hey all,

the company i worked for just hired a new carpenter, and after talking with him for a while he told me he has a 79 Bronco with a 351 Cleveland engine in it. Apparently the engine caught on fire somehow and a piston went through the oilpan, rendering the thing useless. He wants to give it away for $0. Free. All i'd have to do is pay to rent a trailer so i can tow it.

I have a pretty rough 83 F250 right now. Its alright, but i think i'd like to look into this truck. I know cleveland motors are 4 bolt mains and therefor more desirable for a sports car such as a mustang because it can endure higher rpm operation. But in a truck? did they even put clevleands in broncos and F Series pickups? If so, is there any way to distinguish a Cleveland from a Modified or a Windsor?

Also, what are the pros and cons of going from the newer gen '83 to the last gen '79. He says the body is in mint condition, has been sitting in a garage or something since the motor exploded. My F250 belongs in a junkyard, yet the 300 just wont die....But i'd love to sell it and buy a junky 302 or 351 for the bronco while i send the 351 C off to get bored and stroked and rebuilt and drop that in a sports car...

Thanks in advance

 

the bronco had a 351M in it. the Cleavland was never offered in trucks, and was not even made in 79. most people look at a 351M and see a Cleavland because the valve covers look the same.

 

Someone could have put a cleveland in it, but that would be highly unlikely since the bellhousing bolt patterns on the 351M and the 351C are different. Like tjc says, at a casual glance they look the same, so many people get the two mixed up. Hey, if he is offering you a bronco with a good body, take it no matter what it has in it.

 

grab it you can't beat the price.

 

I might still do it, yes, but i am a little bummed out that its not an authentic Cleveland...I had my hopes up to have a 4 bolt main 351 in an old mustang or something...

Anyways, alright, so whats the 351M all about? Share parts with the Windsors? Sounds like the motors going in the trash can to me...id rather just sell my 83 F250 and buy a 302 for the bronco.

 

BTW not all clevelands are 4 bolt mains either, and not made in the US after 1974, never used in trucks in north america.

 

Many people still call 351M engines "Clevelands'. For instance, my neighbor INSISTS he has a 351 Cleveland to be put into his '74 pickup. I took a look at it... One glance at the 6 valve cover bolts told me it was either a 351W or 302. (well, coulda been a 260 or 289 also, but not likely)
I corrected him on the engine designation, but he is still bragging he has a Cleveland! Oh well, what can ya do?
The 4 bolt Clevelands were the Q code Cobra Jet engines(71 to 74), R code Boss 351C (1971) and the R code 'HO' (1972). These last two are very rare to find.
The 2 bolt caps, however, were built quite stout and are capable of a lot of power. There is room for 4 bolt mains in any Cleveland if you have to have them, but no one has bothered. Even Jack Roush claimed the 2 bolt mains will take a beating without failure, and he would know...
I knew someone with a 351C in a 1986-or-so F150. It moved the truck just fine from mid to high rpm. His motor was done up, but I took him from a stop to about 40 mph in my stock '74 Mercury Montego with 400 2V and 2.75 highway gears. After that, he walked by me.
The truck engine to have if it already came with a 351M is the big brother, 400. You will have to change nothing to fit it, unlike a 429 or 460, where you will need to round up hoses, belts, accessories and brackets. (transmissions interchange)
The 351C has a narrower intake manifold, about an inch narrower than the 351M/400. If it is a 351M you have, and 'a piston went through the pan', it may not be worth trying to salvage. Who knows what disaster could be waiting inside.

 

thanks trino, good info. yeah i think the whole bronco idea is a bust. i went into the 335 series V8 forums and heard that youre lucky to get 14 mpg with any of them. Right now i need gas mileage out my truck because during the year it is my way back home from college. its a 92 mile road trip doing 70+. the 300 in my rust bucket has gotten me 20+. The bronco came along and i thought i might be able to score a 302 for some better higher rpm, faster speed highway usage with the same gas mielage and dump the 300, but i bet the 302 rides on different motor mounts than the 351M doesnt it???

 

Yes, I think the 302 does have different motor mounts than the 351M. And I know for a fact that the transmission bolt patterns are different. Besides that, the 302 doesn't really have the low down grunt to move a big bronco very well. I have a 93 f150 with a fuelie 302 and it doesn't really make any power until about 2500-3000 rpm; which is fine for a car, but a bit out of sorts for a truck.

 

Even if you don't use the bronco for a daily driver, I'd still get it. Put it for sale, and get some money for it, or part it out and get even more.
I've got 15-16 mpg in my 79 Bronco with a 400 31" tires and 3.50 gears.

Like everyone said, it's more than likely not a cleveland, just a 351M. I'd like to know how many people I've talked to with these trucks, that have no clue what engine they have.

 

I don't ever buy an old truck looking for gas mileage...
Put a big bad motor in your toy, and drive a Tempo to college... Mine (it's a 1990) gets me up to 36 mpg with a 5 speed manual. It uses a pushrod engine (same rockers as a 460, and timing chain is from a truck) so no timing belt to worry about changing. Besides, it's still a Ford!