I have a 78 Ford F250 2wd Extended Cab. Blue, White and Rust...

I have a VIN sticker on the driver's door frame but according to my research I need to find a Truck Rating Plate to get all the information about the truck.

Can anyone tell me where this plate is or help me decipher
the VIN sticker that I have.

I am uploading a picture of the sticker.

Thanks for helping a newbie.

 

Dvrs door has a "warranty plate" riveted to to the edge, and that info should match that sticker, which is a "Safety Standards Certification Label".

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ml#post1332627

Engine Identification:
351C/M/400 335 series: 8 bolts in rectangular valve covers. Timing chain housing is part of block. Thermostat housing on block. Exhaust bolt holes diagonal.

351M/400 335 series: intake is 12.7" wide the 351C is narrow. The 351M and 400 are identical externally, only internal parts examination can tell them apart.

351W/302/5.0L 6 bolts on trapezoidal valve covers. Thermostat housing on intake. Exhaust bolt holes horizontal.

429/460 385 series: 7 bolts in rectangular valve cover

352/360/390/427/428 FE series: Intake goes under valve covers.

I am guessing 351M/400 or a 460....?

 

Fourth digit of the VIN is an "S", which denotes a 400 ci, 2bbl V8. Truck was built in Kansas City. That is, of course, if the engine is original.

 

Yes. The info on the data tags is only what it came with. Take a picture of the engine and we may be able to narrow down what is actually in there.

For instance, Alice's data tags say it should be a 2wd F-100. Yet it has a transfer case, front Dana 44 with coil springs and 8 lug hubs, and an 8 lug Dana 60 out back. There's no telling what's happened to these trucks 35 years after they rolled off the assembly line. (unless of course you do a frame off yourself)

 

Welcome to FTE

Compare the VIN on the Warranty Plate to the VIN on the registration to see if they match.

1973/79 F100/350's & 1978/79 Bronco's use the same doors.

People replaced damaged left doors with used doors. 99.9% of the time, they failed to install the original Warranty Plates on the replaced doors.

X25SKCE8598 / X25 = F250 2WD Super Cab Pickup / S = 400 2V / K = Kansas City MO Assembly Plant / CE8598 = 1978 // Production date on upper left corner of label: 6/78.

 

Now I feel really stupid. The plate was there all the time. I looked all over inside and in the engine compartment. Nothing. So simple.

Tanks for all your help.

Here are pictures of the plate and the engine. I think everything is original.

 

X25 = F250 2WD Super Cab Pickup.

S = 400 2V

K = Kansas City MO Assembly Plant.

CE8598 = 1978.

155" Wheelbase.

SM: S = Bright Dark Blue Metallic / M = Wimbledon White.

X255 = F250 2WD Super Cab Pickup, 6,550 lbs. GVWR

FBM: FB = Blue all Vinyl (Ranger XLT) / M = Super Cab Pickup w/Styleside Bed.

G = C6.

22J: 22 = Dana 61-1 Rear Axle / 3.07-1 / No Limited Slip / 5,300 lbs. Rear Axle Capacity // J = Power Steering.

6,550 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

1978.

74 = Seattle WA Ford District Sales Office, where the original selling dealer ordered the truck from.

Note: The air cleaner lid is mounted upside down.

 

And you have a rag for a p/s cap.....

 

Yeah, there were some fast fixes on that one. I like the replacement windshield washer reservoir INSIDE the original one.

You have a 351M/400 in there for sure. I'll bet it's the original engine.

 

Yeah I liked that one too. As far as the 351M/400's are concerned, they may not be the most powerful mill. But if treated right, they'll run forever. I know that some people don't really like these engines. But after having a couple of them myself, I can say I for one have no complaints with them. They've anything and everything I've ever asked of them. Including out running an early 90's Iroc Camaro with the stock 400 in my 78 Bronco. The best part of all my best friend (a chevy guy) was riding shot gun to witness the event.

 

If you wipe the grease off of the decal on the left valve cover it will should also tell you whether or not the engine is a 351M or a 400 assuming that the engine and valve covers are original. The best way to know for sure is to measure the piston stroke.

I agree with paredneck33, the 351M/400 is frowned upon by many people. I have had a 351M & 400 in the same truck and found them to to be good, reliable long running engines. Not huge amounts of power and moderate gas mileage. The 400 had 291000 miles on it when I pulled it out, it still ran perfectly but was using one quart of oil in 300 miles so it was rebuild time. I replaced it with a 351M that I had in the shop while I rebuild the 400. The 351M is just as good just a little less power.

 

In stock form the 400 wasn't an impressive package...........the oil crunch of the 70's, and the newly adopted EPA standards forced Ford to detune the 400 from what it could have potentially been. The 400 was merely a taller decked 351C, and everyone knows what a monster that engine was. So, it was my guess that Ford wanted the 400 to be a LOT more than it ended up being, as it was also brought along to replace the aging FE family of engines.


The plus in all of this, though, is that the 400 can be made to be one good runner without massive work. The general shopping list includes a good cam, 4 barrel carb w/intake (generally Weiand or Edelbrock), a straight up timing kit, and a set of headers. Those changes will turn a fairly tame stock 400 into a V8 that is worthy of respect. If you change the heads too, it can get even better from there. Granted, you can always lose your mind like I did, and dump a buttload of cash into it, and get over 500 horsepower, but a 400 has decent potential for not a massive amount of investment. Anyway, it's something to think about.


If interested in finding out what a 400 can do, getting in touch with Tim Meyer is always a good idea. Also, the 335 engine forum has tons of information on the 400 as well. Just my $0.02