Ford Windsor Engine

Ford Windsor Engine

The V8 Ford Windsor motor family is considered by Ford enthusiasts to be one of the greatest and most successful engines produced by the Ford Motor Company. It is referred to as the Small Block Ford by major aftermarket auto parts companies, parts catalogs, on internet forums, and by Ford itself. Introduced in 1962 as part of Ford's "Total Performance" era, the Ford Windsor design succeeded the Ford Y-block engine family, rendering the latter obsolete for performance purposes.

The Windsor family evolved significantly during its 40-year history through technology, performance, and reliability enhancements. Engine displacement also increased from 221 cu in (3.6 L) up to 351 cu in (5.8 L). Engines and their components naturally vary between models and displacements. Despite this, however, many parts are interchangeable. For performance enthusiasts, this means that older motors can frequently be retrofitted with replacement or upgraded parts. An abundant supply of aftermarket parts also exists to fit a wide range of Windsor models.

These motors were originally produced at Ford's Windsor, Ontario engine plant, hence the Windsor designation. From 1969, though, all Ford small blocks (i.e., Windsors) were produced in Cleveland, Ohio. The mid-sized 335 "Cleveland" V8, introduced in 1970, was intended to replace the larger of the Windsor models. The Windsor, however, ended up outliving its replacement.

Ultimately, in 1991, Ford began phasing out the Windsor engine and replacing it with their new 4.6 L Modular V8 engine. In 1996, Ford replaced the 5.0 L (302 cu in) pushrod Windsor V8 with the Modular 4.6 L in the Mustang. Its use continued until 1997 in the F-150 pickup truck, and until 2001 in the Explorer SUV.

From the mid-1970s through the 1990s, the Windsor engine was also marinized for use in smaller recreational boats. As of 2008, Windsor engines, including the 5.8 L (351 cu in) and 5.0L 302, are still being manufactured; available as complete crate motors from Ford Racing and Performance Parts.