Looked at the 3/4 ton nighteyes is dealing on. It is a starting point but will take some work. The engine has the pan off, and the po said there was a knock in it. I think it is a 335 series - can anyone verify that from the pictures? It does have a heavy duty radiator with no evidence of leaks.

Surprised me - it has a divorced Xfer case which is mounted far back (end of the cab?). Is this the stock mounting place for them? Seems the worse location possible for getting hung up on rocks and logs.

It is a 4 speed - the clutch stuff seemed to be all there and in working order. The po was impressed because it had a NP tranny - didn't tell him someone had given me one just to get it out of his way. Don't see why they are special.

The truck is battered with dents in all panels including the roof, but no major rust issues. The front bumper is gone - and it has a utility box that would need to be replaced. The interior has been trashed and there are big holes cut for the radio and speakers.

It has lockout hubs - bigger hubs than I am used to seeing. Power drum brakes and manual steering with the box mounted in front of the solid axle. The pumkin is offset to the left.

The rear end and springs were stout and looked stock, with no overloads. The dust cover had been removed and left off, but I did not see any damage, other than sand and dirt. Tires and wheels were the stock drop center 16 inch rim - tires are wore out.

 

What sort of engine is this?

 

Hard to tell under all the grime and cobwebs, but that engine looks like an FE. 335 engines have canted valves, you can see those valves are straight in line and that sure looks like the typical FE flat restrictive exhaust manifolds there in the pics.

So we can combine this one with mine as mine has a better body:

 

You got a title? Also, engine is not a FE. The valve covers do not cover the intake manifold.

Can you get the 460? will the xfer case hold that much power?

 

I just downloaded your engine pics and enlarged them...I'd put money on it being an FE. The fact that the exhaust ports stick out from the heads to meet the manifold, the ex. man. bolts being top and bottom, the shape of the valve covers...everything points to it being an FE. There's so much grime on it that you probably couldn't see the parting line between the head and the manifold.

I haven't checked about the 460 yet, but I'll do so this week. And I do have a title, as I told you once before the truck wasn't non-opped and is still in the DMV's computer after 10 years so the fees and penalties are through the roof. We'd have to register it in Nevada.

And I wouldn't be too worried about the T-case. We really should ask Skip what tranny is preferred though, stick or auto. At least we have both options.

 

I hope it is an FE, but I do not think so. If it is I have the 390 stuff for it! And it was not so much the grease, but the spiderwebs - never seen such a nest. I am emailing my original photos - lot more detailed.

 

If it helps that valve cover looks exactly like the one I pulled off my 390 not to long ago...rounded in front and flat at the back. The 460 valve covers are squared off and flat front to back. Could be a 360 or a 390 IMO
-Chris

 

Looking at the original photo I can almost think I see a line where the intake mates with the head, under the valve cover. If so, it is a FE.

It could be wishfull thinking on my part.

 

I guarantee it's an FE, 360/390. No other engine has heads like that. I'll even bet $50 it is.

 

What of the drum brakes? Should the front be changed to disk? I understand the front end is a dana 44, it does have closed knuckels. What would it take to convert it to disk?

I worry that drums would become packed with mud and leave you without any brakes as the night progresses.

Also, please remember that while we want it to perform well in a mud race, we also want something that can be trail driven, and used as a truck. It will be heavy enough that we may need to drive it to the events and not fool with a trailer and a second tow vehicle.

 

That definately is not a 429/460. My vote is for The FE Series, 352/360/390/427 etc. Judging by the year, I believe that would be a 352. I'm not sure when they brought the 335 series in for trucks but I thought it was later.??? Can't quite see the seam in the head/manifold in the pics...

I did a disc brake conversion on my 74 a couple of years ago. It should be the same thing with the truck in the pics (project truck). The easiest thing to do is find a 76 - 77 F250 4x4 in a wrecking yard. The front end off of that year should bolt right up under there. And they were quite common with disc brakes in those years. The frame widths were the same up until at least mid 77. I think they changed the frame widths on the 77.5 and above, but can't guarantee it.
Also, when the donor truck is found, we would want to salvage the Master Cylinder/booster, proportioner valve, and maybe even the brake line ends (the ones that attach to the calipers). I have a double flaring tool to fit those ends to the brake lines of the project truck if needed.

Did you guys see the links I posted for the power steering conversion on the 4x4 part 1 thread?

Oh yeah, Clint, that 435 4 speed trannie and the NP205 transfer case are both virtually bullit proof! They'll hold up to a 460 with no problems. The only thing I would consider a breakable point would be the ujoints and that short drive shaft between the trans and txfer case. I'd use spicer joints and maybe think about re-sleaving that short shaft with a little heavier gauge steel tube.
Also, maybe think about stabilizing the trxfer case with a rod bolting to the txfer case to the frame. Being divorced, it might help to support it. Especially with the torque needed to push through a mud bog.

 

All good stuff guys...and Dale, I won't take that bet 'cause I'm positive it's an FE as well. In '70 when this truck was built the only V8s available were either the 360 or 390 FE or the 302, which I don't think was put into the F-250, just the F-100. (Not too sure about that one.) So, if it's the original engine (and I'm pretty sure it is) it's an FE, either a 360 or 390. We'd have to look at the tag by the coil or the VIN to tell which one.

My local yard has a mid-'70s F-250 4X4 that still has the axles in it, I'll have to look to see if it's disc brake or not. I did notice that the P/S is gone, it's even marked on the fender as the first thing they wanted the yard guys to pull when it came in.

I have a twin I-beam 4X4 front out of an '85...don't know if we could adapt the disc brakes from it easily or not. With a little welding and fabrication, anything is possible.

Tim, I have the doner truck, it's the one with the camper on it in the pic above. I have the camper promised to Jim so as soon as I have it off of the truck I can start pulling things apart.

Do have some sort of a deadline that we want to think about for having this thing going?

 

Well, I don't know what it is, I was told it was one of the 351's but Stacy was not sure. Seems the general consensus is that it is an FE. That would make more sense, since none of the 351's was offered in that truck. As for which FE does it really matter? With the exception of pistons and rods, don't the other parts interchange between the two?

 

Well, pistons, rods and crank are the only differences between the 360 and the 390. The general consensus is that the 360 is an underpowered. low-compression dog, although mine hauls butt pretty well for being all stock and original internals. I guess it really depends on what condition the engine in that truck is in and how easily salvagable it is. If we were to stay with an FE, it might be nice to go 428...y'know, there ain't no substitute for cubic inches! That's one reason the 460 really appeals to me...

 

Stock-wise, that truck would have came with a 360 FE. They did not offer the 390 in 4wd. The truck 390 is also low compression (compaired to the car 390s) -

If it is a FE, we might as well rebuild it with my 390 parts. Someone with better knowledge than me will need to look at the heads and come up with a reasonable compression ratio.

I guess we have decided that the drum brakes have to go? Or will they work untill we find something better?