[DeTomaso] Aluminum 351 Block

[Dave Doddek]

Gary Hall has a 351C aluminum block.  It is spray coated with iron to make
it magnetic.  To fool the tech judges.  I cant remember where he said he
got it.

Dave "I want one" D

At 01:19 PM 2/20/2008 -0600, you wrote:
>> In spite of claims to the contrary, I've only ever seen one (1.0)
>> aluminum Cleveland block. Matter of fact, I carried it into a PCNC
>> monthly meeting a couple of decades ago for a show-and-tell. It weighed
>> 89 lbs bare.
>
>Did it look like:
>
> http://www.bacomatic.org/gallery2/v/hidden/dan/dan-al351c/
>
>> It was one of perhaps a dozen blocks cast up for Ford, for projects
>> like Gurney's racers and the like.
>
>Ford produced both aluminum 351C and 351W blocks.  The 351C blocks
>tended to be used in drag racing using matching aluminum 351C-4V
>heads and the 351W blocks tended to be used in road racing (early
>Can Am and the GT40 program), usually fitted with Gurney-Weslake
>heads.  One of the guys on the 351C forum remembered watching Wayne
>Gap match race Larry Lombardo in Bill Jenkins Monza with an all
>aluminum stroker Cleveland in a Pinto back in the 1970's. Some of
>the blocks are said to have had 302 mains.  Both the 351W and 351C
>aluminum blocks were cast well before their production cast iron
>counterparts hit the streets.  The aluminum 351C block pictured in
>the link above is a genuine Ford item with a casting date of 1968
>(10-22-68 to be exact) which is well before the 351C was introduced.
>The block has an SK part number (SK-42167), along with an #A3 change
>level.  Notice the 6 bolt per cylinder head bolt pattern.  The matching
>aluminum 4V heads for the block also had six bolts, though the ones
>pictured on my page had the sixth bosses milled off.  The bore on
>the block pictured is at 4.1".  I've been told the standard bore on
>those blocks was 4.08".  Note that Jeff's block was damaged (forward
>lifer area) and repaired.  That was apparently a common problem with
>those blocks.
>
>Shame Ford didn't see fit to put an all-aluminum 351C stroker
>into mass production.  Would have put the Pantera into a whole
>'nother category.
>
>There were two other 351C aluminum blocks that I've heard of.
>The first was referenced in the May 1983 issue of Super Stock
>magazine and was made by Paul Wright at the P&S Foundry.
>They made an aluminum 351-C block and you could supposedly get
>them in magnesium, as well.  An address was given but is likely
>outdated:
>
> P & S Foundry
> 2740 Cory Ave.
> Akron, OH 44314
> (216) 745-2912
>
>The second was by Pro Stock Paul at Pro Stock Engineering.
>An early 1980's Hot Rod article had this to say about the
>P.S.E. 351C block:
>
> "The 72-pound Cleveland block, cast from the same material (356-T6), can
>  be purchased with the stock 351 deck or a longer 400 deck, and is available
>  with standard four-bolt mains, cross-bolted like the 427s, or fitted with a
>  one-piece main bearing girdle. Both blocks use all factory dimensions and
>  bolt patterns but feature much thicker decks, dry sleeve configurations,
>  and 360-degree oiling systems."
>
>The address given was:
>
> Pro Stock Engineering
> 16102 Orange Ave.
> Paramount, CA 90723
> (213) 630-4080
>
>SJ Performance in Australia announced they were working on an aluminum
>Cleveland block but initial reports were that the price would be
substantially
>more expensive than alternatives in the U.S. due to the unfavorabe exchange
>rate.  I was informed that SJ Performance had made plans to have the block
>produced at a site much closer to the U.S. with a more favorable cost and
>exchange rate but that was the last I heard of it.
>
>> Dan, thanks as always for the comprehensive update!
>> Maybe I'm out of the loop . . .
>> 4 bolt mains on this Buttermore block?
>
>Yes.  Billet 4 bolt main caps from Pro Gram Engineering.
>
>> Aluminum w/iron sleeves?
>
>Yes. Iron blocks are also planned after the first batch of aluminum blocks
>are finished.  Specifications of the aluminum block are listed as:
>
> Siamesed bores. Bores allow 4.15 overbore while retaining .200 walls.
> Priority Main oiling system. Sump, oil filter, crossover in front, up to
main
> oil galley along side of the cam, from main oil galley to criss-crossed oil
> connection in rear of valley, through lifter oil galleys that are currently
> set to be .3125 diameter like the FE.
> 4 bolt mains.
> Solid pan rails.
> Billet caps. (Splaying will come later)
> 9.2 decks. (Possible 9.5 special order)
> 0.63" deck thickness.
> Screw-in freeze plugs.
> Round water outlets at the decks for those who wish to tap and plug the
holes.
> External: Same bolt bosses as a stock Cleveland block, including the clutch
> pivot.
> Finish: Bores unfinished. Will need to be honed to your pistons.
> Cam and crank bores unfinished. Hone to size (this was requested by the
> pro engine builders)
> Decks squared to .002-.003.
>
>Tod had 25 people on the list for aluminum blocks (and another 25 for iron)
>but I think I was 7th or 8th to actually send in the 30% deposit.  He
mentioned
>picking up enough sleeves to do the first 15 blocks. BTW, Tod is the guy who
>produced the Robert Pond aluminum FE blocks (not the Genesis block as some
>have mistakenly stated).
>
>Dan Jones
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