im trying to buy a 79 f350 uhaul box truck does anyone have any info on these trucks? it has a 330 v8 4spd can i put a 400 in place of this engine .
it runs great now lots of oil leaks thanks for any info

 

Easier to swap an FE in place of the FT engine.

Josh

 

You can, but why would you want to? I'd rather have the 330. If I were going for a different engine family, I'd probably go with the 460 in a one ton box truck.

Like Bullitt said, it will be easier to swap in an FE because you shouldn't have to modify anything. The 400 (and 460) will at least take different towers and a different bellhousing.

 

cant i just get engine stands and bellhousing and bolt her in? must have read my mine. i have rebuilt 400 was putting in cc project.. so the 330 is a goood engine ?

 

Pretty much.......

 

The 330 is not overly powerful, but it is rugged and can stand up to a lot of abuse. Why not just run it for the time being, see how you like it, and save that 400 just in case you need it for the CC.

Yes, swapping out towers and bellhousings is probably all you will have to do. Maybe the radiator, too depending on the size and hose routing...but even so, it would not be all that difficult. The 4 speed is what will save you, as it works will most if not all manual bellhousings. You won't have to swap that like you would an auto.

 

The 330 is useless in a normal truck. With an extremely low governor, extremely restrictive manifolds and carb, the thing is a boat anchor. The block is good to use for a rebuilt 390 or 428, but that's about it.

The easiest route is an FE.

The 400 or 460 would need perches, mounts, bellhousing, might have to relocate the trans crossmember (forwards or back can't remember)

If you already have the 400, then most of the cost and battle is done.

Josh

 

ok i plan on running 330 till she blows up. just making sure i can drop my 400 in without breaking the bank . as the cc is doing that now
anyone have specs or parts places to find 330 parts?

 

I wouldn't expect to see a 330 in a 1-ton. The last time I rented a 70s Ford U-Haul it was a '76 and had a 360 2-barrel with a 4-speed. Then again that was 1996 and I was a stupid 18-year old who thought roasting all 4 back tires in granny gear was cool.

I thought the 330 was an HD engine, found in 500/550 and up trucks? Mostly the cabover C-series?

 

uhauls were cab chassis trucks then the box was installed.and it is a 330 all the spec are under hood

 

I bet you'll die before that engine ever gives up, unless you run it without oil for a couple days.

Josh

 

Here's some U-haul info from another website...

359FT and 389FT were special fleet engines. U-haul was pushing to reduce costs, so Ford defined a low-cost formula for creating FT engines in special fleet applications sometime around 1973. The result was an engine with a cast iron crankshaft instead of the FT steel crank, and a governor installed (on all?) which reduced the redline about 500RPM below the governed 361FT and 391FT engines to prevent any opportunity for warranty issues resulting from the less robust crankshaft. The lower RPMs resulted in less horsepower output and longer life. U-haul bought them in quantity, and the rest is history.

 

The 330 in my 1979 U-Haul "F37..." is called a 330 XD. I know of no other FT engine that was called an XD. The GVWR is #9900. I believe it has some FE and (mostly) FT parts. I haven't had the rocker covers off, but I'm sure it has hydraulic cam/lifters. The dually rear axle is a Dana 70, 4:11 ratio. New Process 435 4 speed (10W40 oil!). I believe it had the governor removed before it was sold by U-Haul. It had the OEM oil bath air cleaner on it. It does have FT heads and 2V intake/2v Ford carb. It appears to have the steel 1 3/4" snout crank, and FT water pump. Exhaust manifolds are not the rams-horn. I think the best mod for more power might be a 4V intake and carb. Otherwise, a 390 or 428 would probably work well. The ultimate swap would be a 460. I wish mine was an automatic, but I hate to think of getting worse than the 7 mpg I have been getting! Parts availability depends on what you need. I can't find any FT's in salvage yards around my home area, but they are available in some areas. I have a spare 400, but I wouldn't think of replacing the 330 with it. A 390 would be a much better replacement. 460's are very cheap, and the added torque would probably help to equal or better the 7mpg my 330 gets.

 

xd is whats on the sticker on drivers side inner fender

 

does anybody know aprox. how much the box on one of these trucks weighs?