Question On Purchasing Short Blocks

5.0 Ford Guy said:

Does your block say Hecho En Mexico in the lifter valley? If so these are a better block. I am not sure what all years, or serial numbers this applies to. But some of the older Mexican made blocks had a higher nickle content and the molds were worn out resulting in more material being cast into the blocks. So the older Mexican 302's are more like the Sportsman block.

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Kind of an old rumor from what my engine builder explained to me. He's been in the business for 30+ years and said he had never seen any particular stock block hold up better than any other. The added nickel content doesn't really help. The sportsman blocks have wider main caps that help a little with the cap walk, but it doesn't help much. They are also basically stock blocks. Ford introduced that block option for one particular road racing series to meet a tech requirement. The racers were tearing up main webs and having to swap blocks every season. However the tech requirement was for a 2 bolt main block. The block that is in my car right now is actually a 2002 casting that was in a race car for one race. The racer pulled it and swapped to a Sportsman block as soon as the rules allowed it.

You can convert any of the 351 windsor blocks to fuel injection. There are only a handful that are setup for roller cams. You have to find a block 1994 or newer I believe. A lot of the 351 truck blocks after that year had blocks setup for roller lifters, even though they never installed roller lifters as original equipment. Someone on here said you can actually drill an old 351 block for roller lifters so long as you don't run more than .550" of valve lift. Anything more than that and the bores aren't long enough. You can also run link bar lifters in any block but they are pricey.

Kurt