I just finished swapping a 400 out of a 79 bronco into my 77 f150 2wd that had a 351m. The motor and transmission are in place and ready to bolt together. The problem i have is the TQ bolts are lines up to the flexplate but I can't get the TQ to slide ahead enough to get the nuts on the TQ's studs! Are the flexplates different from a bronco with 400 to a 2wd f150 351m? I left the flexplate from the bronco on the motor because o thought they were the same.

 

According to Rockauto the parts interchange.

 

Thanks. I thought they did. I must have an alignment issue. Been working at it for an hour now. Getting frustrated!😤

 

Did the 400 have a stick or automatic behind it? If it had a stick did you remove the pilot bushing from the end of the 400 crank shaft?
The snout on the torque converter indexes into the crank where the pilot bushing fits.

Good luck.

 

Both the bronco and f150 are automatic. i got the studs flush with the flexplate after an hour and a half of messing with it. I think I may have to pull the engine and see what is going on.

 

Here is another thought...

Some torque converters have a drain plug in the front face of the converter, between two of the mounting studs and it sticks through the flex plate. I have seen flex plates with both two and four access holes for this plug.

If your torque converter has a drain plug and your flex plate only has two holes it is possible for the torque converter to be "90 degrees out". That is, the studs lined up but the drain plug not being lined up with one of it's two access holes.

The drain plug hitting the flex plate will hold the converter back.

Hopr this helps.