@davidnunn posted:If George recommends an engine builder on the West Coast, I’d be comfortable with his recommendation
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About 20 years ago, on the Clevelands Forever forum, a fellow asked how to build a 400 horsepower Cleveland. Jon Kaase, who hung out on that forum back then, replied "pull two plug wires". I've always loved that reply.
A freshened-up "351 Cobra Jet", 4V heads, factory cam, compression raised to 10:1 & equipped with a non-emissions carburetor, has a potential output of 350 horsepower. The 10:1 compression is where the pep, throttle response, acceleration, and low rpm torque come from. The car's 0 to 60 time will improve by 2 to 3 seconds based on compression alone. The horsepower number is secondary, its not as important as the compression.
The performance of a "de-smogged" engine like that is a startling improvement over any "production" 351C, especially the Muskie Act compliant post-1971 versions. It's a good place to start, to figure out if going any further is even necessary. I truly believe its enough engine for the majority of people.
Add headers and tail pipes … perhaps the Hall GTS system … and the engine's output shall increase to 365 horsepower. Add a Blue Thunder manifold (or Scott Cook's dual plane manifold) and the engine's output shall increase to 390 horsepower. Adding a street-able short duration, low overlap, hydraulic flat tappet camshaft with 0.530-inch gross valve lift would nudge the output to about 425 horsepower. Those numbers assume the cylinder head work isn't botched! I fear it is botched more often than not.
Keep the camshaft duration and overlap low (114° lsa), raise the compression, and the tire burning shall follow.
425 naturally aspirated horsepower is on par with the top pre-emissions (pre-1968) production street engines of the muscle car era: Ford's 8-bbl 427 (R code), Chrysler's 8-bbl 426 Hemi, Chevy's 4-bbl 396 (L78), and Chevy's 4-bbl 427 (L72) were all rated 425 horsepower. Pontiac's 6-bbl 421 Super Duty was the lowest rated at merely 376 horsepower, and Chevy's 6 bbl 427 (L71) was the highest rated at 435 horsepower.
Ford's Coyote based Boss 302 didn't surpass that until 2012.
About a recommendation:
The Cleveland is a 50 year old engine, nothing new about this engine has been discovered in 40 years. You'd think all the special considerations for assembling a Cleveland would have become de rigueur 40 years ago. But that isn't so.
The problem today is that most of the new breed of internet-based machinists and mechanics have adopted the title of "engine builder" like its some sort of anointing. Sadly, they behave as though they know it all, thus they can't be told anything. They resist learning anything from the older generation. The worst of them don't even show respect for the older generation. I do not recommend doing business with anyone who doesn't respect their elders.
A mechanic's stance on tappet bore bushings is an excellent "tell". A Cleveland guy is likely to recommend them to you before you get around to asking him about them. When you ask about them he'll reply something like "well of course", like installing tappet bore bushings is perfectly normal, no big deal. All the others shall have a myriad of excuses or arguments against them.
There was a time, it doesn't seem like that long ago, when you could have sent your engine to Dyno Don himself. I'm SoCal based. I'm not aware of mechanics in central or northern California. All the good Cleveland mechanics I knew of are retired or have passed-on.
There's a guy in New England who understands the Cleveland's special considerations, but as it turned out his business ethics stunk.
On the other hand, Tim Meyer and I don't see eye to eye on everything, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him; he's an honorable man and a good machinist. The problem in recommending Tim, I don't know where his business stands at this moment, I don't know if he's still building engines, or if he's focused on selling parts (engine blocks).
My personal preference is to offer guidance to the do-it-yourself home mechanic. Are you sure you don't have time to build it yourself? The trick is to buy a spare engine, long block, or short block, and rebuild that at your own pace. Leave the current engine in the car, so you can continue to enjoy driving it while you prep a new engine.
-G