I figured out why I got confused trying to determine the cast date for my 400.

Bill,you pointed out that the assembly date is on passenger side of water pump area. Mine is confusing because of an extra digit, but presumably it was assembled in 1977. This doesn't tell when or where the motor was cast.

One of the excellent resources for Ford trucks of this period that I've been using is found on Bubba f250's site.He correctly describes the upside down cast code on the side of the engine behind passenger exhaust manifold the block casting ID code.

This is where I got / get confused. This has nothing to do with the cast date but everything to do with the purpose of the engine Mine is D7TE-A-2-B. His chart showed that under the Heading for model year 1977-1982 and a truck block with extra webbing. I incorrectly equated this date to the CAST date. This little distinction cost me dearly.

So just an FYI to novices like me, if you are going to buy or build a 400 make sure it is not cast before March 02, 1977 at the Michigan Casting Center (MCC) as determined by looking at the date found on top of the engine, trans side of oil sending unit!

 

Just another piece of info to add to the confusion: Blocks cast at the Cleveland Foundry (CF) have the casting date located just above the casting code on the lower RH side of the block.

 

Ahhh, good point. That'd would have been sure to make my head spin. My problem is I've been trying to eat the whole truck and have somewhat of an information overload. I've tried to organize forum responses/discussions by topic to keep from digging through so much.

This forum has provided nothing but excellent responses / help.

 

Other than the '71 block, there all the same. There is no extra webbing on any block regardless of the year or application.

 

Actually in '77 Ford did make a revision to the blocks. If you order main bearings for a 351M/400 there are 2 different part #s, 1 for '70 - '76 and 1 for '77 and later. The D7TE and D8xx castings take a different main bearing set than the D1xx, D3xx, D4xx and D5xx castings.

 

There was no revision, just different bearings..

 

I can understand FoMoCo changing bearings for whatever reason but the aftermarket wouldn't necessarily do so yet if you order aftermarket bearings for the 351M/400 they still specify 2 different part #s. It's always been my understanding that the D7TE blocks were strengthened because they started putting the 351M/400 in trucks with manual transmissions for the first time in '77 so they strengthened the main bearing webs to take the abuse of the manual trans.

 

No, they just added half grooved mains. The factory felt they would hold up better. You can use either bearing in any block.

 

I get the feeling that bill is probably right on this one. Besides, I personally have torn down enough of these engines to testify that at some point they did do a block revision as far as the lifter valley goes. There are x's cast vertically down the sides of the valley to fix a coolant leak problem. Last I checked it had something to do with the casting info found up by the oil pressure sending unit. Cleveland foundry or Michigan Casting Company? That is the question.