in the 1977 model year, Ford fitted all of its small-blocks with aluminum air cleaners for weight-reduction purposes. This is a 1978 5.0L-2V small-block in a Mustang II with the Motorcraft 2150 emissions 2-barrel carburetor and Duraspark ignition.
Ford introduced the 5.0L High Output Sequential Electronic Fuel Injection (SEFI) in 1986 with 62- to 65-cc “High-Swirl” chambers and 200 hp on tap. It remains unknown 30 years later why the “5.0L Liter HO” graphics were sideways on these.
For 1987–1993, the 5.0L High Output SEFI V-8 delivered 225 hp and 300 ft-lbs of torque thanks to induction and cam improvements coupled with the fast-burn–chamber 1985 truck head.
Here’s the 240-horse 1994–1995 SVT Mustang Cobra 5.0L V-8 sporting GT-40 cylinder heads and induction. The GT-40 cylinder head was produced in cast iron and aluminum, available from Ford Motorsport SVO and Ford Racing.
This is the 1994–1995 5.0L High Output V-8 with the low-profile induction system for hood clearance, which hurt horsepower, yet improved torque.
In 1987–1993, Ford went back to the tried-and-proven fast-burn–chamber cylinder head, which was actually a truck casting that worked very well with SEFI, netting an increase in horsepower and torque.
Like the rest of Detroit in the late 1970s, Ford looked for ways to squeeze more mileage from a gallon of gasoline. The 255-ci (4.2L) small-block, which was produced at Ford’s Windsor, Ontario, foundry and engine plant, was a short-lived answer to a long-term challenge: fuel economy. Produced from 1980 to 1982 only, the 255 never cultivated a performance image because that’s not what it was designed to do. It was the only V-8 engine available in the Mustang in 1980–1981.
The baby Ford small-block has the same 3.000-inch stroke as the 302 with a smaller 3.680-inch bore. It has 255-specific cylinder heads with smaller combustion chambers and valves with round ports and absolutely no performance potential whatsoever. The 255 also had its own unique, lightweight hollow-core nodular iron crankshaft, yet with the 302’s 5.090-inch rods.
The 255 was a very short-lived chapter in small-block Ford history and one of the most forgotten engines of our time. It was fitted with either the 49-state Motorcraft 2150 carburetors or the California-only Motorcraft VV carburetor.
Ford enthusiasts have long called the 221, 260, 289, and 302-ci engines “Windsor” V-8s. However, the only true “Windsor” engine is the 351-ci raised-deck small-block Ford introduced in 1969 as a response to the cubic-inch race going on in Detroit. Even though the 221/260/289/302 engines were manufactured at Ford’s Cleveland engine plant, there are crossovers that require clarification. Not all 289/302 blocks and heads were cast at the Cleveland foundry. Quite a few were also cast at Windsor with a “WF” in the casting. Cleveland castings received a circled “CF.” Some blocks were devoid of any kind of foundry identification, which makes it tricky to identify them.
To achieve the 351’s displacement, Ford had to raise the 302’s deck 1.28 inches to accommodate the 3.500-inch stroke. Bore size remained the same at 4.000 inches. To improve power, smoothness, and reliability, Ford gave the 351W a different firing order than the 221, 260, 289, and 302 engines. Beginning in 1982, the 302 (5.0L) received the 351W’s firing order for the same reasons with the flat-tappet Marine camshaft. Ford insiders from the period tell me that the 5.0L engine was switched to the 351W’s firing order to more equally distribute stresses across the crankshaft.
The 351W employs a thicker walls around cylinder bores and main webs. Interchangeability with other small-block Fords is considerable, enabling all kinds of swaps. The 351W, for example, has the same six-bolt bellhousing bolt pattern as the 289/302 six-bolt blocks, making it possible to swap this engine into 289/302-powered vehicles. The 351W also accepts 289/302 engine mounts. Cylinder head bolt and bore patterns make head swaps straightforward.
Ford raised the 302 block deck 1.28 inches to conceive the 351-ci Windsor V-8 for 1969, which was available in 4V versions only in 1969.
This is the 351W-4V V-8 for 1969 with a C9OX experimental cast-aluminum dual-plane intake manifold and Autolite 4300 4V carburetor.
Where it becomes challenging is 351W cooling passages between intake manifold and cylinder heads. Early 351W cylinder heads have dogleg cooling passages, making it necessary to modify intake manifold gaskets and passages. The 351W’s cylinder heads are a great budget horsepower swap for 289 and 302 engines because they employ the same block deck patterns. These desirable heads have larger ports, valves, and chambers. Larger chambers have reduced compression ratio. Keep this in mind anytime you’re considering a head swap.
Because the 351W has larger (1/2 inch) head bolts than the 289/302 (7/16 inch), you need bolt spacers, available from Summit Racing Equipment and other aftermarket sources such as ARP, which enable you to install 351W heads on a 289/302 using the 289/302 head bolts.
The 351W “3M” nodular iron crankshaft has larger main and rod journals than the 289/302 along with a longer stroke. This crank had longer connecting rods (5.956 inches) than you find inside the 289/302. For 1969 it was the only 351W-4V engine produced with 10.7:1 compression. The 351W-2V engine had a more modest compression ratio of 9.5:1.
For one year only (1995), Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) fitted the Mustang Cobra R with a 300-horse 351-ci (5.8L) V-8, the only year SN-95 Mustangs were fitted with a 351 and only in the SVT Cobra R.
The 351W-4V was equipped with the Autolite 4300 4-barrel carburetor while the 351W-2V was fitted with the Autolite 2100 2-barrel. Ford never produced a high-performance 351W V-8 prior to the Lightning F-150 with the 5.8L High Output V-8. All were fitted with flat-tappet hydraulic camshafts.
Ford’s legendary race-bred Boss 302 engine remains one of the most significant high-performance power plants in the company’s history. It was a world beater and symbolic of the end of the classic muscle car era. The Boss 302 engine was introduced just as Ford decided to get out of racing. Think of the Boss 302 engine as a wonderful act of desperation because the 1968 302 Tunnel Port was
