408ci Cleveland V8 Dandy Engines 

like a symphony its xert

Stock Cleveland blocks have their limitations just like they all do. But NOTORIOUS is definitely NOT in my vocabulary after 40 years of experience with Fords Superior pushrod V-8. You might want to check out Tim Halstead aka DragBoss here on RU-vid. He has been running the same 2-bolt block along with a 408 stroker kit for nearly two decades. He does fill the water jackets half way with Hard Block to keep everything rigid around the mains. He still has enough cooling for unlimited street driving in his all steel ‘69 Cougar drag car that has run a 9.66 best quarter mile time. Oh by the way, check out his dyno video...752 horsepower @ 7600 and 571 torque @ 5600. Production 2-bolt block, 4.030” bore x 4.00” stroke, Ford Motorsport A3 aluminum Cleveland heads from the eighties and a Scott Cook Supremacy single 4-V intake. I would call that notoriously AWESOME, my friend 👍.

@@danielwilson6665 seen over a dozen split, including internally balanced motors, all very similar cracked through the valley. They're an old casting, really not designed for this sort of thing.... you might get some that last but the majority have had their time in the sun. If im spending anything over 12k on a cleveland then its aftermarket block time. Usually means more power anyway with a 4.125 bore.

@@XCSEDAN , I have to agree that it would be too much of a risk to invest in a premium rotating assembly along with a quality aftermarket top end package that is expected to produce more than 600 horsepower, then assemble it using a production block that has probably been flogged pretty hard already during the past 50 years. While there are some pretty good methods for testing the integrity of a used iron block, the costs can quickly add up which makes choosing an aftermarket block much more practical. I had a pretty good deal going with a large local company in Atlanta that sold guaranteed rebuildable short block assemblies for $150 each wholesale price. The price was the same no matter if it was a common engine from the family truckster with millions produced or a rare limited production performance engine. One advantage of purchasing the short blocks was being able to inspect it and knowing it had never been apart and it didn’t die from neglect or over heating damage. I told the seller during a phone call that I was looking for a 351 Cleveland short block. When I arrived he had 6 assemblies culled out of several dozen more all neatly laid out inside the warehouse. I was pleasantly surprised to find they were all four bolt main virgin blocks with the standard 4.00” bore. I only bought four of them with intentions of going back and getting all he had left. I know from my and many other peoples experiences that two bolt and four bolt main Cleveland blocks are both pretty strong and can handle power and torque loads almost double their original ratings. But when the seller is offering both types of blocks at the same price, the four bolt block becomes the obvious choice for me. Its been several years ago since I bought those short blocks. I still have one four bolt block left but the aftermarket has plenty of options available now for building Clevelands and Clevors. There’s also a great aftermarket source in the USA for Cleveland specific blocks available in diesel grade iron or aluminum alloy. The TrackBoss block from Timothy Meyer is a good choice for builders that don’t want to use a Windsor block with their production or aftermarket Cleveland heads. Externally it is identical to the D2AE-CA 4-bolt main production block. It features full Cleveland architecture which means that aftermarket or production components can still be used. But the most important changes are inside with a modern priority main bearing oiling system that eliminates the problems found with production blocks and the bearing failures encountered when run above 6000 rpms for extended periods of time. The new TrackBoss blocks also have thicker bulkheads throughout to provide additional support for the 4-bolt main bearing caps on all 5 main bearings. There’s additional clearance where needed for stroker assemblies and the cylinder walls are extended to provide extra piston and ring support support for long stroke combinations. The blocks are poured in a US foundry which gives Tim the ability to special order blocks to suit the customers needs. Deck heights are available for the standard 9.200” Clevelands, 9.500” Windsor or a custom deck height can be ordered for Cleveland stroker combinations approaching 500 cubic inches without the stability issues commonly found with large displacement “small” blocks. RU-vid has some good examples of 427 and 461 inch builds using Cleveland aftermarket heads , single 4-V induction with NO power adders making 1000 horsepower on the dyno. Seeing is believing 👀. And the beat goes on....

you mean like "cement or block filler?.. i was thinking about that also, but what about cooling issues, you know?.

With the blocks water jackets only half full of Hard Block and the correct Cleveland specific thermostat along with a healthy cooling system, proper size cooling fan AND shroud, overheating is not an issue. If it is then the items mentioned above needs to be checked or replaced.

That is a CHI intake and heads. Australia. I have them on mine

to make the exaust ports smaller or raise the runner floor.