Budget 351 buildup...what do u think?

[Bigstang1]

Hey everybody i havnt posted in a while but ive still been reading the info on hear alot. MY original plan to build my 351 into a nasty 408 is kinda not so realiatic anymore after i added up the costs to build the whole thing. Im kinda thinking about staying with the 351ci now and i have a half a$$ plan that i wanted to get some opinions about. Let me know what u think...there are a few areas where i listed a couple options, basically im trying to figure out if anything i have planned definally is a bad idea or wont work.

1990 351 block (already have complete running 1990 351) bored .030
Stock crank and rods (checked and balenced, crank turned if neccessary)
forged pistons of some kind (maybe flat top, i want this to be a
high compression motor) balenced with rotating assembly
Heads (either worked stockers or try some aluminum hi/po heads i saw for $595 a set from tri-state cylinder head)
cam (not a roller block so flat tapet, maybe mechanical...im not afraid of
somthing pretty radical keep that in mind)
Gear drive
Typhoon 351 intake

the other smaller things like throttle body, injectors etc i may use the stock ones untill i can afford to go better. this may be way off target but i just want to get an idea of what u guys think. This is my first motor. I work at a ford dealer and am going to school to be a ford tech so ttechnical info isnt too hard to get but i know that some of u on here really know your stuff. thanks and sorry for the leangth.

 

[ExplodingGopher]

Things I don't like in the combo:

-Gear drive, dont need one, i've had people come into my shop when they use some of these "pete jackson" gear drives and see metal shavings (a lot) in their oil from the drives, something about the way they straight cut the gears and what kind of metal they use. Any drag racer will tell you not to use this. I've been told to just use a good double roller chain or spring for a single idler "moroso" i think it is. If your just gonna use it for the gear noise, then just don't get one.

-Stock rods i'd upgrade, stock crank is fine as you can have it turned .010" under. But the rods, even with ARP studs and nuts or just some stockers always tend to break on the rod beam near the crank part, i'd say just spring for some Eagle SIR rods just to be safe cause those forged slugs are gonna be kinda heavy and if you plan on turning this thing a good amount of rpms, and it looks like you'll have to with a radical cam setup that you want, its better safe then sorry.


other than that, i think its good to go.

 

[Bigstang1]

yea i was wondering about the weight of the forged pistons and yea it might be kinda a high revver...so i will plan on upgradeing to somthing better in the rod dept...i kinda wanted the gear drive for the noise tho lol ...anyone else have this problem with the shavings in the oil? thats pretty scarry.

Did u have an opinion on the heads Explodinggopher? ( i cant help but ;laugh with that name lol)

 

[ExplodingGopher]

yea i was wondering about the weight of the forged pistons and yea it might be kinda a high revver...so i will plan on upgradeing to somthing better in the rod dept...i kinda wanted the gear drive for the noise tho lol ...anyone else have this problem with the shavings in the oil? thats pretty scarry.

Yeah i asked about the gear drives on the network 54 385 series engine forums, they steered me away from them, gave me too many bad stories from personal experience.

 

[Bigstang1]

ICIC well i guess that kinda decides that...did u have any opinion on the head situation?

 

[ExplodingGopher]

i am a fan of saving money lol. If you can afford it, go with some nice aftermarket aluminum ones, better heat dissipation for the higher compression you want to prevent detonation. If you can't afford them right now, i believe the stockers are still good as long as they are massively ported on the exhaust ports and polished like no tomarrow, intake needs some porting too but not as much as ford's crappy exhaust ports. A 3 angle valve job would be recommended if your gonna use the stockers too. stockers should be ok up to around upper 10's compression ratio. I'm runnin 10.4:1 static comp. in my 460, friend is runin 10.8:1 on his 460, on cast iron heads with no problems. But like i said, go for the aftermarket aluminum ones if you can afford it especially for high compression.

 

[86bluecobra]

if you are going to go with stocker heads get a pair of 69 351w heads. i looked at those tri state heads and they are a victor jr knock off and the data they sent me that they flow is very nice. as far as a cam goes i like my xe 274. i had the xe 268 but upgraded.

 

[ExplodingGopher]

I seriously don't know why i picked this name back in '04, ExplodingGopher, i wish i could have it changed lol.

 

[86bluecobra]

r u a farm boy with a stick of dynamite and a gopher infestation?

 

[ExplodingGopher]

not really

 

[2002BLGT]

might be more than you wanna spend but I would put a set of GT40 X303 heads on it , you can use the bolt down stock rockers so that will save couple hundred right there and buyfordracing.com has them on sale for $999 a set .....im thinking something in a 540 or so lift on the cam about a 286 duration would be good with a forged flat top piston and set of Eagle rods as mentioned already .......probably get you 335 - 350rwhp no problem ....