Ford small block engine

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Ford small block
289 K-code in a Shelby GT350
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford Motor Company
Also called	Windsor V8 (informal)[1][2] Challenger V8[3]
Production	July 1961 – 2002
Layout
Configuration	Naturally aspirated 90° V8
Displacement	221 cu in (3.6 L) 255 cu in (4.2 L) 260 cu in (4.3 L) 289 cu in (4.7 L) 302 cu in (4.9 L) 351 cu in (5.8 L)
Cylinder bore	4.000" (289, 302, 351W) 3.800" (260) 3.680" (255) 3.500" (221)
Piston stroke	3.500" (351W) 3.000" (302 & 255) 2.870" (221, 260, 289)
Cylinder block material	Cast iron Deck height: 9.480" (1969–70 351W) 9.503" (1971–96 351W) 8.201–8.210" (BOSS 302) 8.206" (221, 260, 289, 302)
Cylinder head material	Cast iron
Valvetrain	Pushrod OHV Cast iron cam, Flat tappet (1962–84 302, 1969–93 351W) Steel roller cam & lifters (1985–2001 302, 1994–97 351W)
Compression ratio	9.0:1, 9.5:1, 10.5:1, 8.8:1, 8:1
Combustion
Fuel system	Carbureted (1962-1985 302, 1969-1991 351W) EFI (1988-1997 351W, 1986-2001 all others)
Fuel type	87 Octane
Oil system	Wet sump
Cooling system	Water-cooled; jacketed block
Output
Power output	115–310 hp (86–231 kW)
Torque output	262–385 lb⋅ft (355–522 N⋅m)
Dimensions
Length	27.50" (302, 351W) [a]
Width	21.00" (351W) 18.75" (302)
Height	23.75" (351W) [b] 20.75" (302)
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford Y-block engine
Successor	Ford Modular engine

The Ford small-block is a series of 90° overhead valve small-block V8 automobile engines manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from July 1961 to December 2000.

Designed as a successor to the Ford Y-block engine, it was first installed in the 1962 model year Ford Fairlane and Mercury Meteor. Originally produced with a displacement of 221 cu in (3.6 L), it eventually increased to 351 cu in (5.8 L) with a taller deck height, but was most commonly sold (from 1968–2000) with a displacement of 302 cu in (later marketed as 5.0 L).

Famed variants powered 289 Shelby Cobras to Trans-Am racing championships and the Ford GT-40 to wins at LeMans and 1-2-3 sweeps in its iconic 5L form. The Boss 302 also was a Trans-Am design.

The small-block was installed in several of the company's most famous products, notably the Mustang, as well as the Mercury Cougar, Ford Torino, Ford Granada, Mercury Monarch, Ford LTD, Mercury Marquis, Ford Maverick, and Ford F-150 pickup.

For the 1991 model year, Ford began phasing in their new Modular V8 engine to replace the small-block, beginning with the Lincoln Town Car and continuing through the 1990s. The 2001 Explorer SUV was the last North American installation of the engine, and Ford Australia used it through 2002 in the Falcon and Fairlane.

Although sometimes called the "Windsor" by enthusiasts, Ford never used that designation for the engine line as a whole; it was only adopted well into its run to distinguish the 351 cu in (5.8 L) version from the 351 cu in (5.8 L) "Cleveland" version of the 335-family engine that had the same displacement but a significantly different configuration, and only ever used to refer to that specific engine in service materials. The designations for each were derived from the original locations of manufacture: Windsor, Ontario and Cleveland, Ohio.

From 1962 through the 1990s, Ford small blocks engines were marinized by various companies (except for the 255 cu in (4.2 L)).

The small-block remains available for purchase from Ford Performance Parts as a crate engine.^[4]

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