514 Ford Crate Motor or 408 Stroker

[ByronRACE]

Weight? A modern 385 series with aluminum heads, intake, etc weighs what...150lbs more than a 351W...tops? And, if you use a beefy race block on the 351 to make it handle the kind of power a stock 385 series block can handle; the weight difference now becomes 100ish lbs.

I don't know about you guys, but I gain more than that over the christmas holidays. Seriously, throw a 100lb skinny kid in the passengers seat and go for a ride. You honestly think that makes much of a difference?

I went 385 series big block and would do it all again in a heartbeat. This comes after years of exposure dyno tuning many hundreds of performance Fords. A properly fitted 385 series is awfully hard to beat.

Compare intake and cylinder head flow 410/310 at .650 lift on a set of $2500 heads and a mild port job? How do you do that with a windsor? And exhaust...2.25" primaries are no big deal because of the increased port spread. How do you do that with a windsor?

Strength is also no comparison. The stock 460 crank can handle 800rwhp reliably. The stock 429 truck crank (forged) can handle well over 1000. The stock 2-bolt blocks can handle 700rwhp all day long, and with a 4-bolt conversion well over 1000.

Granted, if all you're building is a 400-500hp street engine, who cares, you can do that with stock 302 mill with some wicked heads and a cam...so why bother with anything more. What I really don't understand is people that put together 400+ cubic inch windsor combos when they can achieve the same thing with a better rod ratio and a much stronger platform if they just put together a little 429" or 460" 385 series. Spend the same budget putting together both a 427" windsor and a 429" 385 series and watch what you get.

429 uses stock crank, stock rods, stock pistons, stock block. Spend money on a super nice set of heads. Long-rod engine, no dwell, pump-gas friendly, can spray or supercharge to 800+rwhp without worry.

427W uses production block requiring machine work for big stroke, special crank, special rods, special pistons. Budget eaten up on bottom end, mediocre heads purchased. Poor rod ratio, long dwell, not pump gas friendly (detonation monster), can't trust mill over about 600rwhp for fear of breakage.

Anyway, that's my .02. I like the Windsors, don't get me wrong...I just think the 385 series is a better platform for 600+rwhp and as cheap (if not cheaper) to build.

Byron