Cross drilling the standard crank is also an option.😊

Duncan l like your comment and your advice about the bearings is solid compared to the nonsense that’s so prevalent on the internet. I’m glad you mentioned how these shortcomings are related to high rpm’s. People who are fooled by the internet madness have the impression that the oiling system is the root of all evil. I’ve been part of the Cleveland community for 42 years and I think the alleged problems aren’t as serious as many people think. Rather than designing the block oiling system with priority main bearing oil and 3 oil galleries like was originally proposed, the Ford bean counters decided the additional machining and labor costs per block was too high. The compromise resulted in the block design we have today. There’s nothing wrong with the design as it is for builds that won’t see frequent or extended high rpm’s. When builders started using the power available from the heads at high rpm’s, the oiling system couldn’t keep up and bearing failures were the result. The design delivers oil from the pump to the right side oil gallery and head first before being distributed to the bearings and left side. The oil pressure sender on top at the rear of the block is at the end of the oil delivery circuit. The band aid fix of an external line between the unused port close to the filter and a tap at the sending unit might show more pressure at the gauge but does nothing to deliver more oil to the bearings. The two oil galleries in the lifter valley that run the length of the block, intersect the lifter bores on both sides. The holes where they intersect are unusually large and a source of excess oil loss. A good way to verify this is to spin the pump and pressurize everything. If the lifter to bore clearance is the least bit high, the visible oil will be very noticeable. Removing a lifter will expose the large oil passage hole and spurting oil will result. I use lifter bore bushings to control the excessive oil loss. I also use solid roller lifters to suit my application but no matter if mechanical or hydraulic lifters are used, the small metering hole in the bushing will provide plenty of lubrication and stop excessive oil loss at the lifters. The end result is more volume being available to the bearings at all rpms. The additional cost of bushings might not fit builds on a tight budget but the method of installing screw- in oil restrictors has been used for decades and is a very cost effective solution. I just read a post from an internet expert that rigged up a video to demonstrate how almost 4 quarts of oil remains trapped in the valve covers resulting in zero pressure to the bearings 😂. His solution was to add 3 more quarts to the stock oil pan and change the full mark on the dipstick. Seriously 🤷‍♂️. Having that much oil so close to the spinning crankshaft throws would result in aerated foamy oil that doesn’t pump very well. The guy thanked his father for turning him on to that little “trick”. I wonder what the guy did to piss off dad ?

Hey Julian- thanks for watching and commenting. Do me a favor, next time you talk to Ryan tell him the ONLY reason you went to him was because of this video! Thanks!

What’s the fun in that

That’s the difference between being common and preferred. I can’t speak for Phoenix, but there are still rebuildable Cleveland cores available. The completed engine results would justify the time and cost of going to pick one up. Now you have a Chevy…just like everyone else ☹️

Hi Ira- yup we get into cams in the next couple episodes. We ran two different cams so that should give you some intel. Please like and subscribe so we can make more. Thanks for commenting!

Ive installed lots of cleveland cam bearing and very rarely give you issues .25 years engine building .

Sometimes there’s defects even from the best manufacturers in Cam bearing bore size. Sometimes you have to turn down the outside diameter of the cam bearing. Good luck and please like abs subscribe! Thanks for commenting

I have seen a picture of a Ford worker operating an electric motor while standing at the Bellhousing end of the engine. The explanation was that he was honing the cam bearings. I’m expecting to find an alignment problem with the cam bearing saddles. The quick-and-dirty fix is to scrape the bearings. The problem is that the misaligned camshaft makes too much clearance under the number one cam bearing which causes a large gap that loses oil pressure.

If anyone knew about those secrets about the Cleveland it would be him, jack roush or Bob Glidden👍🏻💯

@@restomod101 The tolerances are so tight there’s little room for error. I’ve never encountered this problem so I can’t offer any solutions. But the advice you give about working with the outside dimensions is excellent. It eliminates the possibility of damaging the actual bearing surface 👍

Absolutely yes. Both blocks are equally strong. I use a four bolt block but some people believe the additional bolt holes in the block compromises the strength of the main bearing saddles. But it’s just speculation with nothing to support it. At that power level, the only modification that is needed would be to use one of the commonly available and widely used oil restrictor kits to improve oil flow to the main bearings. Inexpensive and easily installed on the bare block while being prepared by the machinist during the rebuild process. Other methods for oil control are also used but a little more involved so I won’t get into that now. Cleveland blocks are designed for strength with thick bottom end bulkheads, bearing saddles and webbing. They are thin wall castings around the cylinders to save weight so for performance builds, the maximum cylinder overbore amount is .030” and if the cylinder walls are in decent condition already then no more than .020” should be removed. The two extra cubic inches from the larger bore size isn’t as important as the extra strength of the cylinder walls, especially with high compression or forced induction engines. Besides horsepower and torque, the maximum rpm’s need to be considered when choosing a block. An extreme example would be the Cleveland powered Pro Stockers that dominated drag racing during the seventies and early eighties. They had to use standard production iron blocks because aftermarket blocks weren’t available then like they are now. The Pro Stock Clevelands averaged 700 horsepower and often turned 11,000 rpm’s when necessary using factory blocks. Around the mid seventies, the Ford foundry in Geelong Australia started producing serious Cleveland blocks for NASCAR racing. They are known as “XE” blocks and still pop up for sale occasionally but very expensive. A better choice would be one of the Cleveland specific aluminum blocks currently being manufactured in the USA by two different companies. They have a 500 cube capacity and can handle 2000 horsepower. I could go on and on but I’m not. Just check out one example on KZfaq. My friend Tim Halstead has the KZfaq channel DragBoss Garage. His 409” stroker Cleveland has been using the same old 2-bolt block for 20 years. The most recent dyno results are 769 hp @ 7683 rpm’s and 571 torque @ 5700 rpm’s. That’s with a single 4-V carburetor, no supercharger, no nitrous, all engine. Considering he’s been hammering the same 2-bolt Cleveland block for 20 years, should answer your question about block durability. You can contact me if you like but for Cleveland specific performance parts and expert advice, I suggest Tim Meyer. tmeyerinc.com

Sure. Why not. Zero chance of freezing then why not but seems like a waste of money if you have to tap and thread each hole. Still would need a thrust plate with that kit. Good luck and thanks for commenting. Please like and subscribe.

William , Australia is the source for many of the awesome Cleveland parts we use in the States. Freeze plugs are also known as core plugs because they are used to remove sand from the block cores after the sand casting process at the foundry. As it turns out, they also tend to pop out when water turns into ice and expands. Hence the name freeze plug. Since threaded plugs are thicker and more rigid than press fit plugs, they help make the block sides a little more stable. In applications that have high coolant temperatures, the threaded design is less likely to pop out under heat and high pressure. Restomod 101 has a good point about the additional cost. Adding threads to a large diameter hole like the freeze plug requires might be a job for the machine shop. Anytime you can reduce friction in the engine assembly it’s an advantage. Even if it’s a small reduction, just consider the other ways like piston skirt coatings, low tension rings, roller rockers, roller cam bearings, roller lifters and more. Then sum it all up as a total percentage. It definitely matters and the Torrington bearing cam retainer assembly is already on my Cleveland parts list.

I don’t think Jeff is there anymore. But reach out to JGM and Ryan may be able to point you in the right direction.

@@restomod101 can you tell me what the first build is? Stock 351 4v or 2v heads, any cam change? I see air gap manifold and carb.