Ford's top ante in the high-stakes game of small-block crate engines is its 385hp 351-HO SVO (PN M-6007-A351). The Dearborn boys haven't offered an engine nearly this powerful since the demise of the big-block Cobra Jet and 351 Boss engines. Every engine is test-fired and comes complete, less air cleaner, carburetor, headers, ignition module, spark-plug wires, or accessory drives. The developmental prototype met Ford's standard durability dyno torture test: 50 hours running at peak torque, followed by 50 hours running at peak horsepower.
Built around Ford's marine 351W two-bolt-main block, the bottom end includes a nodular cast-iron crankshaft; heavy-duty marine/truck connecting rods, and hypereutectic pistons with a 1/16-inch moly-faced top ring, 1/16-inch chrome-plated second, and a 3/16-inch standard-tension, expanded rail-type oil ring.
The engines flat-tappet, high-lift hydraulic cam offers a significant power increase without beating up the valvetrain. Because the cam is designed for maximum horsepower, only eight inches of vacuum are present at idle. For street use, we'd recommend a vacuum reserve canister. Automatic-trans applications require a minimum 2,500-stall converter.
The cam's lobes activate anti-pump-up hydraulic lifters; hardened 5/16-inch-diameter pushrods; and 1.60:1 roller tip, needle-bearing-fulcrum roller rocker arms to lift the 1.94-inch intake/1.60-inch stainless steel exhaust valves off their seats in SVO Windsor high-flow aluminum cylinder heads (PN M-6049-J302), which feature minor porting under the valve seat in the short-turn-radius area and a three-angle valve job.
Induction is handled by Edelbrock's 351W Victor Jr. A high-rise, single-plane intake manifold optimized for top-end horsepower, it accepts standard 4V Holley carbs (750- or 780-cfm sizes recommended). A Ford electronic distributor, an SVO steel-billet 157-tooth manual-trans flywheel drilled to accept either 10-½-inch Long or diaphragm clutches, an SFI spec 18-1 damper, and an aluminum water pump complete the assembly.
The entire engine carries a $4,450 retail price, which is several hundred bucks off the list, and which you can find by shopping around. Like all Ford Motorsport parts, the engine is guaranteed against parts or assembly defects, but it carries no warranty. We'd recommend this engine for serious weekend warriors and ultrahigh-perf street machines. For heavier cars and/or milder applications, Ford offers the $3,395 351 GT-40 SVO assembly (PN M-6007-B351), which comes with cast-iron heads and an auto-trans flexplate. Using SVO's dual-plane intake (PN M-9424-Z351), a 750-cfm Holley, and headers, it's still rated at 346 hp and 364 lb-ft.
This engine is optimized for...
This engine is optimized for maximum top-end horsepower, so it comes with the no-compromise Edelbrock 351W Victor Jr. single-plane intake manifold (Edelbrock PN 2981; Ford Motorsport PN M-9424-V351).
Pressed pins attach the 10:1...
Pressed pins attach the 10:1 hypereutectic pistons to heavy-duty marine/truck 351W rods.
These rods feature heavy-duty...
These rods feature heavy-duty 3/8-inch-diameter bolts and spot-faced bolt seats.
The 351-HO’s fully adjustable...
The 351-HO’s fully adjustable heavy-duty valvetrain components include 1.94-inch intake/1.60-inch exhaust valves, roller rockers, dual valvesprings, heavy-duty retainers and keepers, 5/16-inch-diameter hardened pushrods, pushrod guideplates, screw-in rocker-arm studs, antigall valvespring seats, and PC-type valve stem seals. Most of these parts are also available separately.
A nodular iron crank rides...
A nodular iron crank rides in two-bolt-main bearing caps. Lubrication is handled by a marine/truck oil pump and an M-6605-A341 heavy-duty 3/8-inch o.d. chrome-moly driveshaft. If you’ll be using the engine for endurance-racing applications, Ford recommends a high-volume oil pump (PN M-6600-B3).
Cast from 356-T6 aluminum...
Cast from 356-T6 aluminum alloy, the heads’ 60cc runner volume exhaust ports exit 1/16 inch higher than stock.
However, the exhaust manifold’s...
However, the exhaust manifold’s dual-mounting-bolt pattern allows them to accept stock exhaust manifolds or street headers, as well as race headers with up to 1-3/4-inch primaries. The 170cc intake runners have no provisions for exhaust crossover heat or EGR. Chambers displace 52 cc.
A 351W electronic ignition...
A 351W electronic ignition distributor (E2AZ-12127-E) with centrifugal and vacuum advance and a production coil is standard, but you must supply the control module—Ford recommends either the stock Duraspark II, the Motorsport “extra-performance,” or the full-race “Ultra High Energy” (MSD-style) module.
The cam is installed two degrees...
The cam is installed two degrees retarded using the nine-position multi-keyway double-roller timing chain (PN M-6268-A302). Tests have shown that this configuration produces the most power.
Although presently equipped...
Although presently equipped with a flat-tappet cam, the lifter valley is drilled for the factory hydraulic roller cam retaining plate.
All current stock Ford engines...
All current stock Ford engines are fuel-injected, so the front-cover assembly no longer has mechanical fuel-pump mounting provisions. The late truck aluminum reverse-rotation water pump (PN F3TZ-8501-C) is designed for serpentine belt applications (the inlet is on the driver side).