Ford 351 Cleveland Specs

by John Stevens J.D.
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Ford first produced the 351 Cleveland, sometimes referred to as the "351 C" or simply as the "Cleveland," in 1970. Although it shared the same displacement as the 351 Windsor, the engines were remarkably different. The Cleveland became known mostly for its ability to produce power at high engine speeds, due mostly to the design of the cylinder heads. As with all engines, the specifications play an important role in rebuilding or repairing the Cleveland.

General Engine Specifications

The 351 C featured a bore of 4 inches and a stroke of 3.5 inches. The 1970 Cleveland produced 300 horsepower at 5,400 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 380 foot-lbs. of torque at 3,400 rpm. The 1971 Cleveland produced 285 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 370 foot-lbs. of torque at 3,400 rpm. The Cleveland featured a compression ratio of 11.4 to 1 in 1970 and 10.7 to 1 in 1971.

Valve Specifications

The car had a valve seat angle of 45 degrees and a valve face angle of 44 degrees. It had a valve spring pressure of 209 lbs. at 1.42 inches if the engine came equipped with a two-barrel carburetor, or 285 pounds at 1.31 inches if equipped with the four-barrel carburetor. It had a standard valve spring height of 1 13/16 inches and a valve stem clearance within a range of 0.001 and 0.0027 inches for the intake valve. Exhaust stem clearance ranged from 0.0015 to .0032 inches.

Piston Specifications

The 351 C had a piston-to-cylinder bore clearance within a range of 0.0014 and 0.0022 inches, piston pin bore diameter within a range of 0.9122 and 0.9125 inches, compression ring width between 0.077 and 0.078 inches, ring side clearance between 0.002 and 0.004 inches and a ring gap width ranging from 0.015 to 0.069 inches for the oil ring, or from 0.01 to 0.02 inches for the two compression rings.

Crankshaft Bearing Journal Specifications

The 351 C had a main bearing journal diameter within a range of 2.7484 and 2.7492 inches, oil clearance between 0.0009 and 0.0026 inches and crankshaft end-play between 0.004 and 0.01 inches.

Connecting Rod Bearing Journal Specifications

The car's connecting rod journal diameter ranged between 2.3103 and 2.3111 inches. It had an oil clearance within a range of 0.0008 to 0.0026 inches, and a side clearance between 0.01 and 0.02 inches.

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