Aussie Closed chamber Cleveland heads

[Guitar74]

I was wondering if anyone had a line on a supplier. I like the idea of the 2v head with a closed chamber. Would really wake up a 400 Cleveland without all of the pitfalls of 4v Cleveland heads on the street in a heavy car. I also like to mate iron with iron so please no aluminum aftermarket suggestions. 

[Rob1]

Iam sounding like a dumb #@! but  are either of the 2v/4v clev heads canted valves i remember that the 4v was i assume the 2v the same but smaller valves and port?

[Guitar74]

You aren't sounding like a dumb @#$, Rob. Asking questions in my opinion makes you smarter than the average bear on the internet. To answer your question, yes the are. It's kind of weird to see the valve layout if you're used to Windsor, Chevy or Mopar wedge heads, but they breathe pretty darn good. Even the early 2v heads would run pretty good (I got my butt handed to me in my '79 solid lifter 327 Camaro by my friend who had a '71 351 2v Cleveland that he built using the 2v heads). I have pretty much given up on the Aussie heads in favor of the earlier 2v head that doesn't have the thermactor hump in the middle of the port. 

I had a set of emission era 2v Cleveland heads WITH the thermactor hump. And to be honest, once milled, and with a little intake port work, they ran pretty good. Not 4v good, but better than any factory Windsor head I have used. 

The 4v heads will run really good on the street despite what a lot of neigh sayers claim. I just don't think they would do too well on a 4000+ lb car. I think the smaller ports and valves are more in order.

[Rob1]

When U say 400 Clev i assume that this was the motor chucked in 79 Ford F series in Canada it was called a 400 M i thought for Michigan if so wish i knew back then what U know as it was a turd i eventually dumped the engine in the bone yard and went to a known stronger performer a 460 and went thru the agonizing search for all correct component's to make the swap once done and with a freshened up and modified 460 the truck was fun.That said from what I have gathered from ur past posts i did not need to go thru that much hassle U seem to have the cure for that smogged lazy motor its the saying if i only knew then what i can find out now at the punch of the buttons.R

[Guitar74]

A little history on that one. It was the 400 Cleveland, and then there was the 351M. Most people looked at the valve cover tag which said 351M/400 and that's how the 400 Cleveland became the 400M. The "M" didn't come into play until Ford used a 400 Cleveland block with a 351 Cleveland stroke which became the 351 Modified Cleveland the first year and was eventually shortened to 351 Modified which also by way of association got applied to the 400 Cleveland. 

But.....Yes, it is the the same engine dumped in pickups, etc. What caused them to be so lazy was SEVERELY retarded cam timing happening incrementally every year until they were discontinued. Use a "early" 351 Cleveland timing set and it becomes a completely different animal. I had a 400 Cleveland in a '77 LTD II that with a mild cam, extrude honed (by my friends circle track racing, machine shop having dad), and a recurve of the distributor (oh yeah and an early cleveland double row timing set) that would break the tires loose at 35 mph. It was made even better with a mild port job on the 2v smog heads. Not a bad engine. Just kind of misunderstood.

[Rob1]

Thanks That really clears up a lot of my misunderstanding of the engine series unfortunately it comes forty years to late LOL my fathers 77 Country Squire 400 haulin all of us and a boat could have really benefited from your understanding of the motor and my 150 I would have went a different direction the dealer mechanics I questioned at the time were "its a pooch" to bad with the potential U speak off.Cheers R

[Guitar74]

These are things learned over time WAY after the time that they were installed on the assembly line. Some of it was from rodders of they day. Some was from my own experience, and some was talking to my friend's Dad who ran Cleveland engines on the dirt tracks (he was a WEALTH of knowledge on Cleveland engines, from the first Clevelands to the taller deck 400s and 351ms, he really knew his stuff and wasn't greedy with his knowledge).

T. Meyer has all sorts of stuff for the tall deck Cleveland engines, including stroker kits, higher compression pistons, etc.