engine swap
- Thread starter Zorm
- Start date
50 more cubic inches, more power potential. The 250 has a V8 bellhousing, so your current bellhousing won't work. A T5 or any other transmission made for a SBF will fit easily.
Disadvantages? The 250 is heavier, wider, taller, and a bit longer. Motor mounts are scarce, though 200 mounts can be made to work. Hood clearance is a major issue. Headers are also scarce. Again, 200 headers can be modified to suit. The differential is a weak link. 250s are known to kill stock 7.25" rears.
Disadvantages? The 250 is heavier, wider, taller, and a bit longer. Motor mounts are scarce, though 200 mounts can be made to work. Hood clearance is a major issue. Headers are also scarce. Again, 200 headers can be modified to suit. The differential is a weak link. 250s are known to kill stock 7.25" rears.
8) the 250 will give you a much better low rpm torque curve over the 200, and can make more peak power than the 200, but the 200 will rev higher due to the shorter stroke. the 250 uses the same bell housing bolt pattern as the small block ford, it gives you more transmission options that are easy to bolt up. as stated the 250 has a tendency to kill the 7.25 rear axle when modified for more power.
early ford fan
Well-known member
another advantage to the 250 is you can use a aod automatic overdrive trans.
rommaster2
Well-known member
not sure how much of an advantage that really is as those are horribley inneficient transmissions 
.
I would say that your biggest advantage is honestly the SBF bellhousing and possibly the cubes.
I only say possibly because the 200 has better rev characteristics then the 250, just look at genes dyno numbers on classic inlines, IIRC in at least one the peak horsepower was made below 3,000. Basically unless your going to an aftermarket head the extra 50 cubes are just really killed by the same crappy head that couldn't feed less cubes and the fact theres much more stroke.
That said if built properly they can be beasts as well as the fact that they use an sbf trans so no adaptor plates needed
.
.I would say that your biggest advantage is honestly the SBF bellhousing and possibly the cubes.
I only say possibly because the 200 has better rev characteristics then the 250, just look at genes dyno numbers on classic inlines, IIRC in at least one the peak horsepower was made below 3,000. Basically unless your going to an aftermarket head the extra 50 cubes are just really killed by the same crappy head that couldn't feed less cubes and the fact theres much more stroke.
That said if built properly they can be beasts as well as the fact that they use an sbf trans so no adaptor plates needed
.Falcon Ranch
Well-known member
I thought about this one myself for several months before diving in...I weighed both pro's and cons and added expense as I had a 200 which is basically a 144-170 engine...because the 250 is bigger in all dimensions, I was actually surprised to see them in the small block 6 category.
I just decided on the 200, cuz I could not justify the added expense of 50ci more for only another 10-15 hp which I easily squeezed out of mine with some bolt on performance parts...I am very happy with mine as it has the power of a small block V8 under the hood.
I wish you well on you engine selection.
Dave 8)
I just decided on the 200, cuz I could not justify the added expense of 50ci more for only another 10-15 hp which I easily squeezed out of mine with some bolt on performance parts...I am very happy with mine as it has the power of a small block V8 under the hood.
I wish you well on you engine selection.
Dave 8)
oh Eric... the 351W is a stroked 302, the cleveland is a whole different engine with no parts that directly swap to the windsor family. And it shares a bellhousing pattern with the 385 (429/460) family of motors. And don't even get me started on that 351M...ludwig":2j6svsh2 said:
The 200/250 share heads/exhaust manifolds/ignition/cams whereas the 240 shares none of those parts with the 200.
-ron
I'm planning for my '64 Ranchero. I'd like more info on why the 25% increase in displacement from 200 to 250 only adds 5-10% more HP? That doesn't sound right.
Kurt
Kurt
Because it's not a linear equation where more displacement automatically means more horsepower. There's more horsepower potential, sure. There's absolutely more torque. Unfortunately, the heads are the same and can only flow so much air. The 250 hits the wall at a lower RPM than the 200 does because the extra displacement uses. Horsepower is RPM dependant.
It makes sense if you think about it that way.
It makes sense if you think about it that way.
early ford fan
Well-known member
oh Eric... the 351W is a stroked 302, the cleveland is a whole different engine with no parts that directly swap to the windsor family. And it shares a bellhousing pattern with the 385 (429/460) family of motors. And don't even get me started on that 351M...CoupeBoy":3oby5xqb said:
im pretty sure the 351 cleveland had the small block bellhousing pattern.the 351m and 400 had the 429 pattern.
This page says it is a small block bell pattern for the cleveland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Fo ... g_patterns
-ron
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Fo ... g_patterns
-ron
man this thread ruined my day dreaming of hp/$$$ for a 250... drats 
early ford fan
Well-known member
the falcon handbook gives insructions on how to swap in a 250
Ok, how about a 200 with a 80's 250 head that is decked (I think) to bring up the comp. numbers. After that, get the initake on the head milled to take a 2bbl or even a 1bbl Holley projection system, that along with a duel outlet header to duel exhaust, would that pep up the 200? wouldn't that make the 200 breath better?
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