I agree with 390GT. The 351C is neither a "big block" nor a "small block". To add another angle, in some Mustang circles we referred to it as a "mid block".
Mike V.

 

Guys, the 351C is a small block. To check this out for sure, go and get a 289 cylinder head and put it on a 351C block, or put 400 heads on a 302 or 351W block and they fit, because the small blocks all have the same bore spacing. The displacement and wieght don't have anything to do it. Some combinations are more workable than others, just because the heads go on doesn't mean that an intake is made that fits what you have dreamed up. One excellent combo that an intake is made for is 351C heads on a 289 HP block, thats how Ford created the Boss 302, from small block parts they already had. DF

 

I have seen this battle rage elsewhere and my question is: What difference does it make wether it is a small block or a big block? To see if something bolts up get an interchange manual.

 

The 351C is what you call a BIG-HEADED
SMALL BLOCK. usually any engine around 400-cubic inches or more are considered as BIG BLOCKS.
reguardless if it is a FORD , GM, or MOPAR.

 

in charts and books I've seen, the 351 Cleveland weighs less than a small block Chebby. It doesn't seem right but I've read it in several reference sources.

 

I think ALL of you will agree with me. They are Ford which makes them a cut above the rest. Big, small, short or tall put em' to the test, Ford is the BEST!

 

I thought that the big block heads were wider ex. a 454 chevy has wide heads therefore a big block, while the 350 has narrower heads and a small block.

 

I saw the only correct answere posted earlier but it wasn't worded clearly.

Winsor family:
221
260
289
302
351

This is the engine family that most consider small block in a Ford.

335 engine family (Clevland)
351c
351m
400m

This technicaly is also a small block family. It has the same bore spacing as the winsor family but the 351m and 400 were designed for truck use and have taller deck heights and share the same belhousing bolt pattern as their big brothers in the 385 family.

385 faily
370
429 (and boss)
460
other taller deck industral versions

Most think of this engine family when saying big block ford.
we all on this site know that Ford also produced the FE series big block that ranged in size from 332cid to 428cid. The whole "351 clevland is a big block" thing I think was started by some chevy guys that though/knew the have a disadvantage at the track and tried ot plead their case for handicaping the new clevland power. The botom line, for the most part is, displacement is displacement.

 

Actually to say that all 400 cid engines are "big blocks" regaurdless of manufacturer is wrong. There is a definite 400 big and 400 small in the chevy world. I do not know for sure what constitutes big and small block in chevy, but they are the ones who coined it, and I would never try to ruin a Ford with anything chevy. To me anything that weighs more than I do is big, but then again, I'm lazy.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 28-Jun-01 AT 05:04 PM (EST)[/font][p]HOW DO YOU GET C HEADS TO FIT A 302 WHEN THEY ARE 3 OR 4" LONGER
AND ABOUT 2" WIDER? A REAL BOSS HAS SEMI HEMI HEADS. THE SPARK
PLUGS GO STRAIGHT DOWN THREW THE TOP OF THE VALVE COVERS.
HAVE ANY OF YOU ACTUALLY SEEN A CLEVELAND OR A BOSS 302 OR 351.
CLEVELANDS ARE BIG BLOCK SIZED WITH SMALL BLOCK BELLHOUSING BOSS
AND BORE.351 IS 351 NO MATTER HOW ITS DRILLED. 351/400M'S ALSO
WERE IN A WHOLE LOT OF CARS ( EX 71 GALAXY 500 WAS 400 EQUIPED)
THE 400SB CHEVY WAS THE SAME SIZE AS THERE LITTLE BROS. THE
CYL BORES ARE SIAMESED. THE BORE IS .25 (?) BIGGER AND THE STROKE
IS AT 6" WHERE THE 350 IS AT 5.7". IT IS ALSO THE ONLY SB THAT
HAS MORE CI'S TAHN IS STATED.(402.12 I THINK.)
THATS WHY SB CHEVY'S ARE THE WINNINGEST RACE ENGINE EVER BUILT.
FORD JUST MAKES TOO MANY VERSIONS OF THE SAME THING. SO EVERYONE
IS ALWAYS CONFUSED.

BY THE WAY, IF YOU TAKE THOSE NP TRANS' AND TRANS' CASES(GM BUILT)OUT OF YOUR TRUCKS SEE HOW GOOD THEY'LL RUN.
================================================== ===============
1978 F250 4X4 CUSTOM. DANA 44 9-F FRONT,DANA 60 REAR. NEW PROCESS
205 TRANSFER CASE(MARRIED),NEW RPOCESS 435 TRANSMISSION.4.10:1
GEARS. 300-L6. 3" LIFT.
1976 RANGER XLT SUPERCAB 2WD, 69' 360 AND AUTO TRANS.
1993 F150 XLT LARIAT 4X4 CABARAIT RED AND OXFORD WHITE. 5.0 L,
AUTO. LOT OF TRIM.(MAN SHE'S PURTTY)

 

This type of thread always gets ugly and its only going to get worse lol

 

Argueing about nomenclature....
Most Chevy's fall into either the smallblock mold or the big block mold. Even w/ Chevy's not everything fits and iterchanges w/ "big" or "small".
for instance, what's a Chev 409? Pontiac ppl like to point out that there isn't a big or small block Pontiac. It seems as though most Mopars I know of fall fairly neatly into small family and big family. Like the small Mopars haveing a rear distributor and the big ones haveing a front one. Consider how a 351C came to be. As I understand it it evolved from the Boss 302. The heads were a departure from previous Windsor designs w/ bigger valves and a "canted" design. I've seen it written that all 351 heads be it W,C,M will physically bolt onto each others blocks, but that doesn't mean you can use them without addressing serious modifications. The 351C block shared the Windsor familys bell pattern but varied from the 351W bock by haveing a shorter deck height and different crank journal diameter. I think the reason you see Fords listed as Big Block and Small block is that as time went on into the 80's and 90's, only Windsors and the 385 Lima engines (429/460) engines survived. The majority of speed part are availible for those two categories. The "old" big blocks, the FE's are labeleds as such, "FE". Heres a question? aside from the Explorer V8's and Mountaineers, all the rest of the Ford V8s are newer Triton or Modular designs, and I don't even know if the small Lincoln/Jag v8s are the same. How would you label those? And What about current Chevy V8s.... an LS1 has nothing to do w/ the traditional smallblock, and what about the Vortec? For practical purposes I'd call the 351c and Cleveland, anybody that knows Fords will know what you are talking about. And I'd say if it has to be Big or Small that the vast majority of engines in that bore and stroke size are considered smallblocks. 350 Chevs, 340 and 360 mopars. Well that's my rambleing 2 cents

BBT

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 29-Jun-01 AT 01:14 AM (EST)[/font][p]error- I MEANT TO SAY 5.7" RODS AND 6" RODS, NOT STROKE.
I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT THAT ANY MANUFACTURER EVER DEFINED
ENGINES BY SB OR BB. I THINK THAT STARTED WITH SHADETREE COMONERS
LIKE MYSELF BACK IN THE FIFTY'S.
A CHEVY 409 WAS A BIG HEAVY ENGINE WITH 2 4BBL'S THAT HAD ODD
SHAPED VALVE COVERS AND COME OUT IN SOME EARLY 60'S IMPALAS.
THERE WAS ALSO AN ODD SIZED 300 AND SOME CI ENGINE THAT WAS
THE SAME. PROBABLY LATE 50'S.

OTTO SURE HIT IT ON THE NAILHEAD.

 

I asked the question in the 351c/351m/400 forum, here's the link to what they said.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/DCForumID12/272.html

From what they said and all the posts i've read here I'd have to go with throwing out the big block or small block for a ford. They seem to overlap and cross over. Just between Clevelands, Modifieds and the 400, which are all the same series they are confusing. Seems like the Cleveland could be a small while the Modified and 400 would be big blocks.

But I think the best bet would be to call the cleveland/modified/400 a MEDIUM block if you have to divide it up. And the FE's and 429/460 big blocks and the 302/351w and such small blocks. Just my thoughts.

Curious though, they mentioned how in racing circles they divide them into different classes based on engine being big or small block and all. Well where do they draw the line at and such? What do they call a big or small block for the ford?
*jdbanks*

 

I'm understanding that all NASCAR engines must be identicle
cid and bhp. No matter if they are Ford,Sheprowlay,or Moper.
This is probably wrong though.