Fontana Block, C302B Heads, IR EFI Induction

Kelly

Lifetime Supporter
Thought I had posted this here but couldn't find my thread. Detailed description and pictures below. It was intended for a Pantera but would be a great light weight/high power potential GT powerplant.

Offered for sale as a package is a Fontana Block, Set of C302B Heads, and a complete custom low profile IR EFI Induction System (will fit under Pantera deck lid without notching the hood). If you want a light weight package that can put down big numbers and have always wanted and IR alloy engine, here’s your chance to buy all the hard to collect parts in one shot and build your engine to suit yourself. I will provide a very detailed and honest description in the lengthy discussion below. The price for all is $8750.

Used Fontana blocks are hard to find. Most that become available have been blown up to the point the race team doesn’t trust them anymore. I looked at a lot of used up junk before I bought this one. I fully intended to use it myself but ended up buying a tall deck Fontana long block with C302B heads because it was a direct swap into my Pantera which I had already converted to 9.5” deck and this head combo. So, these parts can go. The aluminum 10 quart oil pan and engine dolly pictured are not included. If you reside outside the US, I will ship to a freight forwarder of your choice in the US for actual shipping cost.

If you are a serious buyer and have questions about the parts, I will answer to the best of my ability. If it doesn’t sell here as a package, it will either go to ebay or I will sell it in pieces, but I wanted to give the members here first shot. The prices below are for reference only and how I arrived at the package price.

Best Regards,
Kelly

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I’ve imbedded links to additional pictures in the narrative below.

C302B Heads - $2000

I purchase these heads 5 years ago. They were from an high dollar Pantera effort that was never completed. Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced the spec sheet. Somebody has a pile of work into them. They are fully polished on all external surfaces and have been ported. The port job is by no means over-the-top. The intake port windows are just under 1 3/8" wide and 2 1/8" tall. There has been some nice bowl and blending work. Though I haven't measured, I'd guess them to be more than 200cc but less than 220cc. The exhaust ports have been nicely blended and polished. They have been decked .100” and the chambers lightly worked. I was told they were cc’d and flowed, but I can’t verify this. They have some very nice stainless steel valves in both intake and exhaust. Can’t say anything about the springs but they were set up for a street car. These heads have also had tool steel step washers installed in each head bolt hole. Most builders feel this helps alloy heads maintain better head torque. There is one peculiarity and that is one casting is a C302 while the other is a C302B. The castings are identical and someone has worked these to be a matched pair. For those of you that know the subtleties between the two heads, the one outboard mounting boss on the C302B was shortened to match the C302 casting so they would use the C302 stud or bolt kit. Don’t be spooked by the subtle difference in casting numbers, these heads are nice. If you don’t want these, I have a set of A3s or C3s with Titanium intakes and stainless exhaust for same price.

Independent Runner Induction Hardware. $4000

I made ten sets of custom low profile IR EFI hardware some time back and this was a spare I was keeping for myself. This set up will fit under the deck lid of a Pantera without notching the hood. I tooled and cast this intake(s) myself and it is purpose built for this combination. The internal runners are ball mill cnc’d so the geometry from runner to runner is symmetric and identical. 5-10 minutes in each hole with a medium grit cartridge role and each runner would be perfect. All of the rest of the hardware was custom made in a lot of ten sets. The throttle plates are 55mm bore and have o-ring glands on the base and velocity stack side. The fuel rails, mounts, linkage and signal plenum are all custom billet items. This will accept standard Bosh style injectors. All moving parts in the linkage are self-lubricating materials or sealed. Each bank of butterflies counter-rotate to ensure flow symmetry. The linkage incorporates Kinsler spring screw linkage, which allows for misalignment and thermal expansion between throttle bodies without binding the throttle shafts. The bell crank and linkage geometry allows for progressive motion so you have more pedal travel/resolution at low speed. A set of engraved billet air filter assemblies with K&N filters is also included in your choice of either black or clear anodized finish. This is a very well sorted system with many, many, hours of sourcing and attention to detail. Includes a TWM throttle position switch. The cost would be prohibitive to make only one set and I don’t see ever doing it again. It’s a pile of work and that’s why the vendors don’t offer them any more. If you want low profile IR EFI that will fit under your hood, this is a rare chance to own.

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Fontana Block - $2750

This is a 9.2” deck Fontana block complete with main caps/studs, water plugs, and two timing covers (street version is brand new and sprint car version is used). Fontana blocks are proven platforms for supporting big power and have been standard equipment in World of Outlaws (WoO) sprint cars and other Ford racing for years. The bores on this block are currently sitting at 4.060” and are in good shape. The block can be configured for either wet or dry sump and has internal oil pump provisions and the oil filter features machined to go either way. It has common cam bearing journals and has not been modified for roller bearings.

This is seasoned block and has been deburred, fully prepped, and raced. During a routine inspection, a possible crack in #4 main saddle was detected. This area on the block was welded at the shop recommended by Fontana (Hanson’s, Mike Cook) who indicated that properly repaired blocks can achieve as new strength. The repair was done without heat soak so as not to alter the temper and strength of the block. The block was re-screened and found to be of excellent quality and given a clean bill of health. The repaired area was trued except in the bearing saddle itself which was intentionally left to be addressed at the time of build crank fitment. It’s possible to experience a little growth in the main saddle when such repairs are made in close proximity to the saddles. The repair shop did a full lay out inspection and noted approximately .001” such growth in the #4 where the repair was made. This bearing saddle is slightly material rich. A simple align bore to the mains and this block is ready to go. Other than this, there are NO other signs of repairs or damaged. The shop that performed this work has made numerous such repairs on these blocks and returned them to the teams for campaigning. They remarked it should easily support +800 HP.

I bought this block with full intention of using in it but have since acquired another complete long-block and no longer need this block. The Fontana block has standard small block Ford mounts and weighs in at 116 pounds versus 172 pounds for a standard bore 2-bolt main 351C block or 205 lbs for the typical SVO iron block. With aluminum heads, waterpump, flywheel, and a mini-starter, it is possible to get the engine weight down to 404 lbs or so versus 550+ lbs for an all-iron 351C.

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The Fontana is a hybrid of Cleveland and Windsor design features. Either Windsor
or Cleveland heads can be used with the proper intake manifolds and pistons
with the corresponding valve notches. As mentioned above, Fontanas require a unique timing cover since they are a Windsor configuration except have Cleveland oil pan rails. One of the timing covers included has provisions for the crank mounted/driven water pump and cam driven oil pumos popular with the WoO guys. This cover is used. The other cover included in this auction allows standard 351w water pumps to bolt up and is new/never used.

If you need best and are looking for the platform to build a competition or great street engine this is your chance as these blocks rarely come available used. A new Fontana block will set you back North of $4500 without the timing covers and will require all the costly prep that has already been performed on this block.


Other Fontana info compiled by Dan Jones:

http://www.fontana-automotive.com/clevor.html

Listed below are the Cleveland and Windsor parts that comprise the Clevor Fontana Hybrid.

- Available in 9.2" (Cleveland) or 9.5" (Windsor) deck heights.
Mine is a 9.2" deck block.
- Siamesed bore (dry wall, ductile iron top hat cylinder liners, interlock
with flats on sides between bores).
- For large diameter bores, recommended head gaskets are Fel-Pro 1022
(left hand) and 1023 (right hand). These gaskets have 4.160" bores,
are notched (one has 2 notches, the other 3 notches) and come with
instructions. Use Fel-Pro 1021 for bores up to 4.1".
- Clearanced for standard full size starter
- Compatible with solid or hydraulic flat tappet lifters and solid roller
lifters but does not have the tall bosses for OEM hydraulic roller
lifters (could use the retro-fit reduced base circle stuff)
- 4 bolt main caps on all 5 mains, splayed on 2, 3, and 4.
- Windsor rear intake manifold seal rail shape (requires SVO or Edelbrock
dual end seal style intake). IR EFI intakes are available.
- Windsor oil system layout
- 2.750" main diameter (for Cleveland diameter crank), though I think
Fontana will bore to 3" Windsor mains if requested.
- 351 Cleveland main bearings
- 351 Cleveland oil pan and gasket
- 351 Cleveland oil pump and pick up
- 351 Cleveland cam (13726548 firing order)
- 351 Cleveland cam bearings
- 351 Windsor distributor with Cleveland gear
- 351 Windsor timing chain
- 351 Windsor timing cover gasket
- 351 Windsor water pump ('70-up)
- 351 Windsor end seals (intake end rails)
- Machined to accept M-6701-A351 two-piece rear main seal.
- Pressure port drilled at back of block just above bell housing flange
(lowest pressure point)
- Fontana recommends using M-6799-A302 oil restrictor kit, even though
Windsor-based oil system (probably just for racing).
- Small block Ford lifters (same for Cleveland or Windsor)
- Small block Ford motor mounts (same for Cleveland or Windsor)
- Custom length pushrods
- Screw-in, O-ringed, Allen head core plugs
- Studs/bolts for block and head combo (available from ARP or Fontana)
- Can be plugged at oil filter or oil pump base for dry sump (remove
for wet sump).
- Has wet sump provision
- Has pad for internal oil pump (not just external wet sump).
- Ford Motorsport Cleveland-style canted valve aluminum high port cylinder
heads (A3/B351/C302/Yates) require water passages be plugged like a
Windsor block (per SVO cylinder head instruction sheet).
- Windsor cooling system (Windsor thermostat in manifold or remote
thermostat, not Cleveland in-block thermostat).
- Drilled for hydraulic of solid lifters. Can use hydraulic flat, solid
flat, or solid roller. Lifter bosses not tall enough for OEM hydraulic
roller (could use reduced base circle retro-fits).
- Lifter bore angles are non-stock
- Bare block weight = 116 lbs
- Per Super Ford magazine article on Pantera engine, assembled engine weight
is 404 lbs (Fontana block, high port heads, Ford Motorsport intake).
- Gasket deck is 0.900" thick and head stud holes are 2.5" deep
- All core and oil galley holes are threaded for pipe plugs
- Each cylinder is fitted with a dry wall iron sleeve. According to Fontana, proper sleeves can accommodate maximum bore of 4.155".
- Numbers one and five main caps reatined by two 0.500" studs and two
0.375" studs. The three center caps are held in place with two 0.500"
hardened studs and two splayed 0.375" Allen head cap screws.
- 356-T6 aluminum
- Distance between camshaft and crank centerline is 4.07", same as a 351W.
- Custom front cover is needed because Fontana uses a Cleveland oil pan.
- Coolant flow path is same as a 351W (no return passages in upper front
corners of block like a Cleveland).

Joe Fontana recommends the main bearing clearances be 0.0015" to 0.0020"
cold (will grow a 1/2 thousandths hot).

Miscellaneous Notes for street car application:

351W water pump on Fontana front cover will position the pulley in the
same spot as 351 Cleveland and has water outlet on same side but new accessory
brackets may be needed (Windsor type to match the front cover).
 
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