Ok, so I am pricing this for Beast. Tim Meyer offers a dual drilled flywheel for the 400 that can use a 12" clutch. My question for the benefit of all is does a 12" 460 clutch pressure plate have the same mounting pattern as a 400 12" pressure plate? If so, this could make it easier to do this installation.

 

That's a good question for Tim. And, btw, I got an email from him yesterday asking if I'm making and selling the flywheel spacer. He's thinking of making them. I told him to go for it and offered my plans. Hopefully he will do it.

 

That was my fault. I asked about flywheels and told how you did it. If the 460 pressure plate fits on his dual drilled flywheels, that will simplify these swaps considerably.

 

It isn't a fault, but a created opportunity.

Anyway, I agree that if Tim were to drill the flywheel for the 460's pressure plate it would help considerably.

 

The 460 ZF input shaft is 1 1/4" x10 spline, as opposed to the NP & T series 1 1/16".
As the 335 engines were never offered with the ZF it seems the long way round to source a 400 pressure plate and a 460 friction disc, rather that just buying a 460 clutch kit.

 

Amen! But, the latter is the approach I took, if you remember. However, if Tim drills the flywheel for the 460 pressure plate,…

 

You know, I'll call and ask him at lunch. I'm stuck flying a desk for 24 hours, so I have time. Or I could just ask to have it drilled for the 460 when I order it.

 

Tell him to see my email re the spacer, and my offer of the drawings. And, that a 460-drilled flywheel would be the perfect mate to the spacer.

 

Update: I talked to the old hat at my local machine shop. He says that a 12" pressure plate should bolt up to the flywheel for either a 400 or a 460. Remember that Gary started with a 351M, not a 400. I also called Autozone and they did a visual comparison. So, a 12" Ford pressure plate will bolt up. So I should be good with just ordering Tim's dual drilled flywheel and a 460 clutch kit. If you have a factory 400 with a 12" clutch, same deal. That way you have full life on the clutch. Tim still has not called me back, so I tried some other resources.

 

Tim didn't call because he was/is on the phone with me. He kept saying "I'm just an engine guy and I don't really know about the rest of that stuff", so wanted to know what all I did to make it work.

So, he's planning to drill the flywheel for a 460 pressure plate. And, put together a complete ZF conversion package.

 

Trying to ask TMI to use AutoCAD (or whatever) to produce a part on a CNC machine? Good luck with that!!!

 

Wait! You really need to talk to Tim. I remember a conversation with him several months ago wherein he said something about the size of the 400's 12" pressure plate not being a full 12". In fact, IIRC, it actually has a smaller bolt pattern than the 11" clutch for the M. Maybe I am mistaken, but that's what I remember.

And, I know that my research determined that there were several different true diameters of 12" 460 clutches, and only one of those fit under my 11" pressure plate.

So, if that's right then I'd be surprised if a 460's pressure plate fits on a 400's flywheel. But, I may be able to shed some light on that tomorrow as I have a 460 flywheel and pressure plate and can measure them tomorrow.

 

No, he's gonna use my drawing.

 

I did talk to Tim. Twice. He called Centerforce for us and found that the 12" 400 and 460 clutches from 1986 and earlier use the same bolt pattern on the flywheel. However, the 87 and up 460's us an 8 bolt pattern, not 6 bolt. Tim's conversion kit will include a flywheel drilled for a 460 ZF clutch.

This new kit should work well. Any decision on the 460 starters in this conversion?

Edit: the bolt holes are smaller. The 11" uses 3/8" bolts and the 12" uses 5/16" bolts

 

Yep. I would say "I don't know what I was thinking" when I used the 351W automatic tranny starter and moved the ring gear forward. But, I wasn't thinking. The 351M/400 flywheel is the same diameter and has the same ring gear as the 460. So, if we put a spacer in and move the flywheel on a 400 back to where a 460's flywheel is, why not use a 460's starter?

I need to do more research to ensure that'll work, but I think it will. And I would go with a PMGR starter to get the extra torque with less current and a smaller footprint.