Well here it goes, I have a 1968 ford f250 2wd, 360fe and 4spd man. tranny that i've been in progess getting it up and driveable, i put about a grand into rebuilding the heads and new intake and carb and other misc. stuff. But i had a sudden project change, i found and bought a 77 ford f250 4x4 with a mystery built ford 400 engine. (got it for 400 bucks major score!) Runs and everything

My plans are to strip the 4x4 of its cab and everything and then do a body swap from my 2wd onto the 4x4 frame! I'dlike to use the c6 and np205 tranny setup in the final build as well as the 400 motor.

But my question is would a built 400 motor with a c6 be better than a mildly built 360 with borgwarner t18 tranny? and just any other pros and cons or differences between the two motors would be really helpful!!

And also does anyone have any preferences between manual or automatic for offroadin

thanks in advanced,
Corey

 

Are you aware the frame is 4" longer? Are you also aware it grows wider in the rear?

 

Well ****! i made all the measurements and checked everything out, but i guess i wasn't thorough enough... Just a minor set back but a little drillin and cuttin will fix it! How much does the frame widen in the rear? and is it below the bed or cab?

 

I may be incorrect about the 250 4x4 frame widening. As I understand it the extra 4" is under the bed. A search of swapping a dent frame under a bump body should provide a wealth of information. I think thre is a thread at Fordification discussing all the differences.

 

Here is the article I was thinking about. Seems as though '77 was the cutoff year. Half is 34" wide rails and half is 38"

Chassis Comparison - '67-'72 vs. '73-'79 - FORDification.com

 

The front clip and cab is a bolt on. The length is behind the cab 2-3" and it does get wider to the end of the frame. A body lift and you won't notice the extra inches. The bed will have a different bolt pattern but that is no biggie. Forget about the gutless 400 and go with a 460. Just do a search in this forum for body swaps and you will find plenty. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...body-swap.html

 

Nice article EXCEPT this is incorrect....
"whereas F250/F350 4WD trucks have a bracket on the outside of the frame. To mount a 2WD cab onto a F250/F350 4WD chassis you'll need to drill new holes in the cab in the areas shown in Fig. 7"
I mounted a 1970 2wd cab onto a 1979 4x4 frame and I didn't have to drill any holes. The 4x4 rear cross member was in the same place as the 2wd. Both were F250s.

 

Not my area of play but it may be assuming 100 body onto the heavier frames. Don't know I didn't write it. My truck is going the other way. Down, down, down!

 

F100 or F250 cab, all the same. There are cab mounts outside the frame on some 4x4 trucks and they sometimes are referred to as "highboys". BTW, elgemcdlf, nice truck! Can't wait to see it finished!

 

Thanks. I can't wait to see it finished either Little by little she inches forward.

 

I solved the frame and body problems and now im onto engine! I decided to toss the 400 and invest into a 460 to put in this beast paired with a c6 tranny. I found on craigslist in my town a 85 ford econoline motorhome that was stripped but still has the running 460 in it! Their only asking 400 bucks!

my main concern is if their are any engine changes from earlier 460's that i know will work (the 77 and similar year 460s had same motor mounts and bell housings as the 400 that i have in my truck) Would a later model (85 probably) 460 motor still work with the project? and is it worth 400 bucks?

 

$400 for a running 460 is a good deal. 87 or 88 and later 460s use different heads.

Dollar for dollar, there is tons more value in a 460 than a 400. Better aftermarket support with the 460 too... the 351M/400M are mutts.. loveable but still the mutt in the family of engines.

 

Isn't it funny? Ask 10 people their opinion and you will get 11 opinions. I see so many do FE's on the forums and you couldn't pay me enough to put a FE in my truck. I like the M engines Still doin a 460 in mine but I do like 400M's

 

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Yessiree, lotsa opinions here. You shouldda seen the flak I got for soldering battery cables! Whew!

In the case of aftermarket support, the 460 wins.. multiple intakes, headers, even Edelbrock offers aluminum heads. Try and find high performance pistons for a 351M400.. You'd end up slugging it with Dodge pistons like Hot Rod/Car Craft did about a year ago.

I like the FEs with their crummy mileage and all.. even my 360 - deep skirts and torquey. However, the 460 can be built with a broader range of configurations and more tranny options than the FE. It takes mucho bucks to get an FE to breathe, rev, and live. Have you priced a set of rocker stands for an FE? Yow.

 

If you are going to put the 460 in the 77 4x4 you will need a rear sump oil pan, pickup tube and a different dip stick. But maybe it is already that way in the motor home. Different motor mounts will need to be bought/made. Not sure if they can be used from the motor home. Good snag on the 460! Running 460s go for $500+