351 Windsor in an RF?

[Mitch D]

I've looked all over the site and in particular on the RF thread, but I can't find much in the way of recent and conclusive info on fitting at 351 windsor into the RF.

From a post by Robert in 2002, I found:

"We have fitted the new 4.6 lt. Ford motor into a MODIFIED chassis but it will not fit into our standard chassis. Your chassis is designed and fitted for a small block Ford, a 289, 302 or 351 Windsor. The 351 does fit but the edges of the carby opening sometimes have to be relieved ( dependant on rocker gear and rocker covers used ). The 302 Windsor is the only engine that can be used to comply with ADR's unless a LPG system is made."

But other places on the forum seemed to warn of too high a deck height, and the fact that the cross-over exhaust system may not fit.

Can someone in the know about RF's give me the straight scoop? Can I drop a 351 in place without mods to the chassis or any of the supplied accessories (i.e. cross over headers)?

Thanks in advance,
Mitch D

 

[Hershal Byrd]

Mitch,
Sorry to say it Pal but the short answer is NO. The chassis is set up for the five liter Ford and that's all. There are customers that bought kits and made modification to fit the 351. Simon Hamaker comes to mind. He also used a porsche transaxle.
If you install a 351 onto the current mounts then your pipes will touch the underside of the rear clip. Also the opening under the rear glass will need to be enlarged.
If you try the other way by lowering the engine then you will have to drop two cross members in order for the oil pan to fit or use a dry sump. Also the crossbar on the top of the cradle will have to be notched to allow the pipes to be bent lower.
Personally I consider myself a fair fabricator and thought about this modification myself. But I soon realized that it wasn't worth the extra work and time for what I wanted.

Hersh /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Mitch D]

Thanks, Hersh, for the clear answer. That's all I needed to hear. I was just wondering if it was an easy fit (i.e. NO rework of chassis or other things required). I'm finding it's not hard to find a pre-1974 block of this type and in California that's my goal - a pre-1974 implies no emissions requirements to deal with. I'll stick with my original plans for a 289, 302, or stroked 302.

Mitch D

 

My father put a brand new 347 with no smog equipment in his CAV. We also live in Cali and he hasn't had any trouble getting it registered (other then the usual DMV headaches).