I bet that guy got his "pig" opinion back in the "old days" when it seemed like 360's and 400 B engines were long stroke, low compression slugs. Built at a time when the factories had questionable assembly procedures and quality control problems. My builder had the opinion that "Chrysler never threw anything away" I.e., factory .020 overbores on new blocks, wildly varying deck heights, core shift....not unique to Mopars, especially in the "smog era".
Every brand has an engine that had "dog" or "Pig" rep, like 351M-400 fords, or 400 Chevy small blocks....
351W's were redheaded stepchilds for quite a while, either you got a good one or you didn't. I think in all these cases, it tooks somebody a while to look at these engines on paper, get a micrometer out, and figure out something like
"Hey, this thing might make some power if the piston wasn't sitting .040 down the hole" or had somebody make a custom piston to fix it. Probably a stock eleminator or bracket racer, or a stock car racer who owned a machine shop, had some time on his hands in the winter, and was looking for an edge.
All these "dog" motors are currently the darlings of engine builders, now that the parts are available. Except maybe 351M-400's, and I'll bet that might have changed, if there are any cores left!
*As to the used cam question, if you made sure to match the lifters with the lobe they had been on, and the pushrods to the original lifter, maybe even the rocker arms....the only other wear point would be the cam bearings in the respective blocks, and I bet they don't wear much....people use used cams sometimes.
I'd be careful BUYING one though......
Sorry for the long winded speech, I'll go to bed now....
Alan627b
