Piston/Cam selection

I can't recommend a cam; thats the job of the cam grinders' Tech Lines, which all the grinders provide. You tell them what you're using in the engine and the expectations you have for power & use, and they recommend one of their bumpsticks. Most if not all KB pistons are cast-types; some are hyper-eutectic which means they have more than the normal amount of silicon in the mix, but cast nevertheless. TRW makes both cast & forged; forged are recommended for big power. TRWs are only available in std and 0.030-over sizes, and it is not recommended to bore a 351C AT ALL, but if you must, go only 0.030 after sonic- checking the block for wall thickness. Many 351Cs had enough core shift that the blocks are unsafe for performance use at std bore! Other mfgrs such as JE Pistons can custom-build any size, compression etc. Just be honest with your expectations: a full-on Winston Cup engine does NOT make a good street motor; generally, the more power, the shorter the engine's life Have fun!

Ital 351 Hi- proberly too late to toss this into the pot, but anyhow,- Your choice of 'goodies' sounds great except for one item IMHOP. 4V, Open chamber heads. True they will drop your c.r., but their design is compromised compared to the 4V closed- chamber'quench'hds. which, believe it or not, support a much higher( as much as a full point?) possibility,- compression-wise, due to the cooling of the mixture from the flamefront, as it travels across the combustion chamber,the shape'Quenching' and hence cooling it down. Plus it works. Dont touch the ports, they are spot on, just un-shroud the inlet ......... (picture in Ford's Performance Book 'bible') Match these hds. with a flattop piston -+ 11.00 or dished for less. I have run for many years a flat top piston with these hds. and have had no problem with pinking, detonation on pump gas.
regards, tai.

David, from one rookie to another�the counsel from both Jack and Tai is terrific. JE pistons will build you a part that is .010 over in a style that is consistent with your change to 4V closed chamber heads. After much advice, I found I could achieve approximately 10.0:1 CR with a slightly dished piston and the closed chamber heads. So, I dumped my open chamber heads and my 8.0:1 CR and bought a set of the stock closed chamber variety. Mike Drew went the open chamber, pop up piston route. Before you make the decision to do that, talk to him. It is true, cam selection depends partly on your components but also your driving requirements. A cam that does not build additional cylinder pressure and allows for reasonable vacuum at idle seems key for a street motor. The problem I encountered with cam selection was that four separate cam grinders provided me four vastly different cam profiles and configurations. Very frustrating. Most of the cams they seemed to want to spec for me would have worked fine in a Mustang with its associated transmission and rear end, but not in my Pantera. Finally, I did find a cam grinder with specific Pantera experience. I agree with Tai, leave the ports alone. If you look back in the archives of this site just a month or so ago, you will find some excellent advice on other important components for a street rebuild. For instance, roller rockers were a must for me and using the Crane conversion kit made the installation very easy. Good luck.