I've been doin a little work on my 60 F250 4x4 & have been driving it around town a little. I've about decided that I want it to be a driver vs. original resto. Now for my list of questions.... I'm leaning towards a 351/C6 for engine & trans. Will a 2wd C6 be too long to connect to my divorced T case? Want to add power steering & brakes too - should I be looking for a hydro boost system, or will vaccum booster be less trouble? What kinds of trouble will I be getting into trying to change the steering arm on the knuckle to work with a power steering box; would it be easier to find a newer model front axle? I'd like to get lock out hubs anyway, & my steering arm has been broken & welded back on the knuckle, so I might have to replace the knuckle anyway. What are some thoughts?

 

I think I might have an idea for an engine-got an old ranch truck (1980 F350 4x4 with a 400) sitting around. I'm sure it would need a rebuild, but that'd be the case with any used motor I could buy probably. Still wondering about the best way to get a C6 into my truck-will a 2wd C6 be short enough to run a shaft to the divorced t-case, or will I need a 4wd c6 w/t-case?

 

Byrd.dog The 351Cleveland/C6 with short tail-shaft is the setup I had before this go-round. The tail shaft you want is the shortie, not sure which vehicles you will find them in. The long tail-shaft will only leave you about 4-6 inches for drive shaft, just too short. For me that setup was pretty fast but sucked on milage. I ran that setup for about ten years. If you can find an OD trans You will have a better DD in MHO. My new setup is getting 15MPG on the highway at 65-70 MPH (not bad for the aerodynamics of a haystack)
Good luck in your quest!

 

Thanks for the info! What OD trans are you currently running? Does the 351C have the same bell housing as the 400? (I know the 400 is the same as the 351M, which is the successor to the 351C). Also, did you re-gear or swap axles?

 

I think your right about the engine family but I couldn't say for sure. At the time it seems there were two different bell housing shapes one rounded and the other more angular.
No gear change still running the 4.56's with 255 85R 16's. The new trans is the 4r70w that came out of the Mark IIIV with the 4.6 DOHC.

 

Did your 4r70w bolt right on, or was an adapter required? Also, are you still running the stock steering setup?

 

Byrd-dog I put the engine and trans from the Mark IIIV, they are both controlled by the ECU. Had to fashion both front and rear mounts.
Put the toyota power steering box in. Great for those slow tight spots, and no more jamming my elbow in to the door, when you hit a rock. There are some pictures in my gallery.

 

What model Toyota did you source the steering box from? Was it a direct bolt-in, or did you custom-fab a mounting plate?

 

I used a box from 1983 toyota 4x4 pick-up. It was not a direct bolt in but was pretty easy mod and one of the best up-grade I've made. Below is an article that has much of the needed info.
Toyota Steering Box Swap For 1948-1960 Trucks .: Articles
I made my own mount. Kind of a flattened Z. I just checked my pics and can't find one but if you do a search of the 48-56 forum you will come up with many theads, after reading a ton of these I felt confident enough to build my own.