Thread: 351 Cleveland needs more hp

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Ok just got done rebuilding a 550hp 351C.
The easiest things would be carb and intake, maybe some headers.
Are you gonna rebuild it or just pump it up a little.
Kurt

By 1972 Ford was dropping the compression and hp of this engine considerably over what the 1970 engines had been, so it will never produce the same numbers without a fair amount of work. We had a 1970 Cleveland in a lightened '68 coupe. We had Gapp and Roush reworked heads, a crane cam, edelbrock intake, holley 800, mallory ignition, headers, and all running through a toploader 4 speed and 4:88 Nodular rear axle. It ran mid 11's, so these can be built to run.

The '72 will need an aluminum intake, an edelbrock or holley carb, vacuum advance aftermarket electronic distributor, headers, a cam sort of like an RV grind, and some better gears (lower by a few numbers) and it should wake up to be a pretty presentable performer.


Don