I'd like to turn my 351m to a 400, and have read a lot of the articles on here, but I am a working man with a family and don't have $5,000 to $7000 to invest in a motor that is a daily driver. Is there a less expensive route, say around $2000 to $2500, that I could put into a decent motor build?

 

400 crank. TMI pistons for 9ish compression. RV cam with appropriate springs.

Run it with your stock manifolds and 2bbl intake and see how you like it.

All other rebuild costs still apply, especially making sure the heads are in good shape, and a rebore if needed, plus new bearings, oil pump etc.

 

Amen! I bought an incomplete 400 for $40 and got the crank. Add Tim's pistons and away you go.

 

Off hand, do you know how much a set of pistons from Tim run? I couldn't find it on his website.

 

From the "downloads" page, Balanced 400 Master.

 

. Did you get any further with this?

 

I'm getting closer, hopefully get to start at the end of November. The help and information from everyone on this site is excellent, glad to be a member.

 

I've heard about oiling issue problems on the 351m/400, is there any truth to that, and is there a remedy? I'd hate to be into this motor a few grand and wish I had put time and money into something else.

 

Stick with a stock volume oil pump (no high volume).

Some mod the oil passages with a kit - I did not in my build. I would ask Tim Meyer what he thinks and go with his advice. Ask him at the same time you buy his pistons.

 

Try my thread on Cleveland Oiling System Mod's.

 

Thanks for the help. The reason for wanting to rebuild into a 400, is when I bought it it ran a little rough, it blew a little blue smoke and would stall out as well as had a vibration when idling or running at any throttle opening. I figured it had a bad valve or valves so I did a compression test tonight. My numbers were 1 120, 2 116, 3 120, 4 131, 5 120, 6 134, 7 130, and 8 127. definitely ready for a look inside!

 

. Those numbers don't look too bad... was that with the throttle held WOT?

. Of course, the numbers aren't very high because after 1970 the actual compression ratio was only in the 7's...

 

I agree. Those numbers are bad enough to pull the engine apart. But I don't rely on compression numbers as that test doesn't find many problems. Instead I use a leak-down test which will find bad valves, worn rings, and blown head gaskets.