I have a 1983 F-150. I am pretty sure that I have a Cleveland engine but everytime I go to order a part, the part dealer tells me that it must be a Windsor. Is there a relatively simple way to verify which engine I have?

Thanks,

 

Welcome to FTE

If the engine is original it isn't a 351C for one reason. NO F Series truck ever used a 351C. The 1977/82 F Series trucks were available with the 351M/400 engines. The 351W engine was first available in F Series trucks in 1980, and is still in use today.


Look at the 8th digit of your VIN, it's a letter in 1983. That is the digit that ID's the engine type/size. Only three V8's were used in 1983: 302 ~ F / 351W ~ G / 460 ~ L

 

Count the number of valve cover bolts

8 = 351M/400
6- 351W


Wet Intake = Windsor

Dry Intake = 351C/351M/400

 

The 8th digit in the VIN is a "G". And there are 6 bolts on the valve cover. It is starting to smell like a Windsor. Is there any reason to believe differently?

 

Nope...unless the engine was swapped...351W & 302's both have 6 valve cover bolts. Nothing wrong with the 351W, it's a very good engine, and has been serving Ford well since 1969.

 

Odds are it is a 351 5.8L Windsor engine for a variety of reason, but the six bolts suggest Windsor heads. I can't for the life of me think of a reason why someone would go to all the trouble to put Windsor heads on an older Cleveland block. So yes, odds are it is a Windsor.

 

Windsor heads are narrower than a Cleveland head, and have an entirely different bolt pattern, combustion chamber and etc. So trying to make them fit on a Cleveland block might be a trifle difficult.

 

also look at the exaust bolt if they're strait across itll be in the W family if one up ones down at a diaganal itll be the C,M family clevelands and M's used the same valve cover.the 351c used two bolts to mount the engine mounts to the block just like a W and they used a small block W style bellhousing.the M uses 3 bolts to hold the mount to the block and a bigblock style bellhousing.but like everyone else says 6 bolts it a windser. hey Bill if ya want i cant tell ya how C's and W's can swap heads

 

The OP has a 1983 F-150. The VIN engine code (G) and the valve cover bolt count both indicate 351W. No 351M/400's were used after 1982. I'm not sure what you are trying to explain to me in the last sentence. My response was to the comment above me in my previous post

 

He was just commenting on your statement that the windsor and cleveland heads will not interchange. Granted nobody ever puts windsor heads on a cleveland, but cleveland heads are installed on windsor blocks all the time. They actually will bolt on, after you plug some cooling passages, and buy the special intake manifold. Usually special pistons are added as well for the canted valves of the cleveland.

This was a popular swap back in the day when good Ford heads were hard to find, and modified heads were very expensive. Now they have aftermarket aluminum heads for the 302 and 351w, so it's not as cost effective to do the cleveland swap.

P.S. The Boss 302 had cleveland style heads on it from the factory.

 

Yes, I knew that. I was working the back counter at Beverly Hills Ford in 1969 when the first Boss 302 drove off the Hadley car hauler and went into the shop. It was yellow. BHF was one of the first Muscle Car parts dealers in the US. The front counterman that handled the parts ordering/selling was Ron Koontz, who later went to Toyota and designed their parts department display areas. Every Toyota dealer since has used a version of his original design.


Thanks for the other info.