I pretty much decided to just rebuild my 351M into a solid 400 for now. The 460 project will be here when money allows. I need a flexplate, motor mounts, oil pan, ps and alt brackets, and pulleys plus carb/intake and all the engine internals and thats a bit much since I want to get it back on the road by winter for sure.

So tonight I will start pulling the 351M out of there.

I have a few questions for you guys that have pulled engines in these old trucks before. I will unhook and mark everything so I get it back in the right place obviously. Also I will probably take pics. But my question is, should I pull the transmission with it? I dont see a crossmember in the front so what will hold the trans while the engine is out? If I do leave it in, should I put some kind of tarp over the opening to keep weather out of the transmission? I'm thinking best case scenario it will be out a month. Maybe 2-3 months depending on money, how much I work at my regular job etc etc. If its better to pull the engine/trans together, then what about the t case? Unless I'm not seeing something it just bolts to the back of the trans, right? No crossmember supporting it either. Does it come out with the trans?

Sorry if these are stupid questions this is my first project like this and I dont have anyone here to help me out that doesnt charge $65 an hour (shop).

If there are any posts or sites that show this process I'd love to see them, pics would be awesome.

After I do get it out, should I take it to the machine shop and have it cleaned and looked over to see if it needs bored over or anything?

Thanks alot guys.

 

im sure when it goes to the machine shop you will be surprised how fast you will dump money in a rebuild. be prepared.

 

Yea I know, the machine shop told me $20 a cylinder to bore over, and with hot tank, new cam bearings and freeze plugs its gonna be about $400 all together. And thats before I even buy any parts. The kit i want from tmeyer comes balanced so hopefully that will be all that I have done at the machine shop. Maybe have them mill the heads .010" I didnt get a price from them yet on that.

 

A good machine shop is worth its weight in gold. I tried the cheap way first here in mn when I first moved here. Finally found the best place. It cost more but they had a actual acid tank and you could almost eat off the floors. They built boat motors mostly and they had hemi's and 427 fords there every time I went there. No signs on the outside of the building, didn't need it. Had 5 motors machined and balanced there since then. The right place is worth it in my book.

 

you can get alot of money tied up in machine work, but it's usually worth it.

 

i have 700 in the block and the head were already machined.

 

What all did you have done to your block? Does that $700 include grinding on your crank or did you buy a new crank?

I have a few questions for you guys that have pulled engines in these old trucks before. I will unhook and mark everything so I get it back in the right place obviously. Also I will probably take pics. But my question is, should I pull the transmission with it? I dont see a crossmember in the front so what will hold the trans while the engine is out? If I do leave it in, should I put some kind of tarp over the opening to keep weather out of the transmission? I'm thinking best case scenario it will be out a month. Maybe 2-3 months depending on money, how much I work at my regular job etc etc. If its better to pull the engine/trans together, then what about the t case? Unless I'm not seeing something it just bolts to the back of the trans, right? No crossmember supporting it either. Does it come out with the trans?

Sorry if these are stupid questions this is my first project like this and I dont have anyone here to help me out that doesnt charge $65 an hour (shop).

 

700 was 8 cylinder bores, line bore, decking my block had a wicked taper in it like .022" on one side, baking of the block, disassembly or the heads and inspection (which were junk), polishing the crank and more stuff i cant remember. i pulled my engine a couple of times and i always leave the tranny with a jack under it and unhook the bellhousing. take the clutch out with the engine. after the engine is out, i use 2 small ratchet straps to go from a bellhousing hole to somewhere secure in the engine compartment to keep pressure off of it.

hopefully this will help you out.

 

OK thanks, I was thinking about doing the same thing, having a jack stand under the front of the tranny and then after the engine is out using straps to hold it for the 2-3 months or however long it may be out. My trans is a c6 auto but it should be about the same process, a c6 weighs less than 300lbs and the rear of it will be on the crossmember so I will only have to support the front of it. I guess I need to get the courage up to go down there and get started, we live in a subdivision and my wife thinks the homeowners association is gonna get after me if I make too much of a mess lol.

Did you remove your grill and/or front clip to get it out? I have 4" lift and 35" tires. I was also thinking maybe take the front tires off and set it on blocks to get it as low as possible. I have a normal 2ton shop crane but I dunno if it will go high enough to get it out like it sits.

 

i took the hood off and used an overhead hoist thing with a pulley setup.

 

Leave the trans in, if it is good.
I've used a piece of bar, that fits inside the framerails, prop the trans onto it, and can still push the vehicle around. Linkage still attached, can put er in park.
Secure the torque converter with either a bracket and shims-to keep the torq in place-if it falls out, is a huge mess, and probably damage. Wire it in there, or whatever.
Before reassembly consider a new front seal for the transmission/torq. converter-best time to replace.

 

I found a 400 for a pretty decent price from a FTE member but it is gonna be about a 4 hr one way trip to get it. Its a Four Star engine with 11k miles on it. In the pictures it looks to be leaking some oil from the front of the oil pan. I plan on getting it home, putting it on a stand and taking off the valve covers, oil pan and timing cover and intake manifold and having a look at everything. I will then put my Weiand 8010 and Edel brock 1406 on it and put a new cam and timing set in it. I was also thinking I would buy some headers for it while I'm at it. Then I will put everything back together with new gaskets and that should cure the oil leaks, I'm hoping. Heres some pics of the new engine.







My questions are:

1) Does any one know anything about FourStar engines? I dont find anything online at all. Similar to Jasper I'm guessing?

2) What else should I be looking for before putting it back together and installing? It turns over real nice from what I've been told. Is there a way to do a compression test on the engine stand?

3) What headers work best on a 78 4x4 w/ C6? I'm just looking for a set that fits well, and that I will have to only make minor changes to my exhaust system which is brand new. I'm thinking I will just have to drive it to the muffler shop with open headers and have them bend it to bolt to the headers instead of the manifolds. How loud is a 400 with open headers? Loud enough that cops will pull me over? Would it be better to have it towed up there??

4)What cam and timing set works best for a 400 with headers and 4 bbl? I'd like it to 'lope' a bit at idle if possible. But nothing too radical just mud bogging and cruising.

And any other advice yall might have sorry this is so long.................

 

Ive been looking at blow up diagrams of the C6 and cant find where the front seal goes that you are talking about. Any one know of a better diagram to show me the seal?

 

Hmm, you do have to pull the torque converter to see the seal, it is mounted into the transmission pump cover-a cast steel piece bolted inside the bellhousing. The seal rides on the torq. converter output hub-same idea as your engine timing cover/harmonic balancer seal.
Mind you, if it seems dry as is, mebbe just leave it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

OK behind the tq converter. I'll slide it off and have a look when I get that far. Thanks.

Going to get the new/used 400 in the morning. (pics in this thread) It has been sitting for a while but it still has the oil in it. Should I squirt oil in each spark plug hole and crank it over by hand several times? If I squirt oil in the cylinders then try to start it wont that foul the plugs? I'll probably have more questions as this swap goes along, I think I've pretty much figured out all the parts I need , mainly just gaskets, cam/chain/lifters and headers. I already have a carb/intake. I'm not to sure about cam break in, my new cam will probably come with instructions. I will be doing cam break in with open headers unless somehow the headers bolt right up to my exhaust where the manifolds did. The neighbors will love that.