351W must have
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
I would be torn, I've had 400's and rebuilt them for some serious power. On the other hand I had an 89 351w (it was a roller cam engine)and AOD in a 71 Torino convert with 350 gears and it also ran great. So I would guess which ever way you go will be fine, IMHO
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,779
Likes: 3
From: Waterloo IL
Sarcasm is hardly necessary....... but thanks anyway for your well thought-out answer. During this era, which you claim to be before or during your youth, there were lemon engines and chassis. This still occurs present day. For the most part, the 335's were reliable; your elder's luck with them hardly typical. I've had no problems with mine, and know plenty of folks that share that experience. Every piston (and turbine) engine has its good and bad points, and once analyzed and addressed, nearly if not all can be made reliable. The M is no different.
Combine that with the fact that there are threads on this site almost daily about what to do about bad oil pressure, noise, low compression, low power or whats needed for a 460 swap, it must not just be me. You can use this thread as an example.
Next time you see a thread title mentioning problems such as these I'd bet it's gonna be for a 351m/400, seen it time and time again. I'm not saying a 429/460 or 360/390 can't have problems but its many times more likey that its gonna be a 351m/400.
You obviously like these engines and I don't mean to step on your toes. I'm just stating my opinion and explaining why these engines are not for me.
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 40
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351/400 sure had a short life span production wise. ford decided to phase them out for a reason right. i guarantee they had good reason to. the windsor surpassed that family of engine, and is known to have a way more efficient oiling system. the M actually stands for Midland. not tryin' to sound rude just my .02
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Westerville, OH
There is no foundry owned by Ford in Midland, Texas. The engines have nothing to do with any incarnation of the word Midland. It's a myth, a lie, an untruth.
Modified is correct because a 351M/400 M-block engine is simply a 351C, modified with a taller deck height. Heads interchange among many other parts. Intakes don't because of the deck height. Michigan is also correct because they were made at the Michigan Casting Center.
But it is most certainly not a Midland. Sore wa Midland sa rete inai. Ich Bin Nein Midlander. No es Midland. Il n'est pas Midland. Het is niet Midland. это не Midland. How many other ways can I explain this?
Anyhow, the 351M and 400 engines are fine. Do they have cracking issues? Yep. Do Windsors have oil pump issues? Yep. Do straight sixes eat timing gears? Yep. Do 460's have cooling problems? Yep. Guess what? You've got a '78 motor. No cylinder wall cracking issues. Just build it up. Tim Meyer (TMI) will hook you up. Spend some time in the 335 engine forum and read about how much fun actually having torque is. You want to spend sick money you can build whatever you want, but you can still remain on a moderate budget and be like Jon Kaase with a 650hp 400. Google that name while you're out and about and check out the 2008 Engine Masters Challenge. And subsequent years because he's still at the top of his game running M-blocks.
Go with a 351W and you'll have to change your motor mounts and transmission or at least get a small-block bellhousing installed. You'll have to make longer wires for your temp sensor. Your exhaust manifolds won't fit. If you change to an AOD you'll need to change the yoke on your driveshaft, mess with the transmission mounts and crossmember, and then figure out which flexplate to use since most AOD's were mounted on 302 engines with the 50oz imbalance. Your Duraspark box may or may not work, you might need one of those or go aftermarket for your ignition purposes. One thing you might not need to mess with is the throttle cable. One of very FEW things you won't have to mess with.
I've been through all this debate with my Gran Torino. I'm either building up my 351M or putting in a late 400 and swapping my tin over. No sense messing with something so good. I can run an AOD, just have to cut the bellhousing off and use an Ultra Bell. I'd much rather spend $325 on a bellhousing and $50 to have a welder cut the old bell off than have to change all the stuff I mentioned in the next paragraph up. Then again if I can get a WHOLE parts car like an 81-83 or so LTD with a 302/AOD, I might go ahead and make the change. If you can get a WHOLE parts truck with a 351W, then yeah, it's worth making the change but you'll miss the grunt on the low end unless you build big.
Modified is correct because a 351M/400 M-block engine is simply a 351C, modified with a taller deck height. Heads interchange among many other parts. Intakes don't because of the deck height. Michigan is also correct because they were made at the Michigan Casting Center.
But it is most certainly not a Midland. Sore wa Midland sa rete inai. Ich Bin Nein Midlander. No es Midland. Il n'est pas Midland. Het is niet Midland. это не Midland. How many other ways can I explain this?
Anyhow, the 351M and 400 engines are fine. Do they have cracking issues? Yep. Do Windsors have oil pump issues? Yep. Do straight sixes eat timing gears? Yep. Do 460's have cooling problems? Yep. Guess what? You've got a '78 motor. No cylinder wall cracking issues. Just build it up. Tim Meyer (TMI) will hook you up. Spend some time in the 335 engine forum and read about how much fun actually having torque is. You want to spend sick money you can build whatever you want, but you can still remain on a moderate budget and be like Jon Kaase with a 650hp 400. Google that name while you're out and about and check out the 2008 Engine Masters Challenge. And subsequent years because he's still at the top of his game running M-blocks.
Go with a 351W and you'll have to change your motor mounts and transmission or at least get a small-block bellhousing installed. You'll have to make longer wires for your temp sensor. Your exhaust manifolds won't fit. If you change to an AOD you'll need to change the yoke on your driveshaft, mess with the transmission mounts and crossmember, and then figure out which flexplate to use since most AOD's were mounted on 302 engines with the 50oz imbalance. Your Duraspark box may or may not work, you might need one of those or go aftermarket for your ignition purposes. One thing you might not need to mess with is the throttle cable. One of very FEW things you won't have to mess with.
I've been through all this debate with my Gran Torino. I'm either building up my 351M or putting in a late 400 and swapping my tin over. No sense messing with something so good. I can run an AOD, just have to cut the bellhousing off and use an Ultra Bell. I'd much rather spend $325 on a bellhousing and $50 to have a welder cut the old bell off than have to change all the stuff I mentioned in the next paragraph up. Then again if I can get a WHOLE parts car like an 81-83 or so LTD with a 302/AOD, I might go ahead and make the change. If you can get a WHOLE parts truck with a 351W, then yeah, it's worth making the change but you'll miss the grunt on the low end unless you build big.
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