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Before everyone tells me this is not a 385 series engine, I already know that. Since there is not a board that covers these engines, and these engines are close in power and displacement to the 460 I thought perhaps that this would be a good place to start. I have a 462 Lincoln engine from a 67 Lincoln that I parted out several years ago. I knew the car and know that the engine is a good solid well running engine that produces gobs of torque. I am giving serious thought to putting this engine in my 55 F-600 replacing the 390 that now resides in it. This engine has a bellhousing that looks different to any Ford bellhousing that I have ever seen. I have the original C-6 tranny that was behind the engine, but I want to mate the engine to my truck four speed. Can anyone on this board tell me if anyone makes an adapter, or does anyone know of a bellhousing that will fit this engine where I can use a manual transmission with it? Also I need to know what if any flywheel will work with it?
The engine is even futher removed from a Y block than the 385 series engines. I have Y block engines in the shop and there is nothing the same, These engines are even larger in size than an FE engines that replaced the Y block. I have made a post in the 401, 477, and 534 engine group as these engines are also closely related to them also.
Good luck with that, the MEL engines aren't terribly common and I've heard they're hard to get quality aftermarket parts for, although I've never owned or worked on one myself.
Scott
IIRC, the MEL is considered a big block FE. A good friend of mine had had a 430 in a 66 F100 in the late 60's, and he's pretty sure he used a 352 bellhousing and flywheel on it...
Thanks for the info guys, as usual you are a big help. I do have a manual bellhousing in the shop for a 429, 460. I will get it out sometime this week and see it it will fit up. I will post my reselts here for you.
My point about the Y block forum was that it's inhabited by more people who know these engines. There have been a number of discussions about the MEL there.