PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT
DISPLACEMENT AND its contribution to power production is something we don’t need to explain to anyone holding this magazine. Forced induction is one way to overcome a lack of cubic inches, but for those who prefer natural aspiration, more cubes is the only solution.
With the Ford Windsor small-block, there are options: 347-cu.in. versions of the 302 block (8.2-inch-tall deck), and 408-cubic-inch (and larger) versions of the 351-style block (9.5-inch deck) are possible, but stretching the stock blocks brings inherent issues, not the least of which is pretty thin piston compression heights. That typically requires ring support rails, at the very least. Then there are the factory blocks’ comparatively thin castings,
