Ford 351 Cleveland Engines: How to Build for Max Performance

Ford's 351 Cleveland was designed to be a 'mid-sized' V-8 engine, and was developed for higher performance use upon its launch in late 1969 for the 1970 models. This unique design proved itself under the hood of Ford's Mustang, among other high performance cars. The Cleveland engine addressed the major shortcoming of the Windsor engines that preceded it, namely cylinder head air flow. The Windsor engines just couldn't be built at the time to compete effectively with the strongest competitor's small block offerings, and the Cleveland engine was the answer to that problem. Unfortunately, the Cleveland engine was introduced at the end of Detroit's muscle car era, and the engine, in pure Cleveland form, was very short lived. It did continue on as a low compression passenger car and truck engine in the form of the 351M and 400M, which in their day, offered little in the way of excitement. Renewed enthusiasm in this engine has spawned an influx of top-quality new components that make building or modifying these engines affordable.

This book reviews the history and variations of the 351 Cleveland and Ford's related engines, the 351M and 400M. Basic dimensions and specifications of each engine, along with tips for identifying both design differences and casting number(s) are shown. In addition to this, each engine's strong points and areas of concern are described in detail. Written with high performance in mind, both traditional power tricks and methods to increase efficiency of these specific engines are shared.

With the influx of aftermarket parts, especially excellent cylinder heads, the 351 Cleveland as well as the 351M and 400M cousins are now seen as great engines to build. This book will walk you through everything you need to know to build a great street or competition engine based in the 351 Cleveland platform.

George Reid has been a Ford enthusiast for more than 30 years. He enjoys restoring and building Fords. George has written a number of books for CarTech.