[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 21-Jul-01 AT 00:15 AM (EST)[/font][p]Hi everyone, heres the skinny....I have a 351M which has been sitting and is ready for a makeover and I have an $800 budget to throw into it. Its going to be an everyday driver but I have a lead foot and as one might say, a need for speed. I thought I'd try and get some recommendations from everyone first. I want something high performance but not something that is gonna take a dump after 50k miles and drinks gas like a dehydrated horse. Heres the plans, I want to get the block cooked and have a pro slap in some fresh cam bearings, and I was gonna throw on all the others myself, the kit comes with pistons that knock the compression up to 8.23:1 and new rings and all the works. A 218/228 duration cam with 509 lift and hydraulic lifters, comp cams pushrods, crane cams valve springs, crane cams roller rockers and an edelbrock timing set put on 0 degrees, running on a stock fomoco 2bbl carb. Now here are the question...

I have heard talk of putting in a 400 crank, what kind of work is involved with that, and what kinds of losses and gains come along with it?

Would it be wise to run a h.v. oil pump with restrictors?

Are there anymore simple, sort of cheap bolt ons that anyone knows of, emissions are not a problem.

What about exhaust? Headers or stock manis? And does an H pipe setup have any gains?

Anthing else anyone can think of answering me, please do. Hopefully by the time youre done reading this you still feel like answering the questions and letting me know what you think. I have alot of friends to impress and Chevy's to insult (which isnt very hard) By the way this setup is going into a 79 F150 Shortbed 4 speed 4x4. Yes, im leaving now. Thanks I appreciate it,
Mike

1979 F150 Shortbed 351M 4 Speed 4x4
1978 F150 Shortbed 400 4x4 (Soon to be gone )
1978 F250 Supercab 4x4, Fresh 400, Towing Cam, Holley 2barrel
1977 f150 351M, Extreme cam,4 spd 4x4, 3" Susp. Lift
1996 Explorer bone stock

 

To change a 351m to a 400 you will have to change the pistons and crankshaft. the rods a the same 351m/400

 

Changing to a 400 crank and pistons is the cheapest HP because you need to buy pistons and a crank kit anyway. Next, get out the die grinder and clean up those heads (read also, cheap!). Polish and unshroud the combustion chambers, and port match to the intake and exhaust gaskets. From there, it sounds like your on the right track.

Nathan