So I have a guy interested in the 400 out of my 84 F250. He apparently wants the motor to put in a Ranger he has. He mentioned that he already had a 302 in it before, but was looking for something a little more powerful. He wanted me to measure the size of the block, from exhaust manifold to exhaust manifold to get the size of it.

Isn't a 302 the same size as a 351/400? Just different strokes and bores?

 

Simple answer: no.

The 302 has a shorter deck height which makes the heads lower and thus more narrow. Also I'm not sure the mounts are the same and the 351m/400 bell housing is the same as the 460, not the 302/351w.

That is one plus the Chevy guys have with the classic small and big block. It all mounts the same. Engine mounts and bell housing all interchange from the lowly 262 to the 572 crate motor. The only difference is block size and sometimes the big block just won't fit.

 

The 400 is huge compared to the 302. The 400 would be a boat anchor in that little truck.

 

The mounts are specific to an M/400. In fact, they are stamped that way from the factory. I don't know the diff from a 302, but they must be much wider when bolted on as the M block is, as was said, huge when compared to a 302.

Is the Ranger the little one, after 81? If so I would think a 351W would be much easier to fit in.

 

I talked to the guy once, didn't give me too much information on his truck, just that it was a "Ranger"(which could also mean an early 80s full size). He said he also wants the transaxle, which doesn't make sense to me if it's going in a baby Ranger, but I guess people do wild stuff every now and then.

 

Sounds like he's confused, alright.

 

New mid-sized Ranger introduced March 1982 as a 1983 model.

 

That's something you don't see everyday, one wise man correcting another.

There is a lot of modification going into putting a 400 into a Ranger (small one). If he does buy it, he has a lot of work ahead of him.

 

I wouldn't say I was correcting, just passin' along some info.

If older is wiser, I'm a coupla years older than 'The Oklahoma Kid.'

 

Due to your extensive specific knowledge on everything Ford (and master reference material), I never doubt your information on Ford related questions.

I'm going to have to direct my warrant officer here as he just picked up an old Ranger (small) as a working/beater truck.

 

My post was correct - the small Ranger came "after 81". Bill was just giving more detailed info - March of 82. :-)

 

I'm confused too.

Transaxle in a Ford pickup?

Better check my meds.

 

He wants a 400 with a transaxle for his truggy. What's so confusing?

I hope he welds the spiders or he'll probably look kind of funny stuck in the rain in the mall parking lot...

 

Just tell him to buy it, it'll fit. A local guy runs around with a 460 shoehoerned in a 95 Ranger, talk about tight.