347 Stroker vs. 351 Windsor

[method9]

Here is my question and it is simple.

All things considered, cost , horse power, torque, reliability, performance. Also what would be worth more?

Which is better between the two. I have a very reputable shop named horsepower farms that is willing to stroke my current 302 for about $3,000 that is with new alluminum heads.

I don't know much about engines so I need your guys help. I want to go the right way with this.

Thanks Boys

 

[fordguy]

do you have a 351 dont go the stroker route if you can get a 351 the bottom end alone is awesome on the 351 and if you really want a stroker eagle makes a 351 stroker kit that uses stock 351 rods and 302 pistons but the 351without being stroked is the best engine overall in my opnion

 

[bfoldy]

I agree. The Stroker is a cool concept, but the 351 will be a better foundation to start with than the 302.

 

[method9]

Are the 351's hard to find and if you can find a good one how much do they usually go for?

What do you mean by the bottom end is awesome in those?

Also is it a direct bolt in?

 

[68ford]

i say go with the stroker, save the weight and dont block the exit route for the air the fan draws in. the bottom end might be stronger with the 351, BUT i have yet to hear of bottom end failures with stokers except real high hp applications. i also have heard of the rod ratio not being theoretically perfect, but once again never heard of that causing a problem or premature wear.
i personally have a good friend with a 347(whatever it would be if .060over) putting out somewhere in the neighborhood of 650hp @8500rpm, its a race gas engine all the way, he races offroad in the mdr and score series races. basically means he floored going through the desert for hours at a time. engine been great, no cooling issues, nothing.
just makes sense to have the same displacement and keep the package small, only time i will ever go to 351 block is if im going to build a 393 or 408.

 

[Devin]

Go with the 351. Then, if you are not happy with it - you can stroke it all the way out to a 427 if you want.

 

[hillbilly delux]

I second the stroker. I have dragged a stroker down the strip over 100 times and drove it as a daily driver. This engine was beaten daily, put it this way - i was 15 when i got it and when i was 19 it would still lite the tires in third gear. I would recommend a 331 stroker, its light, has good potential for power to torque ratio, and is dependable as a daily driver or trail king if properly built. I would recommend you asking the guys building it to get the HP and torque within 15 from each other (ex. 400 hp and 415 ft.lb.) That is more than enough power for the light broncos even on a trail. My bronco is bone stock except for the intake and carb and it only puts out 175-180 hp to rear wheels. It will walk around newer pickups in the mud. By the way my dad who is also a shade tree grease monkey has been hot rodding for about 40 yrs just put a 331 stroker in his 30,000 dollar 65 fastback. That thing is a freakin beast 450 hp 445 ft. lb. torque. Like being drop kicked by God............wooooooohooooooo. Ok..... off the soap box, next. my .02.

JiM

 

[broncnaz]

I vote 351 for reliability and future stroking options. While I'm sure the 347's are reliable they are basically at the max end of the 302's capibility. With a 351 your starting out bigger than the 347 and have the option to go even bigger. How much will your shop build a 351 with aluminum heads? probably less than the stroker they were going to build. Unless your racing and running at 8000 rpm I'd stay with a 351 your after low end torque and it will have plenty more than a 302 even when they are stroked. Also the cams we tend to use in our broncos are relatively tame and can cause problems in the high compression stroker motors and that will require the use of premium fuel. A relatively stock 351 will do fine with the types of cams we run and still be able to run regular lower grade fuel. Try not to get caught up in the stroker motor power hype as most of the numbers are based in high RPM range where few bronco owners ever go. A 351 with aftermarket heads and the correct cam will make lots of useable power.
351's are fairly plentyfull most 80's up vans had then as did a lot of pickups and big bronco's

 

[Okiebronc]

Either engine with a properly matched combination will more than do the job in a bronco, its a matter of preference. For what you will be doing you won't tell a bit of difference in the hp and torque between the two (I've run both) and they will handle pretty much anything you throw at it. The 347 will be a little lighter and its just a bolt in replacement for the 302, it may costs more money to build the engine but the total cost to get it back on the trail may be cheaper than the 351 will. If you have future plans of more hp, then by all means go with the 351 and stroke it now, it won't cost hardly anymore to build a 393, 408 or 427 than it does to build the 347. But you need to make the decision because I wouldn't put the same heads on a 427 that I would on a 347. Also, all aluminum heads are not created equal. Don't let your engine builder put procomp heads on your engine...out of the box flow numbers aren't very good on 80% of those heads (i.e. very inconsistent numbers and machine work). Spend a couple hundered bucks more and go with trickflows or AFR's.

Keep this in mind, torque is king and there is no replacement for displacement!

 

[JHD]

I had a 302 that I was going to stroke but chose to rebuild a 351. I got the engine for $50 and spent just under 2K for a complete rebuild. Good torque and much closer to stock than a stroker. Sounds like some people have had good luck but I just can't see a stroker beeing a good long term choice.

 

[Mtn Gote]

I would say go with 351 because that is what my bronco has in it.
Cory,

 

[67u13]

definitely the 351, the 302 sucks. I had 2 full size broncos and the 302 bronco was a wimpy little truck. I would build a 393 and you will be plenty happy. Should be able to use those same heads the shop was going to install, just larger head bolt diameter.

 

[BroncoBoy72]

Yup 351W here also due to you automatically have more CI to start off with, you can build all the way up to a 427 or maybe more, I kicked around a 331 for a month and decided on a 393 because more displacment and they were the same price. You can go look at mustang boards and see how many would choose a 331 over a 351W not very many (not to flame the 302 stroker guys)...

 

[1975SPORT]

I agree with both but I guess you should decide what you wanna do with it. If you are looking to trail it then go with the 351. If you wanna drive it on the freeway and do 85 all day long at half throttle then go with the stroker. Its already been said but I dont think that you'll get your money out of the stroker if your sitting at low RPM because you wont experience what its built for...that is high rpm applications. If you like the skinny pedal then I cant think of anything better, if your a rock crawling, low rpm guy you might consider the 351. Just my .02, not an expert, personally I'd take either one in my bronco or my mustang .

 

[Broncobowsher]

Do the 351. If the 347 was a great idea, Ford would have used it instead of coming up with the 351.

If you open up both engines side by side, the bottom end of the 351 speaks for itself. Lots of metal and nice large bearings.

The advantage of the stroked 302 is lighter engine, not by much and in a Bronco you will never notice. It is smaller, but since there is plenty of room for the 351, that is not an issue. It is only an issue in small packages like V8 ranger swaps or sunbeam tigers. The stroker kits also make more profit for the engine builders as they sell you more parts.

Forget about HP numbers. what you want to see is a torque curve. Nice and high at low RPMs. That's what makes it fun to drive. I'll give you a personal example. I have a 351 in the Bronco. 330" stroked 5.0 in my ranger. HP between the two on the same dyno is withen about 10 HP at the rear wheel. The Bronco has a torquey engine that starts right off idle. It has a fun snap you back in the seat, point and squirt action. The ranger was built with a bit of a cam, has to wind out a bit before it wakes up. Off the line it is slower, even though it has the same HP and close to the same overall gearing. About the only place the strung out stroker shines is when you punch it at 55 and it drops into second and moves. Now this isn't saying strokers are lame, the 330 I built was built that way for a reason. Traction in a Ranger is limited, so limit the torque and avoid accidental smoke shows. The Ranger was also built to run on cheap gas as I was planning on making it a daily driver.

 

[braxton357]

Depends on what you want to do. I can't believe I'm saying this because I'm a huge 351w fan and really dislike the 302 for power...not to mention I own 4 351's, but if you're building a rock rig with moderate power then go with the 347. An al headed 347 would be smaller and much lighter as well as far more powerful than a stock 351. On the other hand, if you're thinking mud or hot rodding--351 stroker all of the way. Not only is the 351 far stronger than the 302 block...but it can also be stroked to well over 400ci and doesn't weigh too much more. It's up to you, but if you're having it all rebuilt with new heads anyway, you can get a good 351w block for next to nothing.

 

[wildbill]

Go with the 351W as sometimes bigger is better. You can run a stock 351W with a good RV typ cam and have a kick but motor good luck with your's. Bill

 

[method9]

I guess that wasn't a simple question.

I appreciate all of the insight on this issue.

I use my Bronco for mainly street driving allthough not much freeway. I want to be able to hit a mud whole and have enough power to turn the 35's to get out. As is right now the 302 is struggling with those bigger tires. I will use it for more low rpm trailing.

Where can I find a good 351? Just a salvage yard or what?

 

[wildbill]

You can look at junk yards or as I did find a wrecked truck. The last one was 75.00 the body was messed up but I just wanted the bed. The trans ended up in the 70 mustang (C6) 80's and 90's truck and vans can have the 351W motors good luck. Bill %)

 

[broncnaz]

What gearing are you running with the 35in tires? The correct gearing will make the engine perform like it should. While a 351 will have more low end and can make up for gearing that is not optimum it will still feel doggier than it should. If your running 35in tires and 3.50 gears than that is 80% of your problem.