Ford cranks out new 351 performance engine block

Ford Racing has released a new performance engine block based on the architecture of the automaker's famed Windsor 351.

The Boss 351 block is suitable for use in race cars and street rods. It carries a sticker price of $1,999. The Boss 351 can handle displacements from 351 to more than 460 cubic inches.

Made from new tooling, the block incorporates technological upgrades including splayed main bolts and siamese bores with engineered coolant cross-drilling. The block is made from diesel-grade iron with 41,000-psi tensile strength.

The Boss 351 uses a Cleveland-sized 2.75-inch main bearing journal and is available with two deck heights, 9.2 inches and 9.5 inches. It also has four-bolt main caps and screw-in freeze plugs.

The block's bore maximum is 4.125 inches and the stroke limit is 4.25 inches, depending on the crankshaft manufacturer.

Ford Racing said a non-cross-drilled version with increased bore capacity will be available in the third quarter, and a Boss 351-based crate engine with 427-cubic-inch displacement should be available by the fourth quarter.

By Angie Favot