Ok another Ford nut with an idea.
Ole blue is just about ready;should be on the road next week after I buy the tags. But now that I'm done I'm ready to change everything...lol.


Anyway I was wanting some info on the the 351 H.O. used in the mid 80's. I think I read or heard somewhere one time that it had almost of pulling torque as the 300. What I want to know is some of the specs bout this motor and roughly what one in the TN area might be worth assuming block is sound. I know torque has alot to do with the rear end but I have no way of ever knowing what I got unless I just pull it per all the factory code labels are long gone(all of em). And how can I dell the difference by looking,between the H.O. and the windsor or the m. I've heard the H.O. was offered in carbureator is this true,can I bolt it to my excisting c6. And finally is it worth the expense of of hunting and buying the motor,me completly tearing it down and coumplete rebuild versus the 302. Thanks Mike.

 

i'm not sure of the factory specs on the 351 h.o. but if it was like my search finding one or one worth rebuilting good luck. you'd probably have better luck building a 351w to get the power your looking for. as for the 351m it's what i call the middle block since it's not really a small block nor a big block. it uses the same tranny bolt pattern as the 460 block class. but it'll cost you more to build the 351m then the 351w or the 460 and there not a wide amount of aftermarket parts for the 351/400. but if you have the money to spend and want to built a 351/400 you can get plenty of power from one. to find the guys who know how to pull everything a 351/400 has ask on the 78 and 79 bronco board. in my point of veiw the stock 351m in my 79 bronco and the 400 in my 78 f150 4x4 makes more power then i need at times. it really does when i jumped down on it in the mud and a i hear the pop of a rear or front axle bittin the dust. just my look at things, i'm sure others on this board can help you more then i just can. wish i'd found this site long ago.

 

The 351-HO is a W engine.

 

The 351 H.O. is a 4bbl 351w, avalable 84-87.5(or so, later is EFI), IIRC, it was the only 351 avalable 85-87...
Evan

 

The 84-87 351 HO has 4 valve heads and a 4 bbl Holley carburator.

 

WOW, 4 valve heads? I didn't know what I had when I got rid of mine.

 

Ok as far as pulling torque is this motor worth the extra $$$$$ to hunt forever and then rebuild it to enter it in my truck. Also I heard this motor was basically a smaller block 351. I want to set up my rig with enough torque to pull a house if I want to( I know a need bigger than a 1/2 ton truck). And the 300 would be just as hard to find around here as the 351ho.

 

The standard 351 only had 2 valve heads.

 

Do this, you'll save a lot of cash:

Shop around for a 351W. Four valve heads are impressive - but you won't be running it at the redline as in a drag car. You can always pick up a trick set of aluminum heads later on if you decide you have just too much money...
Bottom line: Two valve heads are perfect for a truck.

For an intake manifold - shop around a bit. Edelbrocks run about a hundred and a half new out of the box. You DON'T have to buy an Edelbrock cam set for it, Schnieder (for one) can match any cam spec out there, is reasonably priced, and probably has it on the shelf already.

The mounts in your truck are the same. Been there- I should know. You can mount anything from a 255 to a 351W with the same hardware.

The bell housing is the same, as is the starter motor.

When you shop for headers:
Spend the extra cash for ceramic coated pipes! They are just about the only ones that will not instantly RUST from the heat.

- And make sure you get "shorty" headers, that angle back at about 45 degrees. Otherwise you may find the ends of your headers come just about dead level with your transmission crossmember... (Don't ask, man. It was a painful lesson)

New Holley square bore carbs are around two hundred fifty bucks. If I had it to do again I'd have made sure it had a manual choke. The electric one has a tendancy to reset even after only a few minutes sitting in a parking lot. This means that if you stop at a store - when you come out the choke has to open up again even with the engine already at prime temperature.

Which can be both frustrating, and embarrassing...

I'm also a big fan of serpentine belts. If you have V-belts now, among the other things that have to be swapped out if you convert it are the timing cover itself. This is because the water pump runs in the opposite direction.

The advantages are:
BIGGER pump ports for higher coolant flow.
SIMLIFIED pulleys and belts. There is only one belt, and they tend to last quite a while.
SELF ADJUSTING belt tension. Squeak free, and ready to roll at all times...

One caution: Always use grade eight bolts on the water pump pulley, and never ever cross-thread them.


~Wolf


PS: I saw a few 4V engines at Johnsons truck salvage in Norfolk. If I remember right they had a DOHC setup on them.
Price tag? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$....

 

It isn't "valve". All the W heads are two valve heads. The "v" you are all thinking of stands for venturi.

 

The 351 HO had a bigger cam, and abig holley 4bbl. Made about 210hp and 320ish torque, the same as the later 351w EFI, but the EFI gets better fuel milage.

 

Out of curiosity about the original question I checked the 1985 Ford Truck Engine manual and the 1985 Ford Truck sales specifications on the 351 W engines available in 1985. The only major differences between the 351W HO and the 351W are the carburerators and intake manifolds. The HO has a 4V carb or 4 barrel carb. The plain 351W has a 2V or 2 barrel carb. Both versions 2 valves per cylinder. No 4 valve heads available stock, (Jimbo302 is correct in his terminology of the difference and the number of valves.) The intake manifolds differed to accomodate the different carbs. There are some other minor differences dealing with the air cleaners and vacuum hose placement and routing and linkages. There doesn't appear to be any substantial differences in the engine internals.
I can't speak for other later year models.

Russ

 

I was wondering when someone else was going to catch that.

 

Remember this?
Like you knew j/k

 

man oh man i got really confused when he said 4 valve heads. I never heard of a single over head cam windsor!! Hell if there was one id have it.

4v heads means they are heads designed for a 4 venturi carb.

I have an HO in my 88 f250. I dont know exactly what the difference is either.


Oh another comment, 351w and 351w ho will bolt to same tranny. 351c/m and 400m bolt to same tranny. 429 and 460 bolt to the same tranny. None of them mix. windors are winsors, clevelands are clevelands, and the big blocks are big blocks.