331 Bottom End

musclemustang94 · Jun 2, 2009

Anyone know of a good company to get a budget bottom end from?? What kind of power do 331's make?

94IVGT · Jun 2, 2009

I am making 630hp crank hp on my 331. Check adperformance, dss or chp

BOS-94-003 · Jun 2, 2009

94IVGT said:
I am making 630hp crank hp on my 331. Check adperformance, dss or chp

Is that 630hp before your fuel upgrade or after? Just curious because my build will be similar.

snakebit95 · Jun 2, 2009

The SCAT brand has served me well over the years. Never had any issues with them. I am getting ready to drop an Eagle assembly at the machine shop for cleaning and balancing. It will be interesting to see how it compares.

As for your power goals, 630HP is a good bit more than a stock block can safely handle. Usually high power numbers do not go well with the word "budget" - LOL. It may be time to consider an aftermarket block if you plan to make that kind of power.

snakebit95 · Jun 2, 2009

Forgot to mention.......I would stay far away from off-brand cranks and parts. I had a CAT crank that was pretty much useless and turned into a paper-weight because of the poor machining on it. It was going to cost more to correct the issues on the crank than the original purchase price.

94 Sn-95GT · Jun 2, 2009

I would stay away from dds I hvae heard story upon story upon story ans even seen pictures. :angry7:

I would go with fordstrokers.com. I've never tried CHP but I only hear good things about them too.

And why not go 347 :dontknow:

musclemustang94 · Jun 2, 2009

Someone told me 347 don't last long because the rod stroke ratio sucks so I figured if give up 16 cubes for some longevity. I was hoping to make like 325 to 350 whp naturally then I wanna have a 100 shot for the track

snakebit95 · Jun 2, 2009

No problems with 347 motors. I ran a 347 in my car for 3-years with no problems, and it even had the oil control ring intersecting the wrist pin. They provide support rails for the ring, and when installed properly, will perform with no problems. Many years ago, the 347 was known for using oil primarily because the oil ring was not properly supported and most people ran low-tension oil rings; which is a bad idea for a street car. Run standard tension rings and use the support rails and you will not have any problems. No Internet hear-say from here, because I have 3-years experience with an engine I assembled myself. I know it works. Hope this helps!!

x182dan · Jun 2, 2009

ya from what I've heard the oil issues with the 347 have been fixed

94IVGT · Jun 2, 2009

It is before the fuel upgrade. And my fual system is maxed out.

essasin · Jun 2, 2009

I would go with a reputable local builder or check the for sale threads on the major forums

musclemustang94 · Jun 3, 2009

Why shouldn't I just go with a 351 then? I guess I wouldn't have the upgraded bottom end.

snakebit95 · Jun 3, 2009

351W is a much better upgrade considering you will have a REAL block to build on. However, there are a lot of other parts that will need to be replaced to install the 351W and it will be a good bit more expensive than buying a new 5.0 shortblock. You might get lucky and shop the salvage yards and find a good low-mileage 5.0 from an Explorer or similar. That way you get better heads and intake, and is pretty much a drop-in with exception to installing your accessories and converting to a FOX throttle body set-up.

94 Sn-95GT · Jun 3, 2009

musclemustang94 said:
Why shouldn't I just go with a 351 then? I guess I wouldn't have the upgraded bottom end.

If your not going to stroke it I wouldn't waste your time. Heavy ass rotating assembly, 3" mains, Different headers intake distributor ect to make it work

Plus a 302 based stroker (331 347 ect) Would eat a stock 351 alive at the track. Even with equal parts.

Now if your going to go >408 with the 351 then by all means go ahead. But your gonna need to get heads that support it.

duh09 · Jun 4, 2009

351W strokers are meannn but you must realize there are a lot more parts that have to be changed to get it to work. I considered but was swayed away once I realized all the otehr parts that are required.

essasin · Jun 4, 2009

351w swap is not bad. But not worth the effort if you're not going to stroke the thing. Nothing like 408w making 500hp on pump gas.

snakebit95 · Jun 4, 2009

I guess it depends on what the future holds for the little motor. If you plan to spray it or strap a supercharger on it, the stock stroke 351W is a much better alternative because of the much stronger block. I have seen plenty of stock stroke Windsor motors that would kick the crap out of a 347; but using the right parts is the key. The Windsor block has larger mains, main fasteners, head fasteners, e.t.c. It is a much better foundation to build on if using a stock block. Aftermarket blocks are a different story. If you are going to keep it naturally aspirated, the 302 based block is fine; even with a 347 kit in it and will not lighten the wallet like the Windsor build will. I have been there, done that. I started with a H/C/I 302, then wanted more. Built a high reving 306 H/C/I. Then built a Mexican block 347 because I wanted even more. Then I started to worry about the block and whether is was going to fail on me with more power and more RPM's. Now I am at a Dart 438W which is almost finished and have a foundation that I can really build on and not worry about the block. Everybody can make an argument for each setup, so it really comes down to what you expect from it in the future and how much money you are willing to spend.

duh09 · Jun 4, 2009

Good info snakebit.

It all really depends on EXACTLY what you want, how much you're wanting to spend, and how much you want to work on this. Obviously, building a 347 stroker motor won't give you the same power as a stroker built off a 351W for the most part, dropping a 347 in is a lot easier and cheaper than dropping in a Windsor. I'll get you a link in minute to a thread I started comparing the 2. Theres a nice link in it with info about swapping to a windsor... hold on...

duh09 · Jun 4, 2009

http://sn95forums.com/index.php/topic,31834.0.html

Read over that and check out that link for a little bit of 351W vs 302 talk.

94 Sn-95GT · Jun 5, 2009

snakebit95 said:
I guess it depends on what the future holds for the little motor. If you plan to spray it or strap a supercharger on it, the stock stroke 351W is a much better alternative because of the much stronger block. I have seen plenty of stock stroke Windsor motors that would kick the crap out of a 347; but using the right parts is the key. The Windsor block has larger mains, main fasteners, head fasteners, e.t.c. It is a much better foundation to build on if using a stock block. Aftermarket blocks are a different story. If you are going to keep it naturally aspirated, the 302 based block is fine; even with a 347 kit in it and will not lighten the wallet like the Windsor build will. I have been there, done that. I started with a H/C/I 302, then wanted more. Built a high reving 306 H/C/I. Then built a Mexican block 347 because I wanted even more. Then I started to worry about the block and whether is was going to fail on me with more power and more RPM's. Now I am at a Dart 438W which is almost finished and have a foundation that I can really build on and not worry about the block. Everybody can make an argument for each setup, so it really comes down to what you expect from it in the future and how much money you are willing to spend.

I would like to know what the set ups were on that stock 351 vs the 347s it beat