As long as you don't go extreme

 

Would they work well with this cam kit?
COMP Cams K32-218-3 Camshaft Kit High Energy; Camshaft Kit; Hyd Flat Tappet;800-4800rpm;Adv.Dur. 252 Int./Exh.;V.Lift .468 Int./Exh.;Lobe 110 deg;Incl.Cam;Lifter;V.Sprng/Ret./Lock/Seal;Timing Set;
Not Legal For Sale Or Use On Pollution-Controlled Motor Vehicle.

 

That's what they're designed for. Comp high energy cam and high energy pushrods.

 

So for this cam it would be better to get the better pushrods?

 

I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying.

Here's the description of the $26 "stock" set.

"COMP Cams High Energy pushrods are your best choice when building an engine for your street rod, RV, or everyday driver. COMP Cams High Energy pushrods are manufactured to meet or exceed all original equipment specifications for pushrods. They will mate perfectly with High Energy or Magnum rockers."

 

I'm sorry I was having a stupid moment! Hahaha sorry for the misunderstanding!!! So they would match up perfectly as long as my heads haven't been milled at all?

 

Ideally you should get a Pushrod length checker tool and see exactly what you need. But if the block and heads haven't been decked at all, the stock 400 uses a 9.5" length.

 

As far as I know it hasn't been decked. It seems fully stock other than the intake and carb.

 

Then stock length should be fine

 

No reason to change pushrods for that little bit of surface rust. Don't let the old ladies talk you into spending money without having to. FIRST get the truck running. I've seen 10x that amount of rust in running engines with no harmful effects. Water condenses and if it sits for a while it causes rust. Because of the way it is composed, rust takes up about 5 times as much volume as the iron it came from.

YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK! don't turn it into a neverending project garage queen that "someday" is going to be so cool. Put it on the road now. Figure out what is REALLY needing to be repaired or replaced. I guarantee there will be plenty of areas into which to throw your money without getting into the engine. I have "engine first" projects that could buy beer and vote but have never been completed and put to work. learn from my mistakes.

IF you live in an area where you can do it and still license your truck, at some point you will want to add a 4-barrel intake and 750 Holley carb like an 80508 which according to a local wizard is a very good carb for a Ford 400, right out of the box.

Regarding the ever-present advice to mess with cam timing, you should know that the change in cam timing resulted in a ONE HORSEPOWER change, also there is a real question if your truck even had the retarded cam timing when it was new. Bubba says the 351M/400 went back to straight up timing when the engine was put in t5rucks, read what's in the box in this link: http://grantorinosport.org/BubbaF250/perf/perf02a.html

Regarding the engine, it was a gas-slurping dog at the time and most of my older friends tell me a stock 460 would go better and get better mileage, both. The 400 was a workhorse motor. It is relatively easy to get better performance from it as the original performance was so bad. In those days, all engines were some degree of bad. The 400 has quite low compression and that is number one area to change, not so easy. Tim Meyer is the man for that.

One last thing, the heads are nearly copies of 351 Cleveland 2-barrel heads, it would make absolutely no sense to switch what you have for them.

R.

Advice - Read and drive before you start buying parts. Learn the truth about the motor, don't listen to others' wishful wrong BoguS ideas. Jon Kaase won or placed second in more than one Enginemasters using a 351M/400 based engine. The performance is there if you're willing to take the time to find out what it takes.