I have a couple of DSS Racing level 20 blocks that are excellent. They come virtually ready to assemble and are done very well with screw in plugs and all. I do throw them in the wash tank and go over them with soap and water as well, but that is about it. They  have been great and they are CNC clearenced for stroker apps. I think the 351 unit is about $1100 and well worth it. They are all crack/sonic checked as well.

If you're just looking for a block, I would agree with Raymond B.  The F4TE block is a better choice.  They are still available in junk yards.  Just take a couple of helpers with you.  Getting one out of a pickup or van can be daunting.

Otherwise, that '69 short block looks tempting if you plan to keep power under 400hp and don't plan to race.  It is similar to mine and I have over 100k miles on it.  Another consideration is how much do you trust the current owner?  There are numerous horror stories about where what you think you have is not what you get.

94 or later roller block is better, I totally agree. Also, the 69 block is 0.023" shorter on the deck height. Check your stroker kit to see what deck height is required. I bet it takes the taller deck.

SeanD wrote:

I found a 351W roller block from a 96 3/4 ton pickup truck. It is not running, long block on an engine stand, but will need to be torn down and sent to machine shop as there is some pitting/rust in the piston chambers. What is a block worth in this shape?

I'd say $75-$150 as all it is is a core.
 

TKOPerformance wrote:

I would really look over those bores because if that pitting is anything much more than surface rust I'd move on.  Most of these blocks tolerate no more than a 0.020" overbore, maybe 0.030" because of how thin the cylinder walls are.  I've seen blocks that didn't look terribly pitted from a first glance need a 0.060" overbore to clean them up adequately. 

Even if I plan to have it bored so that it is a stroker 408?

SeanD wrote:

TKOPerformance wrote:

I would really look over those bores because if that pitting is anything much more than surface rust I'd move on.  Most of these blocks tolerate no more than a 0.020" overbore, maybe 0.030" because of how thin the cylinder walls are.  I've seen blocks that didn't look terribly pitted from a first glance need a 0.060" overbore to clean them up adequately. 

Even if I plan to have it bored so that it is a stroker 408?

Virtually all early 351w blocks will handle a.030 overbore.  some can handle .060, but you should sonic check first before any boring.  I agree with TKO that any pitting other than surface rust cannot be bored out.  Three one hundredth of an inch is very little.

And, you need a 4" stroker crank to get to 408 cubic inches.  That is a whole different story.
 

Last edited by lowercasesteve (4/13/2017 2:18 PM)

There's a marked difference in cylinder wall thickness between early and late blocks.  The old '60s era castings were a lot thicker and you could typically overbore then up to 0.060", but due to possible core shift you should always sonic check a block before going that far over. 

The block being discussed was a late model truck block for easy conversion to a roller cam.  Those blocks, like the 5.0 blocks, were cast using much better technology that allowed for them to be thinner and lighter, but the trade off is that the cylinder walls are thinner because core shift was better controlled.  This means that most of these blocks are good for a 0.020" overbore, possibly a 0.030" one, and a few could go to 0.040", but I'd sonic check anything over 0.020" to be safe.

If building a stroker engine, or any engine for that matter, its best to overbore as little as possible.  Boring an engine is a bad way to increase displacement.  Consider that a 302 with a 4" bore and a 3" stroke gains all of 4 cubic inches from a 0.030" overbore.  There's not going to be a noticeable increase in power from 4 cubes. Where you build cubes is by increasing stroke, because you can make bigger changes.  Increase the stroke by 0.250" and you add 27 cubes to that 302, and that is a difference maker, especially in low end torque.  The same ideas apply to a 351, but a 351 has a taller deck height so there is more room to add stroke.  

Yep, good point Al.