various compression ratios with Winsor Heads
The idea that using the 351w head on a 289/302 will sumarily drop compression is a mistake.
The 351W heads from 69-77 had a 60 CC combustion chamber, while the 302 of that same period had a 64 cc head from 69-74. The 289 had a 55 or 56 cc head for a couple years, dont remember exactly which.
To muddy the waters further, in 75-76, the 302 had a 58 cc head, while the 351 continued to use the 60 cc head. In 79 both went to a 69 cc head, wich remained the standard cc for several years.
As a matter of interest, the Cleveland head can be used on all Winsor engines with some minor modifications, but also require a special intake, or adaptor plates to use a standard Cleveland intake. There was a company in Arkansas, called B&A Performance, which produced both iron and aluminum manifolds in both dual and single plenum design, specifically made for use with the cleveland head on the 289/302, and the 351W.
The Cleveland head could be used with stock pistons as long as you didnt exceed .480"lift and 230 degrees duration, with stock flattops.
Keith Black did and still does make pistons for this particular application.
Prior to the advent of decent aftermarket heads for the Winsor family, bolting on the cleveland head was the only way to go for better breathing, however, it was at a cost of about 40 lbs gain in engine weight.
The modifications on the cleveland head required plugging the water return port on the front end of the head and either drilling into the front end of the head and installing pipe nipples or to drill into the intake manifold side of the head to match up with the water crossover on the B&A intakes.
Due to the cooling problems with Clevelands, a lot of guys that raced clevelands, myself included, simply blocked off the thermostat hole, and installed 3/4 inch pipe nipples into the front of the head and ran dual water return lines back to the radiator, with great success.