and start pulling plug wires until you get there," still applies as it always has.
here's a detailed build that you can copy for some very good and reliable power that won't be twitchy and need to be tuned every weekend or every time it gets humid.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/263038/thread/1315614851/last-1317319910/351+4V+C-4
The builder lists it as doing mid-high 12's in a Cougar sized car at over 4k feet of elevation. Not bad.
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I would contact TMeyer Racing or B2 Motorsports over on the Cleveland forum and tell them you want the biggest, best performing hydro roller that they could custom grind for you, along with the lifters. Make sure you get matched springs and do some head work. Change the valves to one piece single groove if you haven't already done so. Get 10° locks and matching retainers. Roller rocker setup, along with machining the heads for 7/16 studs if it hasn't been done. Change the rod bolts to ARP. If you don't have forged pistons, then change those out. Put an ARP oil pump shaft; this is a must, I would even recommend this in a stock build. A good single plane intake and a good ignition box and dizzy to fire it all off.
There is a laundry list of things that can be done. If you find a cam you would like, we could easily recommend other things that need to be done based on the cam specs.
This is of course based on the fact that there is no budget.
There is a laundry list of things that can be done. If you find a cam you would like, we could easily recommend other things that need to be done based on the cam specs.
This is of course based on the fact that there is no budget.
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X2 what Mike said, if you have the cash as you indicated. Oh and nice to see you back around Andy!
Regards,
Bob
Regards,
Bob
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Oh, forgot about MME Racing. They are probably the best in the biz when it comes to Clevelands. I will post a link later when I am at home on the computer, unless someone beats me to it. I would say pickout your cam or have Mark at MME make you one, and build the engine around it. That is what I did with mine.
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http://mmeracing.com/ There you go, best guy in the Cleveland world for custom grind cams. If you get one picked out, let us know and we will help you build an engine around it.
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Just my 2 cents, but get the flow #s off your heads at your machine shop. Then call your cam manufacturer and tell them you want a cam built to exactly match your head flow #s. I agree with these guys too as far as the all hydraulic roller motor goes. Good luck and be ready to dump cash cause 351Cs can be expensive. You'll love the look on the chevy guys faces though when they see the header size!
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