Ok, I sent this private message to Hoxii, and emailed it to him as well:But, as said, his last activity on FTE was 03-30-2014 , so I'm guessing that he won't see the PM. If he hasn't responded in a couple of weeks I may capture the pic's just to make sure they don't get lost. Technically if he puts the links in the open the pics are free game. But, I would rather not do that so want his approval.

 

i'm leaning towards it may not be worth it, with the pictures from hoxii's thread i'd say a combination of 300 mounts bolted roughly where 400 mounts would go might provide an answer, to my knowledge on the 67-77 ( i think frame perches changed in 77) the 300 perches and 390 perches are the same, however on the 300 trucks they are moved forward, and FE mounts are back more. on the 67-77 trucks the frame and cross member are designed, to hold both. another point to look at on hoxii's thread would be he used a 4x4, and a stick, where i would like a 2wd auto. i think the truck i was looking at got sold so it may be a moot point now but there may be others that want or need this info. i think if i get my hands on a bull nose i'll look for a Cleveland( should fit a lot easier).

 

A Cleveland will be a bolt-in using 351M/400 perches since the bottom of the blocks are essentially the same. The difference is that the M-block is taller, but that won't change anything except the exhausts, which will be lower and closer together.

 

If you go to Gary's site on perches you will see (pictures) his v8 351/400 are behind the main cross member where my 300 six is on top of the main cross member.


Gary still needs the 255/302 perches measurements but I am thinking they will be behind the main cross member.


What you are saying it sounds the perches are the same as the 80-86 trucks with the mounts for v8 after the cross member.
So as a guess either v8 or combo of each might work to fit a FE motor on the 80-86 trucks.
Dave ----

 

Won't work. That's one of the main differences between a cleveland and a 351m/400, the bellhousing and motor mounts. The cleveland is setup just like a 289/302/351w and will drop right in. The cleveland uses the same motor mount and bellhousing configuration as the smaller v8's.

A cleveland would be another odd duck, but not as bad as the 390. While the motor would bolt in using the small v8 setup, the exhaust would have to be custom as well as a few other small pieces. Yes, a 351m/400 manifold would bolt up to the heads on the cleveland, but the the downfall pipes would not fit up like they should. I tried to put 351m/400 headers on a 351c, and the headers hit the bellhousing before they would bolt up all the way.

 

I think Gary was talking the motor mount side of the motor swap.


I think the person doing the swap would know before this point what tranys bolt to the FE motor?


Everyone wants to run headers but maybe run the stock manifolds and have new head pipes bent to bolt up to them. They could run into a speed shop H or X pipe then duels from there back.
Dave ----

 

Motor mounts won't interchange. The 351c uses the small v8 motor mounts, the 351m/400 uses the larger 429/460 mount system and location.

 

Ok let me try this again, perches/mounts/angles side of the swap but not a direct bolt in.


With any swap that has not been done before ie: FE into a 80-86 truck, the person would be looking for parts that are close to a "bolt in" as can get.
Use perches from the 80-86 trucks that might work or need little work to work with the FE rubber mounts
This way they are not re-inventing the wheel just modifying it to work for them.
Dave ----

 

part of my interest in a "odd ball" swap is to me there isn't really anything super interesting with these trucks, and in my area fords are kinda odd ***** in themselves, so something weird into an 80s or 90s truck, such as an FE, a Cleveland, or a flat head( i'd try it if i had one), would be so different that the chevy boys would be so dumbfounded they wouldn't know what to think. and i do know what motors and trannies swap back and forth.

 

I don't know if I would do a flat head as cool as it may be in my book it would not have the power to move the truck worth a heck.


Now a 4bt diesel built up a little or a DD 2 stroke if you could find one would be cool in my book.


On your FE project as it cant happen over a weekend, you will need to set it in place and see where the mounts sit. Then between the early trucks and ours find perches that may work or come close and go from there.
Dave ----

 

Why not go with a 400? They are thought to be dogs, but most of that is due to lack of compression and the rest cam timing. Mine just put out 500 ft-lbs and 384 HP on Tim Meyer's dyno. And it could have been much more HP had I not spec'd a mild cam for fuel economy purposes.

 

Read post 24 Gary, he wants to swap something that wasn't available.

 

As they get older things will change, but to me right now, they are still work trucks. I don't really care how it looks or what engine is in it. I want to walk out and turn the key, and whatever engine it has, it always goes round and round, and it will haul and do the work I need it to do. And as long as it's easy to work on when something breaks. That means staying stock, and being able to go to the store and buy a replacement part that fits, looking at a diagram and the wire colors mostly match, etc.

 

I forgot about that. But, technically a 400 wasn't available in an F150. However, no one can tell from the outside if it is a 351M, which was available, or a 400. On the other hand, 500 ft-lbs wasn't available from any engine in these trucks, so....

 

Seems like everything these days needs an LS swap.

It certainly would be odd, and the Chevy guys would be happy....