I'm only 17 and only had this truck a year and boy i have been hard on it, the truck was already pretty worn when i got it but its a fixer-upper.
So far as harsh as i have treated it the 351M has run hard and strong with only one acident with a bent pushrod (showing off at school) Someone has to keep those chevys in line.And they can't even touch this thing. But its time for a rebuild for sure,almost sounds like a diesle (wristpins)
With a rebuild I would love to get a few more hp out of my 351M and turn it to a 400, But should i rebuild mine or buy a rebuilt one and put my mods in that. I have heard a few good things about jasper rebuilt motors. which ever I decide I'm gonna bore it out 0.30 and change the cam, heads,intake and add a 4bbl carb
I know it would prolly be cheaper to just rebuild mine but I don't have the experiance to do it myself or the money and time to have a mechanic rebuild it.

Any advice would be great




1976 100 custom...351M...6" suspension lift, 3" body lift...38 super swampers

 

you CAN build power out of the 351M's but i think it'd just be cheaper to go to a 460.
they arn't too hard to put in as far as i know and you can pick up a decent 460 for a reasonable price....an M you'd be spendin some good money to equal stock 460 power.....something to think about.

 

The only way you will ever get the experience you refer to is to do it. I rebuilt my first engine (72 351C) when I was 19 and it is still going strong 8 years later. I had only played and tinkered up until then with engines. Just get some good books (HP series is great - How to Rebuild Big Block Fords covers 351C, M, 400, 429 and 460) the correct tools (don't skimp here-an extra hundred dollars on tools can save a bunch later, get good machine work done, and follow the instructions in the books and mechanics meticulessly. It is a lot of fun (most of the time!), you learn a lot and you can say you did it (for the good or the bad) when it is over. When it is done you will have the tools and knoweledge to do it better and quicker the next time.

Just take your time and do not skimp parts, machinework, or steps.

Just my 2 cents. Good Luck whichever way you go.

Eric B.

 

I agree with Eric_B, (I too started working on Fords when a teenager but in my case that was over 30 years ago) the way to learn is to do it and with a few good books and some good tools (Sears is an excellent source) you can do it, and once you've done it the pride in being able to say "I did it myself" is really great.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 29-May-00 AT 09:27 AM (EST)[/font][p]390gt..yeah but i think i would rather stay with a 351M or change it to a 400.
With a 460 i would just pay good money on gas.




1976 100 custom...351M...6" suspension lift, 3" body lift...38 super swampers

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 29-May-00 AT 09:24 PM (EST)[/font][p]well true the 460 is hard on fuel but i dont think the M is much better.
i agree with the other guys to rebuild..i'm currently doing 3 right now.

 

I just finished building a 400 for my 1980 F-150. I ordered the bottom end from Engine Factory (out of New Jersey) www.enginefactory.com They do excellent work, I was very happy with the work they did for me. They did up a short block for me using the parts I asked them to use, and shipped it to me in less than 2 weeks. Anyway, I followed the hotrod magazine article sept 98 for everything else. I've had it running for more than a month now, and I'm extremely happy. The motor sounds like a damn race car, and has so much torque it blows my mind. I'm getting real good gass milage, as compared to the original motor that had 170,000 miles. Just the other day I blew the doors off my neighbor's '70 chevelle 454. He wasnt very happy that my 4x4 truck with 33" tires ate up his hotrod.... but I was!!! I think it supprised me more than it supprised him. Anyway, the reason I went with the 400 instead of the 460, is because I've never heard anyone even claim to get decent gas milage with the 460. I have talked to several people who told me they were very happy with milage from their 400. I didn't want to feed the extra 60 cubes. Also the 460 is definatley heavier, which doesnt help anything. (I'm not knocking the 460 dont get me wrong here, Just explaining my decision. The 460 is a great motor). Also the stock horsepower and torque numbers arent all that different between these two engines. The thing the 400 is missing is the compression. If you are interested in building a 400 you should definatley read the tech article on this site. "351M/400 performance options". Very good info.
Good luck with the project!!!

SteveT

 

Actually,the 460 is lighter than a 351m/400.

 

I read that the 460 is based on the 429 which was Ford's new "thinwall casting," as opposed to the heavier 427 and 428. I would suppose the 351M/400 is the older, heavier casting but is it a small block or big block?

 

The 400 is a big block motor. The one in my truck is from a car but when the previous owner placed it in the truck he used the larger truck oilpan.
so now i have 2 dipsticks.the original car one in the front and the truck one in the rear.
Anyone know of a way to get rid of the dipstick in the front. kinda gives it away that the motor isn't original..

thx in advance




976 100 custom...351M...6" suspension lift, 3" body lift...38 super swampers

 

>I read that the 460 is
>based on the 429 which
>was Ford's new "thinwall casting,"
>as opposed to the heavier
>427 and 428. I
>would suppose the 351M/400 is
>the older, heavier casting but
>is it a small block
>or big block?


Actually the 351C, M, and 400 are all thinwall castings also. The 351C weighs only about 50-65 lbs more than a Windsor and the M and 400 are about 30 - 40 pounds heavier than that. The 429s and 460s weigh in slighly heavier than the 351Ms and 400s.

When you look at it the 289s and 302s weigh in the neighborhood of 450-480 pounds and the FEs (the heaviest of the "modern" Ford iron) come in around 700-725 pounds you are looking at differences between the largest and smallest of 275 pounds - assuming iron head to iron heads, aluminum to aluminum and so on. The rest fall in between. A Cleveland is about 550-575 rage with the 400s around 600. All info I have ever seen puts the 429/460s in the mid to low 600s.

It is all really a matter of personal preference and you will find guys out there willing to almost die over their opinion.

 

Interesting. I never thought these engines weighed so much. I assume that weight is fully assembled block and heads, but no accessories beyond perhaps the water pump.

Do you know what the 300 ci I-6 weighs and how that compares to the smaller blocked 250 I-6 once used in cars.

 

Here is a link to a site that has engine weights posted. I was not too far off going on memory. The numbers posted on this site are in line with what I remember having always seeing.

http://www.blarg.net/~bossbill/eng_wts.html

Eric B.

 

Guess I was way off on the standard 429/460 with my mid to low 600...page shows low 700s.....

This page shows the 300 weighing in at 385 as well as the 250.

Eric B.

 

Gosh, I was ready to reply to TallPaul and you guys beat me to it! Anyway, here is an interesting site of various engine weights: http://triumph.cs.utah.edu/sol/tech/engine.html