Hey guys I have a 79 f250 with a clunky old 400 sitting in it, and I was debating on building a 11.1 compression bog motor for it. Tim Meyer you would be a great help here. Planning on a custom grind comp cams solid mech/roller. Adapted 351w intake manifold. 3 or 4v CHI heads. Custom fabbed Tri-y long tube headers. The truck is getting 14" lift leafs from customsuspension.com known as carrier spring service based out of canada. It is going to have built d60s also with 46" xmls on 20" beadlocks. Hell may even throw a set of 44" superior tractions on for the run what you brung classes which are open I have plans for this to be a nitrous fed high hp&tq monster just to **** off all of the big block guys at the bogs. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

No such thing as a 400M, it's just plain 'ol 400.

 

Yea i know i twist my tonque everytime i say it. Just a habit.

 

Haha ..... I get it.

But ..... following along ..... at first the 400 was called a 400 Cleveland when introduced for the '71 model year and then for the '75 season, it got a new crank and pistons to destroke it to 351 cubes and to avoid confusion with the 351C it was replacing, it became known as the 351M. By then, 400s were just "400".

So, if I take my 351M and change the crank and pistons stroking it back to 400 cubes (they use same block) ..... is it not OK to refer to it as a 400M?

It is still a "M" block?

If I see someone post anywhere about a "400M" ...... I know they ain't talking Chebies.

Just messing around ......

It's like the "chicken or the egg" deal.

To opening poster, I think a 10.0 or 10.5:1 400 is killer, 11.0:1 great if you feed it really good fuel.

 

Now this is a build I'm hoping to see

 

Thanks haha its a 79 f250 reg cab lwb ranger xlt. Gonna have sort of a military theme desert tan body & olive drab trim.
Gonna be one big *** truck.

 

Yea the reason for 11.1 is race gas and a big *** cam

 

Yeah, Tim will definitely be the guy you're going to want to talk to about this build. He did the build on my 434, and while I'm running a fairly mild hydraulic roller cam, I am still, as he puts it, running "just short of 11:1 compression". So, I'm assuming that I've got to be running in the 10.9:1 ballpark in the first place. Granted, I always run super unleaded with octane boost for protective measures, but have never had a ping............I think that's probably due to the aluminum heads, which give me a little wiggle room on the octane........well, that, and I almost never push it very hard.


As for the 400/400M debate (which I'm of the "400" ilk, as there is no other 400 cu/in displaced Ford engine that would dictate the need for a designator letter)............I just had mine stroked to a 434 so I can avoid the argument all together.........

 

Never even thought of Buildin my 351m. Second time the oil pressure went to sh$%& after a full engine build I gave up, might as well of had a bowtie on it.

But as for the debate. . if you go with it as a 400m or a 400 and then "modify" it, now its a modified 400 never the less

 

Yea the 434 kit was in the picture of this build. The block should be in near perfect condition though not needing a bore/hone, but im doing the kit anyways for a few more cubes. The motor hasnt ran in years, and was parked due to the water pump going out and 3 of the small bolts on it sheared in the block (no biggie got the easy outs for that). It just needs some love. Definatley not going the boat anchor route (sorry BB guys lol ). This motor should be in the 500+ hp range on its own. Then incomes the direct port N.O.S . That should be fun.

 

Did you have the oil passages and such cleaned and polished?

 

Actually, with a big cam, you'll be making more horsepower than that...........even with my mild, well mannered cam, my plant produced 504 hp and 544 torque. Tim told me that if I "was willing to forego the well mannered idle, and the acceptable vacuum for the brakes, that we could have wrung a LOT more power out of that plant"........his words. I told him that I didn't want to fight the idle by having it load up all the time, and having to install a auxiliary vacuum generator for the brakes. So, considering that you're wanting to put a big 'ol lumpy cam in the stroker, you could feasibly get much better numbers out of the plant.

 

Yea i knew the vacuum issue was going to come into play. If i dont get a custom grind it will be the comp cams solid mech 308r street/bracket race. .651 intake and .651 exhaust valve lift. Should be a beefy cam without a doubt.

 

That's sure an Ace of power out of the 400. . wish I knew what I have out of my 460.

As for my modified, oil press went. Built bottom end........3mnths later pressure fell out again, pulled apart and rebuilt top, complete with .060 bore and had everything soaked and cleaned at the machine shop.
Ate 2 distributor gears up and ran about a year before the press fell again.

But I'm looking forward to some pics and your build for sure

 

If you do a hydroboost conversion, no need to worry about vacuum for brakes.