351W factory original or not?
Printed From: The Ford Torino Page
Category: Powertrain Specific Forum
Forum Name: Small Block Forum
Forum Description: 221, 255, 260, 302 and 351W engines
URL: https://forum.grantorinosport.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=9680
Printed Date: 26-March-2026 at 5:42PM
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Topic: 351W factory original or not?
Posted By: jsharp72
Subject: 351W factory original or not?
Date Posted: 22-August-2013 at 3:25PM
| Got another question. As I begin this project I am trying to decide whether to rebuild this 351w back to original or beef it up. I would really like for it to have more muscle but am new to this as I have never built an engine before. If I decide to beef it up how far can I go without having to change transmission or rear end or anything else that comes along with a stronger engine? Thanks again. |
Replies:
Posted By: unlovedford
Date Posted: 23-August-2013 at 1:37AM
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You can build the wazoo out of a Windsor. If your FMX or C4,5 is shifting well, you should not have any issue. A shift kit would certainly help, and they are relatively inexpensive. A quiet 9 inch will handle anything your engine will dish out. ------------- Joe 1972 Mom's Squire Wagon 1972 Torino Wagon 1976 Torino 1968 Cougar XR7-First batch 1972 Torino 460 1989 BroncoII/Jeeps/Titanimous Popeye and Brutus (Rams) |
Posted By: robot9000
Date Posted: 23-August-2013 at 3:49AM
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Headers, Intake, carb and electronic ignition will give you some good OOOPH before you need to worry about the rest of the drive train. Is it Posi or open diff (Sorry, Trac Lock,lol). No matter how much power you have, leaving one stripe behind the car always feels wimpy, so you may want to upgrade to trac lock if you have an open diff, even at low HP. MHO is you don't start making real HP until you swap cam and heads, so don't worry about it until you cross that bridge. Nice thing about a Windsor is stuff is relatively cheap and plentiful. ------------- 1973 Gran Torino Sport 2010 Mazda 6 2007 Jeep Wrangler 2011 Damon Daybreak 35BD |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 23-August-2013 at 8:09AM
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consider that the overall performance of the car depends upon more than just the engine alone. depending upon camshaft choice you may need a torque converter to compliment the cam, without the T/C the engine will act as if it's 'stuck in the mud' unable to do what it wants to do. then there's the rear gear, a gear change alone will be your biggest bang for the buck as far as acceleration goes. again, a 2.75 rear gear will hold the rest of the combo back and not allow it to perform a stock engine with a mild converter & 3.7 gear will surprise the  out of youa 4 bbl, intake, cam & headers is icing on the cake important! stock Ford valves are garbage! throw them as far as you can and replace them with 1 piece stainless steel single groove units http://s178.photobucket.com/user/tinman351/media/KIdValvedrop.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">  ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: inenidok
Date Posted: 29-September-2013 at 7:57PM
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this is what i just built up 302 bored 40 forged pistons double roller timing chain moly rings 268 cam, 1500 - 6500 58 cc heads new valves new springs arp head bolts hei dist, elderbrock rpm performer intake and 600 carb, hooker pro comp headers, C6 transmisson shift kit 2000, stall converter b&m shifter all internals stronger. and all that was around 4000.00  |