hello i am new to this section of the forum but anyway. I am about to purchase a 429 block for 150$. First off i want to know, these are the motors that use the cobra jet heads correct? second if it is a 2 bolt main can i still get good amount of horsepower without having to worry about anything breaking (around 400-600?). And my last question is i currently have a 400m in my truck with a c6. the 400m has the same bellhousing as a 460, does this mean i could hook up the 429 to my c6 with little or no modifaction?

 

I can only answer part of the question. The 429 and 460 are the same basic block, so the transmission will work. I've been told that generous amounts of horsepower can be safely made with 2 bolt 385 blocks.

 

351M/400 and the 385 series all use the same trans pattern so no problem there. As for HP how much do you want to spend? You can get more than you need out of these real easy. Bore the block 60 over add the 460 crank, rods, and pistons and you have a 466. you can get close to 1hp per cube without extreme mods and keeping the 2-bolt mains. It just depaends on what you want and how much you want to spend. Check out 460ford.com :: View topic - 460 Horsepower Chart

 

first off, yes there was a 429 CJ, but just because the cj/scj were 429s that does NOT make all 429s cobra jets. Also only some of the CJ were 4bolt mains, but all the SCJ were supposed to be (both the CJ/SCJ use the same heads though, casting number D0OE-R is the casting number but fairly rare)
As to worrying about 2 or 4 bolt mains, way to much Chev bias is brought into Fords world, it's an issue on a SBC not so much on a big block ford, VERY few people will ever build a street motor or for that matter even a full out race engine with enough hp to really be a worry on a 385 series 2 bolt block, example I built and run a 528cid stroker using a late model 2 bolt block making over 900hp and haven't broken it. Yes I did a couple things over stock but it still remains a 2 bolt factory block.

 

one thing to check is the pilot size in the back of the crankshaft of them. i know the 429 is smaller than the 460 pilot hole. (found out the hard way) i dont know the size of the 351m/400 it just may mean finding a different torque converter.

 

i will pay whatever i have to..haha...this is going to be a street rod probably would barely see the track..but i would want as much horsepower as i could get safely and easily