Aussie cleveland blocks

Notice the undrilled series big-block pattern in the casting. A good machine shop can drill this block to go either way. The rest are series big-block bell housing patterns. One thing that stumps Cleveland enthusiasts more than anything else are the nuances not explained in the Ford parts books. For example, did you know Ford produced blocks in with small-block bellhousing bolt patterns and undrilled big-block bolt patterns which can be drilled and tapped? And did you also know Australian Cleveland blocks are different than their North American counterparts?

Though the Cleveland V-8 is as popular in Australia as the smallblock Chevy or 5. The C and C were produced in Australia from to At least two things make the Australian Cleveland block different than its North American cousin. Another belief is Ford North America shipped discontinued Cleveland casting molds to Australia in when production ended here.

Look for this with the and M blocks only. On the left is a two-bolt main block. On the right is a C with four-bolt mains. The and M blocks have larger 3. D blocks have a D-shaped boss and square blocks have a male or female boss. Another point to be mindful of is obscure block castings hidden away in race shops, garages, and barns. The most obvious difference between the C left and right is the bellhousing bolt pattern. The C has a six-bolt, small-block bolt pattern.

Here are the C and blocks side by side for a deck comparison. The C is in front; the is behind it. Do you see the height difference? This is a four-bolt steel billet main caps on a Cleveland. I suggest you stud your main caps, even with stockers. It only improves security. Four-bolt main conversions call for line boring and honing. Block prep should include thread chasing— and I mean every single bolthole.

All bolt holes should be clean and free of burrs for accurate torque readings. These blocks followed convoluted paths all over the world from North America and Australia, leaving us with more questions than answers. You may find these block castings at estate auctions, garage sales, eBay, Craigslist, classified ads, old dusty race shops, and other places. You find them completely machined and partially machined. Sometimes, you find raw castings. Expect to also see rough-cut Cleveland blocks with 3.

And, expect to see some that have never been hot with standard-size bores. That makes your Cleveland block search a crapshoot because it is unknown what you will find out there. It has been often theorized in Internet forums that the Xs and Ys in the lifter valley of most Cleveland blocks means a higher nickel content, but Ford has never confirmed this. It is believe the Xs and Ys were cast in to prevent cracking, a running production change in Cleveland blocks.

Never run studs all the way down. Use engine oil sparingly on stud threads; however, never fi ll the bolt hole with oil, which can crack the block. Before a C block can be line-honed, torque the main studs. Apply moly coat to provide lubrication and an accurate torque reading. Torque mains from the inside outward in three stages. Again, do not bottom studs out. If you have converted a two-bolt main block to a four-bolt, the line bore must be line bored to size, then honed.

It's hit and miss, these days. Otherwise you could be wasting time and effort. Coreshift was a big problem in Clevo blocks, but it was the 's after all. Blue collar workers in a foundry, pulling minimum wage I'd prolly get one from an engine builder, let them do all the work.

Mines got fwhp with a standard block 30 thou over, I would love to add a shot but Im worried about splitting the bore. If I had a better block I would not hesitate. The strongest would be the simese bore nascar block. Very very rare. They would all be in the USA. Ive never seen one. Next the nascar block none Siamese. If you have one and it has core shift which is very common in Australia just fit a sleeve and some grout.

I will be fine. A lot of yank std block I've got have really clean inner bores. Due to. They use inhibitors for cold climates. In the early days hear ppl alway just ran water. My next pic of the bunch would be an xd black block. And as mention check for core shift and rusty corrosion inside of the bores. It needs to be free of scale and rust to do a proper sonic test and even that won't help with a porous pin hole which is common.

Please don't confuse the nascar block with a bubble block or aka pillow. Same pillows on the side, same as the xe nascar but no solid pan rails or bell crank. My current blown clevo is a nascar. My high boost clevo iam building now with a dart iron eagle 9. My big bore Arrow is due in December As mentioned by Gerg above. Why would you when an after marked block Arrow is under 3k or a dart shp 9. Anyway i could talk Clevelands all day but that's my 2 cents worth as its been fairly quiet in Clevo town of late Scottly, hp pump fuel Clevelands are very easy to build these days with off shelf parts and without using solid roller cams even.

We just have so many options now days where passionate guys like myself spend all their money they have ever earned on them. Cleveland are just very hard on the back pocket for most but its a Cleveland and its worth it. Even when one feels that the Clevo is the heart and soul of the Aussie Falcon, as do I the reality is that the chance of finding a good usable block gets more remote every day.

For my Coupe, i may well have to ditch the numbers-matching 0. Personally I'd like a Dart 8. There, fixed it. No, you sounded like a bell end by saying bell end You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy! Already have an account? Sign in here. Cleveland Search In. Sign in to follow this Followers 1. Strongest Cleveland engine blocks?