I read where FORD made some block changes/improvements to the 400" truck blocks over the blocks used in cars. Supposedly, this was done to stand up better to the manual shift demands in F100/250/350 trucks. Does anyone know this to be true or not?

If this is true, is there a way for me to tell if my 400 is from a truck or a car from looking at the outside of the engine?

Thanks Guys!
BarnieTrk

 

I may be very wrong, but I do not recall the 400 ever being used in car platforms.

 

They were used first in cars. The 400 was introduced in 1971 in the full-size ford platform. The 1971 engine actually has 9:1 compression from the factory. 1971-74 engines have freer flowing heads. Some later blocks were reinforced.

See here for casting info:

M-Block 351M/400 Parts Reference

 

Thanks for the link, 72FordGTS.... lots of good information there!

Looks like the were first used in cars, then in cars and trucks, and then in trucks only.
I'm not finding a 'clear line' between engines used in cars & in trucks - but I'm still looking...

BarnieTrk

 

Thanks for the link great info. I have a 73 Galaxie 500 with a 400 73,000 original miles see my avatar.

 

. What did you find out Barnie? What's the engine in now?

 

I haven't determined much yet. IDing it has not been a priority, but it will be soon enough.
I located a stamped code on the top-rear of the block, adjacent the oil sending unit. The stamping: Z HA 2373 - but I don't know what that is trying to tell me.

I don't know what the engine came out of...its somewhat of a mystery.... my son put it on an engine stand and rolled it into a corner of my pole building years ago and now it's time for me to find a new home for it. At this point, I don't really know that it truly is a 400; I'm just relaying what my son told me years ago. Heck, I suppose it could be a 351M - since I don't have a positive ID yet.

If I could positively determine what it is, what it came out of, what model year it might have been produced, then I could try to sell it with some knowledge of its origin. I'm thinking it came out of a truck, because the oil dipstick is coming out of the side of the oil pan...? I might have to load it up and take it to be powerwashed to be able to see better what it is.....

BarnieTrk

 

. There's no stickers on it? I might be interested in it as a rebuildable core if it's a 400, since you're semi-close to me... the dipstick on my 351M comes out of the oil pan on driver's side... but I don't know if car versions were any different...

 

BuzzLOL,

There may be some sort of ID stickers on it. It wasn't cleaned up when it went into the corner -typical used engine grime - and now it's fairly well covered in dust. It has been inside all this time so it isn't all rust or such. Do you know if any 400s were equipped with the oil dipstick out the side of the oilpan?

I'll have to take some time this weekend and see if I can get any sticker info off of it. I'll report back what I find...

BarnieTrk

 

If it has dipstick from the pan it's from a 4x4 truck, if its in the front cover it can be from car or 2wd truck. Is the engine complete carb to pan or partially disassembled? The only real way the confirm its identity as either 351M or 400 is to measure the stroke. 400 is 4.00" bore with 4.00" stroke. 351M is 4.00" bore and 3.50" stroke. if the engine is complete and still has the valve covers on it, the one that would be the driver side will have the emissions sticker on it and should tell you the displacement as well as year.

 

. Driver's side valve cover sticker usually identifies as 351M/400 engine family and then specifically as 5.8L/351"M or 6.6L/400"...



http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5031/picture560.jpg
.

 

The Ford 400 casting from 1978+ is beefed up to deal with the additional thrust bearing load from manual transmission trucks. There was some kind of casting issue in 1977, so avoid 1977 blocks, but 1978 and newer (up to 1982, I think) are all strong 400 blocks.

 

. The link '72Ford posted above gives the specifics of that info...

 

Nope, no stickers on it. The rocker arm covers are a bit rusty-but-chrome covers - I suspect aftermarket units.

Ok, so it must be from a 4X4 truck since the oil dipstick is in the pan.

Yes, it is a complete engine, however, it isn't completely OEM as it appears to have some aftermarket parts; such as chrome rocker arm covers an Edelbrock carburator and possibly an ACCEL distributor. No emission stickers - so I guess I'm looking at pulling a plug and measuring the stroke.........

So assuming it is a 400, it sounds like it doesn't really matter what it came out of - but rather the more important question is:

Is it a 1978 or newer 400 casting or not -- How can I tell?

What does the engine stamp at the oil sending unit tell me: "Z HA 2373" ?

Today I'll pull a plug and take a measurement... hopefully I'll be able to confirm it's a 400 at least. I'll be back!

BarnieTrk

P.S.
If the stroke measurement is iffy, I may have to do this - from another web site: "The only 100% positive way to tell if you have a 351M or 400 is to drop the oil pan and check the casting numbers on the crank. They should be on the side of the first counterweight. A 400 crank will have 5M, 5MA or 5MAB casting code. A 351M crank will have a 1K casting code."

 

. Yeah, obviously the casting number on the crank isn't the "only" way to tell if it's a 400... if the pistons go up and down 4", then it's a 400...


. And, of course, the top radiator hose has to go down into the block, not into the front of the intake manifold like a 221 - 351 Windsor...


. I think that link said only the pre-a-certain-casting number Michigan Center Foundry blocks tended to crack... not the Cleveland Foundry blocks...
.