How To Identify Classic Ford V-8 Engines - Demystifying Displacement

Here is the distinctive 351 Cleveland cylinder head. The squared off exhaust ports with diagonal bolt pattern distinguishes this from a Windsor cylinder head immediately. In this photo it's also possible to discern the multiple valve angles. This splayed valve arrangement is very different that the compact inline arrangement of the Windsor heads. Cleveland cylinder heads have eight valve-cover fasteners compared to the six-bolt pattern of the Windsor. An assembled 351 Cleveland engine has dimensions of 29Lx25 1/2Wx27 1/2H.

This photo shows even more clearly the wedding that took place between the houses of Cleveland and Windsor. The timing cover arrangement is distinctively the Windsor configuration while the cylinder heads are clearly Cleveland. Today the merger is commonly referred to as a "Clevor" engine and several aftermarket Cleveland heads allow the swap to be done easily, with conversion intake manifolds available from Edelbrock and others.

This stock 302 cylinder head photo shows the dramatic contrast in passageway size when compared to the Cleveland. Surprisingly, Windsor-style heads are now available with flow capacities that are equivalent to, or greater than, that of the Cleveland.

Before we leave the small-blocks behind there is one more to mention. The Boss 302 engine shown here is really a Windsor-Cleveland hybrid. The Boss 302 was produced for two years in 1969 and 1970. The specialized engine used the Cleveland cylinder heads, as clearly seen here, but the heads were used on a Windsor-architecture short-block specially designed for high rpm use. The Boss block had four-bolt main caps on journals two, three, and four, and it was the only vintage Ford 302 engine ever produced with a four-bolt block. The Boss 302 has assembled dimensions of 29Lx24 1/2Wx28 1/2H.

Moving on to the famous FE engines, this image shows a standard 390-based FE. The smooth block surface above the oil-pan rail was also common to other two-bolt main FE engines, including the 352 and 428. As with the Windsor series of engines, the water outlet is horizontal in orientation and is incorporated into the intake manifold. FE valve covers have a five-bolt pattern, with the top three threading into the intake manifold, and the assembled engine dimensions are 32Lx27Wx29H.

Here's another FE. This time it's a real 427. The three cross bolts going into the main caps through the block skirt on each side are the main visual cue to a 406 or 427, the only two FE engines produced with a four-bolt main cap arrangement.

Looking down the left side of the same engine again, all we see are the three cross bolts. Otherwise the block is smooth, indicating a center oiler. Because all 427s from 1965 and later were side-oilers we know this engine is 1964 or older. Because the blocks have such a deep skirt on them, FE engines have a shallow oil pan.

A look down the left side of this FE shows the oil passageway along the left side of the block, characteristic of a 427 side-oiler casting. This engine also has screw-in freeze plugs.

This shot of an FE cylinder head shows them to be unique with their cathedral shaped exhaust ports and split rocker cover rail. All factory FE heads, including low-, medium-, and high-riser, have these characteristically shaped exhaust ports, although the exhaust manifold attachment bolt pattern will differ among them.