Hi, I have a 77 F150 with a 351M engine too and am wanting to swap in a 460. Could you tell me what all was involved with your swap as far as transmission compatibility and just getting it all going in general? Looks good by the way
This sounds a lot like me too. I bought my 77 F-150 with a sick 351M. I thought some tuning would help it out, turns out it head a dead cylinder. I also assumed the oil pressure gauge was not working, nope. It really had no oil presssure!
I went with L&L mounts, made the accessory brackets and found used L&L fenderwell exit headers. L&L says you have to have a body lift the run them, nope! I like the fender well exit because you can just make your own exhaust. I bolted a 3 foot section to 3" pipe to each header and I have 2 different sets of mufflers I run. Dynomax race magnums and MAC mufflers. It also keeps hot exhaust pipes away from the trans and really opens every thing up in between the frame rails. I'm running dual 3 inch exhaust on mine. I went somewhat extreme with the 460 though. It make some very, very nice power. Decked the block down to DOVE block specs. .030 over, ported C9VE heads with new seats and springs, valve job, .545 lift cam 220 & 228 duration at .050, Edelbrock Performer RPM air gap intake, roller rockers, straight up cam timing, 10 to 1 compression, 750 CFM demon carb and I think thats about it. I like it a lot.
Justin. A 460 will bolt up to your existing 351M transmission- 4speed or auto. If you buy L&L headers, mounts and accessory brackets thats pretty much all you need, but as I said before I made my own brackets, it was easy.
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1977 Ford F-150 4X4 460 4-speed (dark jade metallic) Produced June 22, 1977
1966 Ford Fairlane 289 2 door hard top (black)
The BBF is always a nice option. We put a 400m in place of the 351M, then later moved to a 460. I used Hooker Super Comp longtube headers and then a friend helped me modify them to fit better around the front driveshaft and L&L pan.
I don't think the L&L products have large enough primary tubes myself, better than stock manifolds for certain though. Never really cared much for the fender exits either. I like keeping exhaust under my vehicles which proves more difficult as a downfall. I might also add that the 400m (cam, intake, longtubes, carb, ignition) had it's own performance advantages over the 460 currently in the truck (cam, intake, ignition, lontubes, car). I love the low end grunt of the BBF but the 400 screamed and revved like a sicko, I do more towing and hauling now which I think the 460 is better for really. Both motors might as well be considered stock in my opinion, just mods making them more efficient, true bolt on stuff.
Thank you for that reply, I would definately like to do this at some point. So, the 460 will bolt right up to my transmission? Im ashamed to say it, but I dont even know what tranny I have. But it's a 77 f150 custom 4 wheel drive with a 351m.
Thank you for that reply, I would definately like to do this at some point. So, the 460 will bolt right up to my transmission? Im ashamed to say it, but I dont even know what tranny I have. But it's a 77 f150 custom 4 wheel drive with a 351m.
The 351M/400M utilize the larger bellhousing bolt pattern which is the same as the 429/460 block. A Top Loader or C6 transmission which you should currently have is your options unless you want to employ a modified overdrive transmission with either an adapter or removable bellhousing.
I don't think the L&L products have large enough primary tubes myself, better than stock manifolds for certain though. Never really cared much for the fender exits either. I like keeping exhaust under my vehicles which proves more difficult as a downfall.
To each their own I guess. It just seems to me that having dual 3" inch exuast bent around the trans & transfer case is going to be expensive, cluttered, and difficult to keep each side the same length. The exhaust is still under the vehicle with fenderwell exit heads, I don't see any down side to the fender well exit at all.
The L&Ls have 1.75 inch primaries. While thats not huge I'm sure its sufficient for stock iron heads and for a truck application. Now I can see a need for larger primaries if you are running aftermarket aluminum heads or if the 460 is in a performance car where more tope end power is used.
So your 400 revved better than the 460? The 400 actually has a longer stroke.
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1977 Ford F-150 4X4 460 4-speed (dark jade metallic) Produced June 22, 1977
1966 Ford Fairlane 289 2 door hard top (black)
The 351M/400M utilize the larger bellhousing bolt pattern which is the same as the 429/460 block. A Top Loader or C6 transmission which you should currently have is your options unless you want to employ a modified overdrive transmission with either an adapter or removable bellhousing.
Is this compatibility because the 460 was an option in 77 or am I way off? By top loader, do you mean manual transmission or is that something different? Mine's an automatic if so. I would really like to have overdrive as i do alot of interstate driving.
To each their own I guess. It just seems to me that having dual 3" inch exuast bent around the trans & transfer case is going to be expensive, cluttered, and difficult to keep each side the same length. The exhaust is still under the vehicle with fenderwell exit heads, I don't see any down side to the fender well exit at all.
The L&Ls have 1.75 inch primaries. While thats not huge I'm sure its sufficient for stock iron heads and for a truck application. Now I can see a need for larger primaries if you are running aftermarket aluminum heads or if the 460 is in a performance car where more tope end power is used.
So your 400 revved better than the 460? The 400 actually has a longer stroke.
Perhaps I should have been more clear. The fenderwell exit headers that I have seen (L&L) have the exhaust routed along side the frame but on the outside of it. I don't like that look albeit it is more simplified. In a street based scenario I believe keeping the exhaust under the vehicle and using a well placed exhaust cross-over helps as well which would not be possible with the outside frame rail option. I also don't think the increased tube diameter of my headers pose any dis-advantage to the 1.75 tubes. The truck really woke up all over the tach with the modified longtubes.
Yep, at this point I still say the 400 was more snappy than the 3.85 stroke 460. Perhaps it was the combination, cam timing, or just being fresher over all. I do believe the increase in low end torque makes the 460 better served for towing / hauling though as I've already stated.
Are those valve covers seriously hard to find? I bet I know of like 20 sets I could get my hand on and it seems every 385 series in the junk yards has them. It seems to me like they are the most common valve covers out there. I have them on my truck.
RSfabrication. L&L states you need a 3 inch body lift to run the L&Ls. Not true, I have no body lift at all. I can see where if a truck had the body lift they you would see the exhaust. On my truck you cant see it at all. I even angled the pipe up slightly to where my muffler is about up as high as the bed floor, it's actually tucked up behind the bed side. If you bend over and look under the truck you still cant see the mufflers, unless you stick your head under the truck. And I agree your headers aren't hurting you at all. Like I said to each there own, just a freindly debate, we just like different exhaust. At least we can agree on the truck!
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1977 Ford F-150 4X4 460 4-speed (dark jade metallic) Produced June 22, 1977
1966 Ford Fairlane 289 2 door hard top (black)
Are those valve covers seriously hard to find? I bet I know of like 20 sets I could get my hand on and it seems every 385 series in the junk yards has them. It seems to me like they are the most common valve covers out there. I have them on my truck.
Besides the fact that every car or truck with a 429/460 has been picked clean from every junk yard in my area, you don't see a lot of them. My truck has the "Powered by Ford" valve covers with small letters and the Ford oval stamped in. I think the valve covers he has were issued on the early-model 429/460's in the late-sixties until '72. Don't quote me on that though
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People work from sun to sun but a gearhead's work is never done. -An old mechanic's adage
Thanks for the complements. The engine has been in over a year and I've had no problems. I did a cam swap while I had the engine out. I took a gamble on a used engine and it's turned out fine so far. Checked as much as I cool with the used engine before I put in my truck. After the swap my C6 took a dump this summer, so I learned how to rebuild a C6. I bought parts from Broader Performance - they helped me out. C6's are pretty straight forward, just don't get any of the lip seals swapped or you won't have a few gears (don't ask me how I know).
Like other have said the 460 swap is fairly straight forward. Get some motor mount that will adapt the 351M/400 perchs to accept a 460. L&L or Performance Unlimited both make a poly adapter mount. Many people have had great success with them. I think transdapt also offers some conversion mounts. I happened to use Autofab engine and tranny mounts, it replaces the 400 engine perchs. To each his own. As for engine brackets I went with all L&L to save my self time and head ache of going to the junkyard to find stuff. They say a Ford van 460 has the correct exhaust manifold, engine brackets, and oil pan to fit in the truck, but I CAN NOT tell you that from personal experience. There's a couple of difference in 460 (interal vs external balance) through the years, but none of them should give you any real issues. As far as headers - I personally like the L&L chassis shorty headers. Keeps the exhaust tucked away.
I keep hearing the Powered by Ford valve covers are "rare". But I keep seeing them at the junkyard and just about everywhere. Not sure what years they came on, but I think I see them all the time.
I personally went with a 460 because parts are widely available, performance parts are cheaper than 351M/400, and it's almost a direct bolt-in. One day after I finish some of my other project I hope to drop in a hotter stroker engine, but the truck runs and drives great right now so that can wait.
If you're planning a swap, just do your homework before you get started. There's alot of information on the subject.
I totally forgot about the oil pan. Yes a van pan works, that what I have on my truck. I completed my swap about 3.5 years ago. What oil pan did you use? What cam did you use? Specs?
This was the first truck engine I've built, I've built lots of Mustangs. I wasn't real sure on the cam. I didn't want to kill all the low end thats nice in a truck with too big of a cam, though a 460 is normally gonna have a lot down low anyway.
I went with a .545 lift with 220 & 228 duration at .050. I like it a lot. I think it goes well with the L&L full length headers, Performer RPM air gap intake, 750 demon carb and the ported C9 heads. I can tell it starts to open up nicely around 1500 RPM or so, with the 4 speed I didn't have to worry about a stall converter. I actually found a engine dyno on the net with this same cam, and other similarities to what I did and I like the power and torque curves so I went with it.
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1977 Ford F-150 4X4 460 4-speed (dark jade metallic) Produced June 22, 1977
1966 Ford Fairlane 289 2 door hard top (black)
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I also don't think the increased tube diameter of my headers pose any dis-advantage to the 1.75 tubes. The truck really woke up all over the tach with the modified longtubes. 
