How do I ID cleveland heads?

 

They will be on a 351M/400 or a 351C engine. I'm pretty sure these have eight valve cover bolts.

If they are off the engine they are very easy to distinguish because of their oval ports and staggered valves. You would have to know the difference in size between them and 385 series heads because that description works on the 385 heads as well. The difference is that the 385 heads are way bigger.

Hope this helps.

 

yes,they are off of a 400 engine.The heads are off,and the ports are oval shaped,but what do you mean by staggered valves?

 

Actually ALMOST works for the 385 series heads with the exception that the 385 series have 7 bolts not 8.

BUT that description DOES fit 302 boss heads LOL

gearhed if you look at the tops of the valves you can't line all 8 of them up with a straight edge.

 

Well,I have 8 valve cover bolts,all the valves line up straight

 

I have a casting #D5AL-A2A

 

This is what is meant by staggered valves. These heads are suitable to the 335 series engines.

 

Ok,that makes sense.Yes,they are staggered.Anyone got any info on the casting?Any other castings to look for?

 

I have some of all of them , 351C 2&4bbl, and the 351M/400 heads. Those heads all have a "square" shouldered platform on the top of the exaust ports, just below the valve cover lower edge. The 460's have a rounded shoulder. Both the "C" style and the 460 have staggered valves. BTW, from what I know, the 351C heads have a slightly better exaust port than the 351M/400, even though they may be the same externally. Seems that the 351M/400 heads have a water jacket just downwind of the valve stem in the exaust port that causes a noticeable restriction in the port. The GT40P heads have the same thing, and it prevents any real porting in that area. I have pics of a cut-away of a "P" head, but not the "M" head. Also have a pic of a 4bbl "C" head cut-away and it does not have that water jacket.

Another indicator, besides the staggered valves is the 460 has a bore spacing of 4.90 inches. The 351M/400 (in fact all small block ford V8's maybe except for the modulars) have a bore spacing of 4.63 inches. If you dont have a block, you could probably measure from center of an exaust port to the center of the next exaust port and come close enough to the bore spacing measurement. That would also tell you if it is a 460 (385) or a 351/400 (335).

Hope I didnt get too long winded and LOL

 

what is the difference in a 2bbl& a 4bbl head?I have heads from a 2v,but want to run a 4v,will the work out ok?

 

aftermarket manifolds are designed to work with the 2V heads, but if you are actually running a cleveland you have to make sure that the manifold is for the 2v heads because the ports are way different. The 4v cleveland heads have huge ports in comparison. almost all the aftermarket cleveland manifolds specify which heads they are for.
Example edelbrok performer intake for the 351C 2V is part number 2750, but for the 4V it's part number 2665.

 

The Cleveland 2V/4V sounds a little confusing. On the Cleveland series, the 2V heads all had 2 bbl carbs (I dont think there are any exceptions OEM). They also had small ports (relative to 4V heads). Actually the 2V ports were larger than the chebbys. The 4V Clevelands had huge intake ports and actually came OEM with 4 bbl carbs. In the aftermarket, you can get 4 bbl intakes for 2v heads, but they will not work on 4V heads! The 2V Cleveland heads have the same port sizes as the 351M/400 heads, but the intakes will not interchange, so you will have to be specific as to what heads you have and on what block you have, either way, you can get a 4 bbl intake for a 2v head---------------really clear isnt it

Yes, you can get a 4 bbl carb intake for whatever you have----once you determine if you have a 351 or 460 head. Now say all of that 3 times, and really fast

 

i take a look in my book and don't see D5AL-A2A

 

Could that be an E instead of an L ? I forget what car line the AE designation is for-----too lazy to dig any. Someone will know

 

actually it has to be an E because the last letter designates what part of the vehicle you are dealing with E = engine.