New game plan

[XxFaceYourFear]

Well guys, not too long ago I had my car painted, pulled the engine, threw in a steeda #19 cam, ported the upper and lower intake, bbk shorties, etc etc, and now, I have a hankerin for more power.

I was planning on blower, and then I threw the idea of a 331 or a 347 stroker around, but now.... oohh now, I have my mind set a 351w *cough cough* 408 stroker *cough*.

A friend of mine has a 351w block and asked me to make an offer so I thought I'd ask what you guys what I should offer. So help me out fellers, cause I have no clue what they're worth.



**edit

Forgot to ask, what should I look for on the block in terms of wear, damage or other problems prone to these engines?

 

[sn-95matt5-0]

as long as the its stock bore and the cylinders arent egged you should be fine for the most part.

wat model windsor block is it? wish you were close to me i've the idea across myself at night a few times to sell my current project. the only thing that is keeping me from trying to part it out is that i'm SOOOOOO close to finishing it. i'm just broke.

 

[SublimeRT]

I've seen standard bore early 351W blocks go for cheap. Like $150 cheap. I personally wouldn't buy it if it's already been bored over .030 or more. It's too easy to find a standard bore 351W block to settle for that.

 

[BlackVert]

alice, the rabbit hole is this way, just follow me ...

what year is the block from?

69-73 are believed to be the stronger blocks, but they are not hydraulic lifter ready. those conversion lifters are really expensive.

74-86 (or so) blocks are generally avoided because of quality concerns. plus they are not hyd lifter ready. did i mention that the conversion lifters are really expensive?

i might be off a little on the years ... after 86 (or so) the quality is supposed to be better again, but still not as strong as the older blocks.

94+ blocks are hydraulic lifter ready , and frankly, a 94+ block is plenty strong enough for 99% of peoples' applications ... especially n/a. but they are harder to come by because there are not nearly as many of them. are you planning on running 20 lbs of boost through it?

i'd offer up to $200 for a hydraulic lifter ready block, and $100-$150 for an older one.

 

[XxFaceYourFear]

alice, the rabbit hole is this way, just follow me ...

what year is the block from?

69-73 are believed to be the stronger blocks, but they are not hydraulic lifter ready. those conversion lifters are really expensive.

74-86 (or so) blocks are generally avoided because of quality concerns. plus they are not hyd lifter ready. did i mention that the conversion lifters are really expensive?

i might be off a little on the years ... after 86 (or so) the quality is supposed to be better again, but still not as strong as the older blocks.

94+ blocks are hydraulic lifter ready , and frankly, a 94+ block is plenty strong enough for 99% of peoples' applications ... especially n/a. but they are harder to come by because there are not nearly as many of them. are you planning on running 20 lbs of boost through it?

i'd offer up to $200 for a hydraulic lifter ready block, and $100-$150 for an older one.

I believe it's an older block 69-73, but I have to double check with him. It's not bored or decked or anything, so everything should be fine. He removed and notched the stock crank, but I'm not interested in it; I'm going to use the one that comes with the stroker kit.

I'm planning on running the engine n/a. After I get the details on the block, I'll offer him 100 bucks and see if he takes it. Muchos gracias señores.

 

[Zero_chance]

I posted on Craigslist and a guy replied in the next town over with a 96 roller cam block out of a f250. If youre set on going that route I think youd be better off trying to find a newer 5.8 so you dont need to drop 500 on conversion lifters. Unless you get the block for next to nothing. The guy I originally talked to wanted 300 for the short block but changed his mind and was going to let it go for 200.

 

[BlackVert]

I posted on Craigslist and a guy replied in the next town over with a 96 roller cam block out of a f250. If youre set on going that route I think youd be better off trying to find a newer 5.8 so you dont need to drop 500 on conversion lifters. Unless you get the block for next to nothing. The guy I originally talked to wanted 300 for the short block but changed his mind and was going to let it go for 200.

sounds like a good deal to me ... i'd take it and stick it in my garage ... if i had a garage that is!

does it need to be rebuilt, or would you be able to get it running without having to rebuild it? i ask because i think a good plan for a conversion would be to take a stock 351 that runs and do only what needed to be done to get it in the car and on the road ... oil pan, exhaust, intake (if it came out of a truck). that is by far the biggest challenge. plus, you can drive it while saving the bucks and collecting the parts for the 408 build. who knows, the extra grunt a 351 gives might keep you happy longer than you think. in any case, the 408 part is then a much more straightforward matter of pulling the motor and rebuilding it.

if i were to ever do it again, that is how i would do it. the way i did it the first time involved way too many changes all at the same time and the cost was a whole lot higher than it could have been.

 

[blksn955.o]

I would look for a roller block but if you get the older block cheap that is solid it will offset the cost of going with the retrofit at least a little.

Like said either the old blocks or the 94+. I did not see it mentioned but the 94+ roller blocks have F4Te casting numbers on them IIRC by the starter...or was it the oil filter? Anyway...393 for CHEAP or 408 that bad boy...if my motor goes south it will be a hard choice of a n/a 351 or a turbo 331-347.

Way to live the dream of big CI.

 

[Zero_chance]

I think Im going to grab the roller block and put it in the storage unit with the rest of my parts. That way I can build it the way I want and not have to rush it because my car will be off the road. I still have another 12 months of car payments so Im not in any rush to try and spend a lot of money on it now. At least this way Ill have it though. I was deadset on a 427 stroker kit from fordstrokers but when gas got over 4.20 from premium, I scaled back. But I bought another vehicle since then so I wont have to daily drive the Stang anymore. Decisions, decisions. Even if I just keep it a 351 it will still be better than what I have now.