The Ford small-block (aka Windsor V8) is a series of 90°
overhead valve
An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located be ...
small block
The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of gasoline-powered, V-8 automobile engines, produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors between 1954 and 2003, using the same basic engine block. Referred to as a "small-block" for its size ...
V8 automobile engines manufactured by the
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
from July 1961 to December 2000.
Designed as a successor to the
Ford Y-block engine
The Y-block engine is a family of overhead valve V8 automobile engines produced by Ford Motor Company. The engine is well known and named for its deep skirting, which causes the engine block to resemble a Y. It was introduced in 1954 as a more m ...
, it was first installed in the 1962 model year
Ford Fairlane and
Mercury Meteor
The Mercury Meteor is an automobile that was produced by Mercury (automobile), Mercury from the 1961 to 1963 model years. Adopting its nameplate from the Meteor (automobile), namesake Ford of Canada brand, the Meteor was introduced as the base- ...
. Originally produced with a displacement of , it eventually increased to , but was most commonly sold (from 1968-2000) with a displacement of 302 cu in (later marketed as 5.0 L).
This engine was installed in several of the company's most famous products, notably the
Mustang
The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
, as well as the
Mercury Cougar
Mercury Cougar is a nameplate applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford from 1967 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2002. While the nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various times during ...
,
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the intermediate market segment. The car was named after the city of Turin (''Torino'', in Italian), consider ...
,
Ford Granada,
Mercury Monarch
The Mercury Monarch is a compact automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from the 1975 to 1980 model years. Designed as the original successor for the Mercury Comet, the Monarch was marketed as a luxury compact vehicle; al ...
,
Ford LTD,
Mercury Marquis
The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from the 1967 to 1986 model years. Deriving its name from a French nobility title, the Marquis was introduced as a rebadged coun ...
and
Ford F-150
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is marketed as a range of full-sized pickup trucks. ...
pickup.
For the 1991 model year, Ford began phasing in their new
Modular V8 engine to replace the small-block, beginning with the
Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 to ...
and continuing through the 1990s. The 2001
Explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
SUV was the last North American installation of the engine, and
Ford Australia
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Comp ...
used it through 2002 in the
Falcon
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons ...
and
Fairlane.
Although sometimes called the "Windsor" by enthusiasts, Ford never used that designation for the engine line as a whole; it was only adopted informally well into its run to distinguish the version from the "Cleveland" version of the
335-family engine that had the same displacement but a significantly different configuration. The designations for each were derived from the original locations of manufacture: Windsor, Ontario and Cleveland, Ohio.
From 1962 through the 1990s these engines were
marinized Marinisation (also marinization) is design, redesign, or testing of products for use in a marine environment. Most commonly, it refers to use and long-term survival in harsh, highly corrosive salt water conditions. Marinisation is done by many manu ...
by various companies (255ci/4.2L excepted).
The small block remains available for purchase from Ford Performance Parts as a
crate engine
A crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport or store large, heavy items. Steel and aluminium crates are also used. Specialized crates were designed for specific products, and were often made to be reusa ...
.
Overview
The small-block engine was introduced in the 1962
Ford Fairlane and Mercury Meteor cars. Displacing , it was designed to save weight, using thin-wall casting with a block that does not extend below the centerline of the crankshaft. The engine uses a separate aluminum timing chain cover, which differentiates it from the later
335-series Cleveland engines that use an integrated timing cover. All Ford Small Block engines use two-valve-per-cylinder heads, with "2V" and "4V" designations indicating the number of barrels (or venturi) in the
carburetor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
. The valves are in-line and use straight six-bolt valve covers. Coolant is routed out of the block through the intake manifold.
The design was soon bored to and again to , then stroked to , settling on the most common displacement offered until the engine's retirement in 2001, nearly 40 years after the basic block design debuted. Two additional displacements were produced during the engine's history. A model (stroked from the 302) was offered beginning in 1969 and continuing until 1996. The 351W (so identified to distinguish from the 335-series Cleveland 351C) uses a taller block than the other engines in the series to avoid excessively short connecting rods. And for a brief time in the early 1980s a version with a smaller bore diameter that displaced was produced as Ford struggled with emissions and fuel economy.
In response to the
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car. It first went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro share ...
's success in the
SCCA
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional r ...
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).
Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of track types includ ...
, Ford engineers developed a new racing engine from the small block. The first attempt mated a tunnel-port head to a 289 cu in block, but the displacement proved to be too small to deliver the desired power. The next iteration of the engine mated an improved head design to the 302 cu in block, producing the famous "
Boss 302". The heads from the Boss 302 became the production heads on the 335-series Cleveland engines, which used the same bore spacing and head bolt configuration as the small block engines.
As the 1980s drew to a close, Ford began the design of a new
OHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
V8 to replace the venerable small block design. The
Modular 4.6 L OHC V8 debuted in the 1991
Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 to ...
, signaling the eventual demise of the OHV Ford Small Block. Through the rest of the decade, Ford gradually shifted V8 applications to the Modular engine, with the Mustang transitioning in 1996. Even as the small block neared the end of its life, development continued, with new cylinder heads introduced for the
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light ...
in 1997. American sales in new vehicles ended with the 2001 Ford Explorer, but the engine continues to be offered for sale as a crate engine from Ford Racing and Performance Parts.
Design changes
All of the July 1961 through August 1964 221-260-289 engines used a five-bolt bell housing, with all 221s and 260s being of this configuration, but the 289 changed to the six-bolt arrangement at this time - the change was made due to transmission utilization issues i.e. the need for larger-diameter clutches, for example.
The block mount pads and the cylinder wall contour of the 221 and 260 engines changed in January–February 1963 with the introduction of the 289 variant – all 221 and 260 engine blocks up to this time featured 'corrugated wall' construction with two freeze plugs on the side of each bank and engine mount hole pitch distances of 6 inch.
All three block variants from this point on featured the straight wall method of construction, three freeze plugs and an engine mount hole pitch distance of seven inches. The corrugated wall method of block construction had caused cleaning difficulties in the foundry from day one and a change was phased in.
221
The first engine of this family, called the Fairlane V8,
introduced for the 1962 model year as an option on the Fairlane and Meteor, had a displacement of , from a 3.5 in (89 mm)
bore and 2.87 in (72.9 mm) stroke, with wedge
combustion chamber
A combustion chamber is part of an internal combustion engine in which the fuel/air mix is burned. For steam engines, the term has also been used for an extension of the firebox which is used to allow a more complete combustion process.
Interna ...
s for excellent breathing. An advanced, compact, thinwall-casting design, it was 24 in wide, 29 in long, and 27.5 in tall (610 mm × 737 mm × 699 mm). It weighed only 470 lb (210 kg) dry despite its
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
construction, making it the lightest and the most compact V8 engine of its type of the era.
In stock form, it used a two-barrel
carburetor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
and a
compression ratio
The compression ratio is the ratio between the volume of the cylinder and combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine at their maximum and minimum values.
A fundamental specification for such engines, it is measured two ways: the stati ...
of 8.7:1, allowing the use of regular (rather than premium)
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
.
Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
diameters were 1.59 in (40.4 mm) (intake) and 1.388 in (35.3 mm) (exhaust). Rated power and torque (
SAE gross) were at 4,400 rpm and at 2,200 rpm.
The 221 was phased out end of May 1963 due to a lack of demand after about 371,000 had been produced.
260
The second version of the Fairlane V8 was given the name Challenger, and was introduced during the middle of the 1962 model year (March 1962).
It had a larger bore of 3.80 in (96.5 mm), increasing displacement to . Compression ratio was raised fractionally to 8.8:1. The engine was slightly heavier than the 221, at 482 lb (219 kg). Rated power (still SAE gross) rose to at 4400 rpm, with a peak torque of at 2200 rpm.
For the 1962 and 1963 car model years, the valve head diameters remained the same as the 221, but for the 1964 car model year, they were enlarged to 1.67 in (42.4 mm) (intake) and 1.45 in (36.8 mm) (exhaust) – this was an economy measure so that both 260 and 289 engines could use the same valves. Rated power was not changed.
In 1963, the 260 became the base engine on full-sized Ford sedans. Later in the model year, its availability was expanded to the
Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate applied to several vehicles worldwide.
* Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970.
* Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* Fo ...
and
Mercury Comet
The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet ...
. The early "1964½"
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
also offered the 260, although it was dropped at the end of the 1964 car model year.
Ford ceased production of the 260 at the end of the 1964 car model year with approximately 604,000 units having been made.
XHP-260
The special
rally
Rally or rallye may refer to:
Gatherings
* Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade
* Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event
Sports ...
version of the Falcon and Comet and early
AC Cobra
The AC Cobra, sold in the United States as the Shelby Cobra and AC Shelby Cobra, is a sports car manufactured by British company AC Cars, with a Ford V8 engine. It was produced intermittently in both the United Kingdom and later the United ...
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
s of 1962 used a high-performance version of the 260 with higher compression, hotter camshaft timing, upgraded connecting rods, valves with larger diameter valve stems, stronger valve springs and a four-barrel carburetor. This engine was rated (SAE gross) at 5800 rpm and at 4800 rpm. This engine was termed the HP-260 by Ford and was specifically made for Carroll Shelby – about 100 were made.
Sunbeam Tiger
The 1964–1966
Sunbeam Tiger
The Sunbeam Tiger is a high-performance V8 version of the British Rootes Group's Sunbeam Alpine roadster, designed in part by American car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby and produced from 1964 until 1967. Shelby had carried out a ...
Mk I used the 260.
The 1967 Sunbeam Tiger Mk II used the 289 ci in V8 when the 'build ahead' stocks of the 260 ran out.
289
![1966 Ford Mustang 289 Windsor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/1966_Ford_Mustang_289_Windsor.JPG)
The was also introduced in April 1963 and was also called the Challenger V8.
Bore was expanded to , becoming the standard bore for most small block engines. Stroke remained at 2.87 inches. The 289 weighed 506 lb (230 kg).
In 1963, The two-barrel 289 replaced the 260 as the base V8 for full-sized Fords.
The base version came with a two-barrel carburetor and 8.7:1 compression; it was rated at (SAE gross) at 4,400 rpm and at 2,200 rpm.
D-code
In 1964, an intermediate performance version of the engine was introduced with a four-barrel carburetor and 9.0:1 compression, rated at at 4,400 rpm and at 2,800 rpm.
The engine was an option on the 1965
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
and was known as the "D-code" from the letter code used to identify the engine in the
VIN.
The D-code engine is relatively rare, as it was only offered as an optional engine in the latter half of the 1964 model year.
Cyclone
This engine was marketed in the 1964
Mercury Comet
The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet ...
Cyclone as the "Cyclone"
and carried a K-code in its VIN. This engine is not the same engine as the HiPo K-code engine offered in Ford vehicles.
C-Code
For 1965, the compression ratio of the base 289 was raised to 9.3:1, increasing power and torque to at 4,400 rpm and at 2,400 rpm, respectively.
In 1968, the two-barrel was reduced to .
A-Code
In 1965 the four-barrel version was increased to 10.0:1 compression, and was rated at at 4,800 rpm and at 3,200 rpm.
The 289-4V was also the engine for the first Australian Ford Falcon GT, the
XR Falcon GT.
Production Numbers
Around 3,500,000 289-2V and 289-4V engines were made at Cleveland Engine Plant 1 (CEP1) in 1963-1967 and 800,000 289-2V at Windsor Engine Plant 1 (WEP1).
289 HiPo (K-code)
![1968 Shelby GT350 engine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/1968_Shelby_GT350_engine.JPG)
A high-performance version of the Challenger 289 engine
was introduced late in the 1963 model year as a special order for Ford Fairlanes. The engine is informally known as the HiPo or the K-code' (after the engine letter used in the
VIN of cars so equipped). Oddly, this engine was introduced in 1963 as the only 289 engine available in the intermediate Fairlanes. Lesser-powered cars had the 260 engine in that year. Starting in June 1964, it became an option for the Mustang.
The HiPo engine was engineered to increase performance and high-RPM reliability over standard 289 fare. It had solid lifters with hotter cam timing; 10.5:1 compression; a dual point, centrifugal advance distributor; smaller combustion chamber heads with cast spring cups and screw-in studs; low-restriction exhaust manifolds; and a bigger, manual-choke 595
CFM carburetor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
(the standard 289-4V was 480 CFM). The water pump, fuel pump, and alternator/generator pulleys were altered, fewer vanes, extra spring, and larger diameter, respectively; to help handle the higher engine speeds. Even the HiPo's fan was unique. Bottom-end improvements included a flaw-free selected standard block, thicker main bearing caps and crankshaft damper/balancer, larger-diameter rod bolts, a crankshaft made from 80%
nodular iron
Ductile iron, also known as ductile cast iron, nodular cast iron, spheroidal graphite iron, spheroidal graphite cast iron and SG iron, is a type of graphite-rich cast iron discovered in 1943 by Keith Millis. While most varieties of cast iron are ...
as opposed to the regular items at 40%, all were checked for correct 'nodularity' by polishing an area of the rear counterweight and comparing that surface using a magnification arrangement against a picture datum, increased crankshaft counterweighting to compensate for the heavier connecting rod big ends, the increased external counter weighting at the front was split between the crankshaft damper and a supplementary counterweight place adjacent to the front main bearing journal (all designed to reduce the 'bending moment' in the crankshaft at high-rpm), all for high-rpm reliability. The HiPo equipped with a single 4-barrel
Autolite
Autolite or Auto-Lite is an American brand of spark plugs and ignition wire sets. Autolite products are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Until 2011, the Autolite brand was a part of Honeywell's automotive Consumer Pro ...
4100 carburetor carried
SAE gross ratings of at 6,000 rpm and at 3,400 rpm.
The K-code HiPo engine was an expensive option and its popularity was greatly diminished after the
390 and 428 big-block engines became available in the Mustang and Fairlane lines, which offered similar power (at the expense of greater weight) for far less cost.
GT-350
The HiPo engine was used in modified form by
Carroll Shelby
Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012) was an American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Shelby is best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, which he modified duri ...
for the 1965–1967
Shelby GT350
The Shelby Mustang is a high-performance variant of the Ford Mustang built by Shelby American from 1965 to 1967 and by the Ford Motor Company from 1968 to 1970.
In 2005, Ford revived the Shelby nameplate for a high-performance model of the f ...
, raising rated power to at 6,000 rpm and at 4,200 rpm of
torque
In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...
, through use of special exhaust headers, an aluminum intake manifold, and a larger 4-barrel
Holley 715 CFM
carburetor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
. The Shelby engine also had a larger oil pan with baffles to reduce oil starvation in hard cornering. Shelby also replaced the internal front press-in oil gallery plugs with a screw-in type plug to reduce chances of failure.
From 1966 to 1968, Shelby offered an optional
Paxton supercharger
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement.
The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
for the 289, raising its power (on Shelby GT350s) to around .
Production numbers
About 25,000 K-code 289's were manufactured at Cleveland Engine Plant 1 (CEP1) between March 1963 and June 1967.
302 4-Bolt Main bearing caps
GT-40
Ford designed a new 302 block for the 1967 GT-40, due to a new regulation which limited engine displacement to 5.0 litres. Ford was able to arrive at the 302 displacement by an extra eighth-inch of piston travel to the 289 Hi-Performance V8. The block featured heavy-duty, four-bolt main bearing caps and pressed in freeze plugs. This engine was topped with Gurney-Weslake aluminum heads. About 50 blocks were made.
Trans-Am 302
Ford's new 302 "Tunnel-Port" engine was originally envisioned as the secret weapon for the 1968 Trans-Am season, which would bring them a third Championship win.
Starting with a 1967 GT-40 block, Ford topped the engine with a new head design. The new heads were based on the design of Ford's NASCAR 427 heads. The intake ports were straight, instead of snaking around the push rods. The push rods actually went through the center of the ports (thus the name "Tunnel-Port"). This configuration also enabled larger valves to be used.
The 302 tunnel-port motor was topped off with an aluminum dual quad intake.
Shelby dyno sheets showed this engine was capable of producing horsepower in the 440 to 450 range, and operated through a very high rpm band (8000+).
Boss 302
![Ford Boss 302 engine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Ford_Boss_302_engine.jpg)
The Boss 302 was a chief engineer Bill Gay-inspired and Bill Barr-enacted performance variant of the small block, putting Cleveland-type cylinder heads at their then present stage of development (that's very large valves which were only used in 1969 due to the design being 'frozen' at this specification so production could commence) on Ford's 1967 GT-40 racing block to improve rated power to . According to some reports, the canted-valve, deep-breathing, high-revving engine could produce more than , although as delivered, it was equipped with an electrical revolution limiter that restricted maximum engine speed to 6,150 rpm. A strong bottom end, thicker cylinder walls, steel screw-in
freeze plug
Core plugs, also called freeze plugs or Welch plugs, are used to fill the sand casting core holes found on water-cooled internal combustion engines.
Purpose
Sand cores are used to form the internal cavities when the engine block or cylinder he ...
s, race-prepared crank, special HD connecting rods, and Cleveland-style forged pistons kept the engine together at high speeds. The key to this engine's power was the large-port, large-valve, quench-chambered, free-flowing heads. The
Boss 302 Mustang
The Mustang Boss 302 is a high-performance variant of the Ford Mustang originally produced by Ford in 1969 and 1970, alongside its more powerful sibling the Boss 429 Mustang. Ford revived the name for another two year production run in 2012 and ...
was offered only for the 1969 and 1970 model years. In the January 2010 issue of ''Hot Rod'' magazine, a Boss 302 engine built to the exact specifications, settings, and conditions of the original engine was tested. It produced 372 hp at 6,800 rpm and 325 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm.
302
:''Also, a
302 cu in 335-series engine 302 Cleveland was produced by Ford Australia for the
Australian market.
By 1967, the
Ford GT40
The Ford GT40 is a high-performance endurance racing car commissioned by the Ford Motor Company. It grew out of the "Ford GT" (for Grand Touring) project, an effort to compete in European long-distance sports car races, against Ferrari, which wo ...
MKII and GT40 MKIV had dominated the
Le Mans 24-Hour Race
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...
for two consecutive years, using various versions of the Ford big-block engine. In an attempt to reduce the high speeds, the organizers of this race capped the engine capacity in 1968. Ford consequently returned to the MKI GT40 (originally using the Windsor 289), but had now increased its capacity to meet the new rules. Since Ford had ruled that the GT40 engines must have a direct link back to its production cars, the 302 was adopted in domestic manufacturing.
In 1968, the small-block Ford was stroked to , giving a total displacement of . The connecting rods were shortened to allow the use of the same pistons as the 289. It replaced the 289 early in the 1968 model year.
The most common form of this engine used a two-barrel carburetor, initially with 9.5:1 compression. It had
hydraulic lifters
A hydraulic tappet, also known as a hydraulic valve lifter or hydraulic lash adjuster, is a device for maintaining zero valve clearance in an internal combustion engine. Conventional solid valve lifters require regular adjusting to maintain a sma ...
and valves of (intake) and (exhaust), and was rated (SAE gross) at at 4,600 rpm and at 2,600 rpm. Optional was a four-barrel version rated at at 4,800 rpm.
The 302 was manufactured in Windsor from 1968 to 1978. Ten years of manufacture was punctuated by several design changes, some small or larger. In 1970, the manufacturing of the engine was moved from Windsor, Ontario to Cleveland, Ohio. Along with the move came most changes that stayed with it for the remainder of its life. These were longer valve stems with rotating lash caps, bottle neck type rocker studs for a positive stop nut arrangement and a longer pushrod to correct valve train geometry. The water pump borrowed from the 351 Cleveland, with a few minor alterations to the casting, allowed the use of a left hand water inlet. (this improved water circulation in the radiator to a more cross-flow direction). This change also necessitated the need for a harmonic damper change to move the timing marks to the other side of the front timing cover and a change to four bolts holding the crank pulley rather than just three.
Emission regulations caused a progressive reduction in compression ratio for the 302 two-barrel, to 9.0:1 in 1972, reducing SAE gross horsepower to . In that year, U.S. automakers began to quote horsepower in SAE net ratings; the 302 two-barrel carried a net rating of . By 1975, its power dropped as low as . Until
fuel injection
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All comp ...
began to appear in the 1980s, net power ratings did not rise above .
From the 1978 car model year, the 302 became more commonly known as the 5.0 Liter, although its metric displacement is . Ford may have used the "5.0" moniker to distinguish the 302 from their
inline six, which was known as the 4.9. Despite its advertised displacement, ''
Car and Driver
''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was fou ...
'' referred to the 302 as a 4.9-liter engine, though in common usage it is typically called a "5-Oh, 5-Point-Oh, 5 Liter, or 302".
Throttle-body fuel injection
Manifold injection is a mixture formation system for internal combustion engines with external mixture formation. It is commonly used in engines with spark ignition that use petrol as fuel, such as the Otto engine, and the Wankel engine. In a mani ...
became available on the 1980
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Edse ...
, and became standard on all non-H.O. 5.0 engines for 1983. For the 1986 model year, Ford replaced the throttle-body system with sequential multi-port fuel injection, identifiable by the large intake with an "EFI 5.0" badge on top.
*1966–1970
Ford Fairlane (Americas)
The Ford Fairlane is an automobile model that was sold between the 1955 and 1970 model years by Ford in North America. Taking its name from the Dearborn, Michigan estate of Henry Ford, the Fairlane nameplate was used for seven different genera ...
*1966–1970
Ford Falcon (North America)
The Ford Falcon is a model line of cars that was produced by Ford from the 1960 to 1970 model years. The first compact car marketed by the American Big Three automobile manufacturers (though antedated by the Rambler American), the Falcon was th ...
*1968–1995
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
*1968–1974
Ford Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie is a full-sized car that was built in the United States by Ford for model years 1959 through to 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford's full-size range from 1958 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the e ...
*1968–1997
Ford E series
The Ford E-Series (also known as the Ford Econoline or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for model year 1961 as the replacement for the Ford F-Series panel van, the E-Se ...
*1968–1986
Ford LTD (Americas)
The Ford LTD (pronounced ) is a range of automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company for the 1965 to 1986 model years. Introduced as the highest trim level of the full-size Ford model range, then the Galaxie, the LTD offered options and featu ...
*1969–1991
Ford Country Squire
The Ford Country Squire is a series of full-size station wagons that were assembled by American automaker Ford. Positioned as the top-level station wagon of the Ford division, the Country Squire was distinguished by woodgrain bodyside trim. From ...
*1969–1974
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the intermediate market segment. The car was named after the city of Turin (''Torino'', in Italian), consider ...
*1969–1996
Ford F-Series
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is marketed as a range of full-sized pickup trucks. ...
*1969–1996
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the mod ...
*1971–1977
Ford Maverick Ford has marketed the following automobiles models using the Ford Maverick nameplate:
* The Ford Maverick (1970–1977), a compact car sold in North America and Brazil during the 1970s
* The rebadged Nissan Patrol Y60 sold by Ford Australia under ...
*1972–1979
Ford Ranchero
The Ford Ranchero is a coupe utility that was produced by Ford between 1957 and 1979. Unlike a standard pickup truck, the Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. A tota ...
*1975–1980
Ford Granada (North America)
The North American version of the Ford Granada is a range of sedans that was manufactured and marketed by Ford over two generations (1975–1982). Developed as the original successor for the Ford Maverick, the Granada shares its name with Ford ...
*1977–1981, 1983–1988, 1991–1993
Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 1997 and 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was pro ...
*1977–1979
Ford LTD II
The Ford LTD II is an automobile produced and marketed by Ford Motor Company between 1977 and 1979 in the United States and Canada. Deriving its name from the full-sized Ford LTD model line, the intermediate LTD II consolidated the Ford Torino a ...
*1978–1979
Ford Fairmont
The Ford Fairmont is a model line of compact cars that was manufactured by Ford from the 1978 to 1983 model years. The successor of the Ford Maverick, the Fairmont marked the third generation of compact sedans sold by Ford in North America and ...
*1978–1991
Ford LTD Crown Victoria
The Ford LTD Crown Victoria is a line of full-size cars that was manufactured and marketed by Ford from the 1980 to 1991 model years. Deriving its name from the Ford Fairlane coupe of 1955–1956, the LTD Crown Victoria served as the flagship ...
*1996–2001
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light ...
*1968–1969
Mercury Cyclone
The Mercury Cyclone is an automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from 1964 to 1971. Introduced in 1964 as the Mercury Comet Cyclone, the Cyclone replaced the S-22 as the performance-oriented version of the Mercury Comet model ...
*1968–1976
Mercury Montego
The Mercury Montego is a nameplate that was applied to three separate generations of vehicles marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Taking its name from Montego Bay, Jamaica, the nameplate made its first appearance for 1967 in ...
*1969–1991
Mercury Colony Park
The Mercury Colony Park is an American Luxury car, luxury full-size station wagon that was marketed by the Mercury (automobile), Mercury division of Ford Motor Company between 1957 and 1991. Distinguished by its Woodie (car body style), simulated ...
*1969–1977
Mercury Comet
The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet ...
*1975–1980
Mercury Monarch
The Mercury Monarch is a compact automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from the 1975 to 1980 model years. Designed as the original successor for the Mercury Comet, the Monarch was marketed as a luxury compact vehicle; al ...
*1968, 1977–1981, 1983–1988, 1991–1993
Mercury Cougar
Mercury Cougar is a nameplate applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford from 1967 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2002. While the nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various times during ...
*1979–1986
Mercury Capri
Capri (later Mercury Capri) is a nameplate marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company on three distinct series of automobiles between 1970 and 1994.
From 1970 to 1978, the Capri was a sport compact marketed in North America ...
*1983–1991
Mercury Grand Marquis
The Mercury Grand Marquis is an automobile that was sold by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from 1975 until 2011. From 1975 until 1982, it was the premium model of the Mercury Marquis line of full-size sedans, becoming a standalone mo ...
*1979–1986
Mercury Marquis
The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from the 1967 to 1986 model years. Deriving its name from a French nobility title, the Marquis was introduced as a rebadged coun ...
*1997–2001
Mercury Mountaineer
The Mercury Mountaineer is a mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was sold by Mercury from 1996 until 2010. Sharing many of its features with the Ford Explorer, the vehicles were virtually identical in terms of hardware. Externally, ...
*1977–1980
Lincoln Versailles
The Lincoln Versailles is a mid-size luxury car that was marketed by Lincoln from the 1977 to 1980 model years. The first Lincoln introduced outside of the full-size segment, the Versailles is a rebranded version of the Ford Granada and Mercur ...
*1980, 1982–1987
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Edse ...
*1980–1983
Continental Mark VI
*1984–1985
Continental Mark VII
*1986–1992
Lincoln Mark VII
Mark 7 is the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. This chapter explores Jesus' relationships with both fellow Jews and Gentiles. Jesus speaks with the Pharisees and scribes, and then with his discipl ...
*1981–1990
Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 to ...
*1989-2003
Laforza
The Rayton-Fissore Magnum is an Italian-designed and built luxury off-roader, in small scale production between 1985 and 1998. The American V8-powered versions were marketed as Laforza and were built from 1989 until 2003.
The Magnum began life ...
GT-350
For 1968 only, a special high-performance version of the 302 was offered for the Shelby GT350. The main features included: an angled, high-rise aluminum or iron intake manifold, a larger
Holley four-barrel carburetor, and bigger valves of intake and exhaust. It had a longer-duration camshaft, still with hydraulic lifters. The heads had special close-tolerance pushrod holes to guide the pushrods without rail rocker arms or stamped steel guide plates. The combustion chambers also featured a smaller quench design for a higher compression ratio and enhanced flow characteristics. Additionally, high-flow cast exhaust manifolds similar to those on the 289 Hi-Po K-code engine further improved output. Heavy-duty connecting rods with high-strength bolts and a
nodular iron
Ductile iron, also known as ductile cast iron, nodular cast iron, spheroidal graphite iron, spheroidal graphite cast iron and SG iron, is a type of graphite-rich cast iron discovered in 1943 by Keith Millis. While most varieties of cast iron are ...
crankshaft were also included in this package. Rated power (SAE gross) was estimated at at 6,000 rpm and at 3,800 rpm.
The package, which cost $692 including some other equipment, was not popular and did not return for 1969. This engine was not a factory engine. Rather, like all Shelby Mustang engines, it was modified by Shelby American in their capacity as a vehicle upfitter. This special engine is well documented in the Ford factory engine repair manual for 1968 Mustangs and Fairlanes.
The block was made in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. "Hecho en Mexico" casting marks are present in the lifter valley, and its main strength was the appearance of much larger and stronger two-bolt main bearing caps on the engine's bottom end - the same as the HiPo-289, but not made from nodular iron rather Ford's standard material. The Mexican 302 block was produced through to the mid-1990s and even showed up in Ford cars, trucks, and vans throughout the 1970s and early 1980s (Mexican-made 302 engines were often used by the USA car plants when CEP1 could not produce enough engines and many Ford replacement engines were Mexican). Mexican blocks were not made from a high-
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...
content material as is generally thought, but rather Ford's usual ACB specification material. They are no stronger than any other USA-made component and the bore service life is generally lower due to less wear-resistant South American-sourced iron ore. All Mexican V8 blocks were cast and machined to accept a front engine mount as required for their truck applications.
255
In the late 1970s an urgent need to meet
EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
CAFE
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...
standards led to the creation of the version for the 1980 model year, essentially a 302 with the cylinder bores reduced to 3.68 in (93.5 mm). The 302 was to be phased out and the 255 was to be an interim engine which would remain until the new V6 was in production - a quick fix. Rated power (SAE net) was 115-122 hp (86-91 kW), depending on year and application. Cylinder heads, which were specific to this engine, used smaller combustion chambers and valves, and the intake ports were oval whereas the others were all rectangular. The only externally visible clue was the use of an open-runner intake manifold with a stamped-steel lifter valley cover attached to its underside, reminiscent of previous-generation V8 engines, such as the
Y-block
The Y-Block was a building in Oslo, Norway, extant from 1970 to 2020. The building, designed in a Brutalist style by Erling Viksjø, was part of the (Government Quarter) in the centre of the city. It featured two murals by Pablo Picasso. It w ...
and the
MEL
Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to:
Biology
* Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL)
* National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL
People
* Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...
.
It was optional in
Fox-chassis cars including the Mustang and corporate cousin Mercury Capri, Thunderbird, Fairmont, and standard equipment in the
Ford LTD. Some variants (i.e. Mercury Grand Marquis) were fitted with a variable-venturi carburetor which were capable of highway fuel economy in excess of 27 MPG. Due to its dismal overall performance the 255 was dropped at the end the 1982 car model-year with 253,000 units manufactured - 302 production continued and the plans to phase it out were dropped.
Applications:
*1980–1981
Ford Fairmont
The Ford Fairmont is a model line of compact cars that was manufactured by Ford from the 1978 to 1983 model years. The successor of the Ford Maverick, the Fairmont marked the third generation of compact sedans sold by Ford in North America and ...
*1981-1982
Ford F-100
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is marketed as a range of full-sized pickup trucks. ...
*1981–1982
Ford Granada
*1981–1982
Ford LTD
*1980–1982
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
*1980–1982
Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 1997 and 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was pro ...
*1980–1982
Mercury Capri
Capri (later Mercury Capri) is a nameplate marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company on three distinct series of automobiles between 1970 and 1994.
From 1970 to 1978, the Capri was a sport compact marketed in North America ...
*1980–1982
Mercury Cougar
Mercury Cougar is a nameplate applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford from 1967 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2002. While the nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various times during ...
*1981–1982
Mercury Marquis
The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from the 1967 to 1986 model years. Deriving its name from a French nobility title, the Marquis was introduced as a rebadged coun ...
*1980–1981
Mercury Zephyr
The Ford Fairmont is a model line of compact cars that was manufactured by Ford from the 1978 to 1983 model years. The successor of the Ford Maverick, the Fairmont marked the third generation of compact sedans sold by Ford in North America and ...
5.0 H.O.
The 1982 model year brought a new 5.0 High Output variation. Manual-transmission equipped Mustangs and
Mercury Capri
Capri (later Mercury Capri) is a nameplate marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company on three distinct series of automobiles between 1970 and 1994.
From 1970 to 1978, the Capri was a sport compact marketed in North America ...
s were first equipped with two-barrel carburetors (1982), then a four-barrel Holley carburetor (1983–85). The block was fitted with revised, taller lifter bosses to accept roller lifters, and a steel camshaft in 1985, and electronic sequential fuel injection was introduced in 1986. While sequential injection was used on the Mustang beginning in 1986, many other vehicles, including trucks, continued to use a batch-fire fuel injection system. The speed-density based EFI systems used a large, two-piece, cast-aluminum manifold. It was fitted on all engines through 1988, after which year it was phased out for a mass-air type measuring system in most applications (non-California compliant
Panther platform cars retained the speed-density system until the
Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 to ...
received the Modular V8 for model year 1991, and the
Crown Victoria
The Ford Crown Victoria ("Crown Vic") is a full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford. The successor to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, two generations of the model line were produced from the 1992 to 2012 model years. The Ford ...
and
Grand Marquis for 1992).
The same manifold was used in MAF applications, with the addition of the MAF sensor in the air intake tube. The MAF system continued, with minor revisions, until the retirement of the engine in 2001. Ford offered a performance head that was a stock part on 1993–1995 Mustang Cobra models and pre-1997 ½ Ford Explorers and
Mercury Mountaineer
The Mercury Mountaineer is a mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was sold by Mercury from 1996 until 2010. Sharing many of its features with the Ford Explorer, the vehicles were virtually identical in terms of hardware. Externally, ...
s equipped with the 5.0 L engine called the GT-40 head (casting ID F3ZE-AA). In mid-1997, the Explorer and Mountaineer 5.0 L heads were revised and renamed GT40P. The GT40P heads, unlike the GT40 heads, had a very well-developed port shape/design which yielded about 200 cfm on the intake side and 140 cfm on the exhaust side without increasing the size of the ports at all from standard E7TE castings, and without increasing the exhaust valve size. They also had smaller 59-61 cc combustion chambers for added compression, and the combustion chamber shape was revised to put the spark plug tip near the center of the chamber for a more even burn. These GT40P heads are considered by many enthusiasts to be extremely efficient.
The 302 remained a mainstay of various Ford cars and trucks through the late '90s, although it was progressively replaced by the 4.6 L Modular engine starting in the early 1990s. The last 302 engine was produced for installation in a production vehicle at Cleveland Engine Plant #1 in December 2000, as part of a build-ahead to supply Ford of Australia, which installed their last such engine in a new vehicle in August 2002. The 302 is still available as a complete crate motor from Ford Racing Performance Parts.
Applications:
*1982–1995
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
*1982–1986
Mercury Capri
Capri (later Mercury Capri) is a nameplate marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company on three distinct series of automobiles between 1970 and 1994.
From 1970 to 1978, the Capri was a sport compact marketed in North America ...
*1984-1985
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a mid-size car or large family car manufactured and marketed by Ford Europe from 1982-1993, designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément — and noted for its aerodynamic styling producing a drag coefficien ...
XR8 (South Africa)
*1987–1992
Lincoln Mark VII
Mark 7 is the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. This chapter explores Jesus' relationships with both fellow Jews and Gentiles. Jesus speaks with the Pharisees and scribes, and then with his discipl ...
(1987 LSC models only)
*1991-1993
Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 1997 and 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was pro ...
*1991-1993
Mercury Cougar
Mercury Cougar is a nameplate applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford from 1967 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2002. While the nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various times during ...
*1991-2002
Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate applied to several vehicles worldwide.
* Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970.
* Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* Fo ...
*1991-2002
Ford Fairlane/Ford LTD
*1996–2001
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light ...
*1997–2001
Mercury Mountaineer
The Mercury Mountaineer is a mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was sold by Mercury from 1996 until 2010. Sharing many of its features with the Ford Explorer, the vehicles were virtually identical in terms of hardware. Externally, ...
5.6
In 2001, Ford Australia also built some stroked, 5.6 L (5,605 cc, 342 cu in) Windsors with reworked GT40P heads (featuring larger valves), a unique eight-trumpet inlet manifold fitted with a unique throttle body, long-throw crank, H-beam rods, and roller rockers. Used in vehicles known as “T” series Ford Falcons and XR8 Pursuit 250 in their last collaboration (and possibly the last production use of the Windsor small block) in 2001-2002. Vehicles fitted with these stroker engines were sold under the banner of, and only available from dealers under the FTE banner (Ford Tickford Experience). They were produced in conjunction with long standing performance partner Tickford. They produced at 5,250 rpm and at 4,250 rpm. The 5.6 litres of displacement were reached by lengthening the stroke from to .
Truck 302
The Truck Division instigated a pushrod-operated four-valve-per-cylinder, cylinder head conversion in the early 1990s as a means of modernizing/improving and furthering the service life of the Windsor engine. This work was done for Ford by Roush Industries (for US$1 million) and two 302ci/5.0L and one 351ci/5.8 L variants were built and tested. These engines were highly successful, but upper management refused to allow engines so equipped to go into production, stating that to use a cast iron block in a new car (though the 302 remained an engine option in Explorers through MY2001) was no longer acceptable. One of the 5.0 L engines is in use in a hot rod. Various aftermarket manufacturers have also produced four-valve heads for the 302, notably Dominion Performance and Arao Engineering.
Marine 302
The 302 was
marinized Marinisation (also marinization) is design, redesign, or testing of products for use in a marine environment. Most commonly, it refers to use and long-term survival in harsh, highly corrosive salt water conditions. Marinisation is done by many manu ...
and offered in both standard and reverse-rotation setups.
351W
![1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 351 Windsor engine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/1969_Ford_Mustang_Mach_1_351_Windsor_engine.JPG)
The 351W (Windsor) is often confused with the
351 Cleveland, which is a different engine of identical displacement.
The Windsor featured a 1.3 in (32.5 mm) taller deck height than the 302, allowing a stroke of 3.5 in (88.9 mm). Although very much related in general configuration to the 289-302 and sharing the same bell housing, motor mounts, and other small parts, the 351W had a unique, tall-deck block, larger main bearing caps, thicker, longer connecting rods, and a distinct firing order (1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 versus the usual 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8, a means to move the unacceptable 'noise' of the consecutive firing adjacent front cylinders to the more rigid rear part of the engine block all while reducing excessive main bearing load), adding some 25 lb (11 kg) to the engine's dry weight. The
distributor
A distributor is an enclosed rotating switch used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines that have mechanically timed ignition. The distributor's main function is to route high voltage current from the ignition coil to the spark plugs ...
is slightly different, so as to accommodate a larger
oil pump shaft and larger oil pump. Some years had threaded dipstick tubes.
It had a unique head which optimized torque over high-rpm breathing, frequently replaced by enthusiasts with aftermarket heads providing better performance. The early 1969 and 1970 heads had larger valves and ports for better performance. The head castings and valve head sizes from 1969 to 1976 were different, notably in passages for air injection and spark plug diameters (1969-1974 18 mm, 1975 and up 14 mm). From 1977 onward, the 351W shared the same head casting as the 302, differing only in bolt hole diameters (7/16 inch for 302, 1/2 inch for 351W). Early blocks (casting ID C9OE-6015-B) had enough metal on bearing saddles 2, 3, and 4 for four-bolt mains, and as with all small-block Fords (SBFs), were superior in strength to most late-model, lightweight castings. Generally, the 1969 to 1974 blocks are considered to be far superior in strength than the later blocks, making these early units some of the strongest and most desirable in the entire SBF engine family including the 335-series. During the 1980s, a four-barrel version (intake manifold casting ID E6TE-9425-B) was reintroduced for use in light trucks and vans. In 1988,
fuel injection
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All comp ...
replaced the four-barrel carburetor. Roller camshaft/lifters were introduced in this engine in 1994.
The original connecting rod beam (
forging
Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which i ...
ID C9OE-A) featured drilled oil squirt bosses to lubricate the piston pin and cylinder bore and rectangular-head rod bolts mounted on broached shoulders. A number of
fatigue failures were attributed to the machining of the part, so the bolt head area was spot-faced to retain metal in the critical area, requiring the use of 'football head' bolts. In 1975, the beam forging (D6OE-AA) was updated with more metal in the bolt-head area. The oil squirt bosses were drilled for use in export engines, where the quality of accessible lubricants was questionable. The rod cap forging remained the same on both units (part ID C9OE-A). In 1982, the design of the
Essex V6 engine used a new version of the 351W connecting rod (E2AE-A), the difference between the two parts was that the V6 and V8 units were machined in
metric
Metric or metrical may refer to:
* Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement
* An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement
Mathematics
In mathem ...
and
SAE units, respectively. The cap featured a longer boss for balancing than the original design.
The block underwent some changes since its inception. In 1971, deck height was extended from 9.480 in to 9.503 in (casting D1AE-6015-DA) to lower the compression ratio to reduce
NOx
In atmospheric chemistry, is shorthand for nitric oxide () and nitrogen dioxide (), the nitrogen oxides that are most relevant for air pollution.
These gases contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting tropos ...
emissions without the need to change piston or cylinder-head design. In 1974, a boss was added on the front of the right cylinder bank to mount the air injection pump (casting D4AE-A). In 1974, the oil dipstick tube moved from the timing case to the skirt under the left cylinder bank near the rear of the casting. These details made swapping older blocks from passenger cars with front sump oil pans to more recent rear-sumped
Mustang
The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
and
LTD/Crown Vic Ford cars more difficult unless an oil pan had the dipstick mounted therein. In 1984, the rear main seal was changed from a two-piece component to a one-piece design.
Introduced in 1969, it was initially rated (SAE gross) at with a two-barrel carburetor or with a four-barrel. When Ford switched to net power ratings in 1972, it was rated at 153 to 161 hp (114 to 120 kW), although actual, installed horsepower was only fractionally lower than in 1971. Around 8.6 million 351W engines were manufactured between 1969 and 1996 at the Windsor Engine Plant Number One.
During the 1990s, motor enthusiasts were modifying 351 Cleveland 2V cylinder heads (by rerouting the coolant exit from the block surfaces to the intake manifold surfaces) for use in the 351W, resulting in the Clevor (combining Cleveland and Windsor). This modification required the use of custom pistons by reason of differing combustion chamber terrain (canted valves vs. straight valves) and intake manifolds. This combination yielded the horsepower potential of the 351C with the ruggedness of the 351W small block and was possible because more 351C 2V cylinder heads were manufactured than the corresponding engine blocks (the 351M and 400 used the same head as the 351C 2V).
The 5.8 L, 351W, was changed during the '90s from speed density to MAF; performance gains were directly affected. Before 1994, the 5.8 L was equipped with speed density. This programmed coding was placed into the vehicle's computer to tell the motor how much air it should be getting, therefore supplying an appropriate amount of fuel. However, if modifications are made to increase air flow, the computer does not provide more fuel until the oxygen sensors register a lean burn and only then can the computer compensate fuel trim. After 1994, the engine was changed to mass air flow (MAF). This allowed the computer to directly read how much air the engine was receiving through the help of a sensor in the air intake as long as that exact sensor was used (MAF sensors cannot be upgraded for increased flow without using an aftermarket chip or ECU). The rest of the intake system can be modified in any number of ways, but generally the MAF sensor remains stock). Because the computer reads this, it is able to increase the amount of fuel the engine gets when the air flow is increased, thus increasing performance.
Applications:
*1968–1974
Ford Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie is a full-sized car that was built in the United States by Ford for model years 1959 through to 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford's full-size range from 1958 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the e ...
*1968–1970
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
*1969–1971
Mercury Cougar
Mercury Cougar is a nameplate applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford from 1967 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2002. While the nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various times during ...
*1969–1991
Ford Country Squire
The Ford Country Squire is a series of full-size station wagons that were assembled by American automaker Ford. Positioned as the top-level station wagon of the Ford division, the Country Squire was distinguished by woodgrain bodyside trim. From ...
*1969-1970
Ford Fairlane (Americas)
The Ford Fairlane is an automobile model that was sold between the 1955 and 1970 model years by Ford in North America. Taking its name from the Dearborn, Michigan estate of Henry Ford, the Fairlane nameplate was used for seven different genera ...
*1970–1976
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the intermediate market segment. The car was named after the city of Turin (''Torino'', in Italian), consider ...
*1974–1976
Ford Elite
The Ford Elite is a personal luxury car produced by Ford and marketed in North American from February 1974 to 1976, using the name Gran Torino Elite for its first model year only then simplified to just Elite for the following two model years.
H ...
*1975–1996
Ford E series
The Ford E-Series (also known as the Ford Econoline or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for model year 1961 as the replacement for the Ford F-Series panel van, the E-Se ...
*1977–1979
Ford LTD II
The Ford LTD II is an automobile produced and marketed by Ford Motor Company between 1977 and 1979 in the United States and Canada. Deriving its name from the full-sized Ford LTD model line, the intermediate LTD II consolidated the Ford Torino a ...
*1977–1979
Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 1997 and 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was pro ...
*1979–1996
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the mod ...
*1979–1982
Ford LTD (Americas)
The Ford LTD (pronounced ) is a range of automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company for the 1965 to 1986 model years. Introduced as the highest trim level of the full-size Ford model range, then the Galaxie, the LTD offered options and featu ...
*1979–1991
Ford LTD Crown Victoria
The Ford LTD Crown Victoria is a line of full-size cars that was manufactured and marketed by Ford from the 1980 to 1991 model years. Deriving its name from the Ford Fairlane coupe of 1955–1956, the LTD Crown Victoria served as the flagship ...
(After 1982, this engine would only be sold for police sales)
*1987–1997
Ford F-Series
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is marketed as a range of full-sized pickup trucks. ...
*1977–1979
Mercury Cougar
Mercury Cougar is a nameplate applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford from 1967 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2002. While the nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various times during ...
(station wagons only)
*1978, 1986–1991
Mercury Colony Park
The Mercury Colony Park is an American Luxury car, luxury full-size station wagon that was marketed by the Mercury (automobile), Mercury division of Ford Motor Company between 1957 and 1991. Distinguished by its Woodie (car body style), simulated ...
*1978–1982
Mercury Marquis
The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from the 1967 to 1986 model years. Deriving its name from a French nobility title, the Marquis was introduced as a rebadged coun ...
*1986–1991
Mercury Grand Marquis
The Mercury Grand Marquis is an automobile that was sold by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from 1975 until 2011. From 1975 until 1982, it was the premium model of the Mercury Marquis line of full-size sedans, becoming a standalone mo ...
*1980
Continental Mark VI
*1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
Marine 351
From the late 1960s through the early to mid-1990s, the 351 Windsor had a long history of being
marinized Marinisation (also marinization) is design, redesign, or testing of products for use in a marine environment. Most commonly, it refers to use and long-term survival in harsh, highly corrosive salt water conditions. Marinisation is done by many manu ...
by Holman Moody Marine, Redline of Lewiston, ID (now defunct), Pleasure Craft Marine (PCM), and Indmar for use in about every make of recreational boat, including; Correct Craft, Ski Supreme,
Hydrodyne
Hydrodyne was a boat company founded by Abner Crosby in the late 1950s. The company was then later run by his son Abner (Ab) Crosby Jr. until 1993 when he sold his interest in the company to private investors. The Hydrodyne trademark is owned by ...
, MasterCraft, and Supra inboard competition ski boats. The early marinized engines were rated at . Most PCM and Indmar marinized 351s were rated at . In the early 1990s, a version and a high-output version that used GT-40 heads and the Holley 4160 marine carburetor was rated at . A few 351 GT-40/HO engines were marinized equipped with throttle-body fuel injection (TBI) and were rated at . The marine industry's relationship with the 351W platform ended when Ford was unable or unwilling to compete with GM's production of TBI- and MPI-equipped engines in mass quantity. During that time, the recreational marine community's small-block V8 platform of choice shifted to the 350 cu in (5.7L) GM L31 (Vortec 5700) engine series.
Ford Racing
In the 2000s
Ford Racing
Ford Performance (formerly Ford Racing) is the high-performance division of the Ford Motor Company and the multinational name used for its motorsport and racing activity.
History
* 1896 – Henry Ford reached a top speed of 20 mph in his ...
Performance Parts sold two "Boss"
crate engine
A crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport or store large, heavy items. Steel and aluminium crates are also used. Specialized crates were designed for specific products, and were often made to be reusa ...
s and at least a 351 block:
FR Boss 302
The new Boss 302 engine was unveiled in the 2006 SEMA show.
FR Boss 351W
The 'Racing Boss 351' (not to be confused with the Ford 335 engine Cleveland-based
Boss 351) is a crate engine based on the Ford Windsor engine, but uses Cleveland sized main bearing journals. Deck height choices include and . Maximum displacements are stroke and bore. The resulting displacement is up to 454.38 cubic inches (7445.9 cc, or 7.4 L).
The uncross-drilled block with increased bore capacity became available from the third quarter of 2009. A Boss 351-based crate engine producing was available from the first quarter of 2010.
In 2010, the
MSRP
The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...
for the Boss 351 block was US$1,999.
See also
*
List of Ford engines
Ford engines are those used in Ford Motor Company vehicles and in aftermarket, sports and kit applications. Different engine ranges are used in various global markets.
3 cylinder
A series of Ford DOHC 12-valve inline-three engines with Twin Ind ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Short descriptions of Ford overhead valve V8 engines
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford Windsor Engine
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
V8 engines
History of Windsor, Ontario
Gasoline engines by model