ford truck engines

Both the 351M and 400 in pickups & light trucks where reliable and produced decent power for their day but where fuel hungry. Both where dropped from production in 1982 due to their inability to meet emission standards. From then till 1997 your V8 choices where limited to three the 302, the 351W and the 460 (in limited applications). From 1997 to now your choices are even more limited the 4.6 or the 5.4 - neither does much for me.

1979 was the last year the 351M/400 engines were produced in large numbers. With the continuing effects of the OPEC oil embargo and the ever-increasing pollution and gas mileage restrictions coming out of Washington, Ford decided to to use the I-6, 302, and 351W engines in the new line of light-duty trucks Ford was developing for the 1980 model year. This meant that end of the 351M/400 engine was finally carved in stone because Ford decided to phase out the production of 351M/400. Oddly enough, Ford continued to install the 351M in some early 80s model Broncos and both the 351M/400 in some of the F-250 and F-350 trucks until the last one was used in 1982.

Although the 335 engine series was only 11 years old when it was discontinued, it was scraped in favor of the lighter, cheaper-to-produce 302/351 Windsor engines. So ended the era of the great Cleveland based engines from Ford.

As mentioned earlier the entire engines can be swapped out (with mods for the oil filter when going from 400 to 460) as they share the "big block" transmission bolt pattern.

As far as your engines go, I'm not a Ford gas-engine expert, but as I recall - the 400M is part of a series of engines base on the original small block 221-260-289-302, but with higher cylinders. There was a 400 Cleveland, 400 Windsor, and 400 Modified which all interchanged to a degree. The 460 (Lincoln based engine) is a big-block and is larger and heavier. So, I assume a swap will take some modification - but ask an expert.

Ford>Link V8 Engine Differences

"There are different types of Ford engine's including the Windsor, Cleveland, FE, and Big Block types. The 289 is the smallest of the popular Windsor engines. It was produced from '63-'68 and is very similar to the 302 except for the stroke. Most all 289's and 302's have mechanical camshafts and press in studs. A 289 has a 4.00x2.870 Bore and Stroke while the 302 has 4.00x3.00. The 302 Boss and SVO has the same Bore and Stroke. The 302 manufactured from '85 and up has roller type camshafts.

The 351 Windsor is the biggest smallblock Ford engines. It has a Bore and Stroke of 4.00x.3.50. It was made at the Windsor, Ontario plant. The 351 has a beefier block than the 302/289 but has the same bore spacing and bore diameter, so the heads retrofit. The deck height is taller and the Mail journals larger. Camshafts interchange but the 351W has a different firing order except for the '82 and later 302HO. The Windsor has been in production since '69.

The 351 Cleveland is in a class by itself and entered the scene in 1970 until 1974. It has canted valves and multi-groove keepers, hydraulic cam, pedestal -mounted rocker arms that are retained with cap bolts. Two types of heads where made they were the 2V and 4V. The 2V heads have open chambers with rounded ports, while the 4V has quench combustion chambers with larger rounded intake and exhaust ports. A 351C Cobra-Jet appeared in '71 with 4-bolt main caps. A 351C Boss also came out in '71 with 4V type chamber head with pedestals machined to accept a 302 Boss type valve train and mechanical cam. In '72 open chamber heads were used with a flat top piston and the name changed to 351C HO.

The 289/302/351 engines use a front cover and water exists the intake manifold face of the cylinder head through the intake manifold to the radiator. 351C/351M/400 engines do not use a front cover instead the block extends out to cover the timing chain and water exist the block face.

The FE engines are the 390/427/428 engines and are different from all other Ford engines. The 390 is set up basically the same as other engines but nothing interchanges with them. The 427 engines are overhead cam and are extremely powerful sincewise they were used in AC Cobra's. In '64 a 427 could be ordered over the counter and had 625 HP stock. The 428 isn't much different but is not overhead cam.

The last of the Ford engines are the Big Blocks 429/460. 429's were available from '68-'73 and named Cobra-Jet, Super Cobra-Jet, and Boss. Basically the 429 was a wedge engine with hydraulic cam, 2-bolt main caps, and 2V or 4V carbs. Cast iron rail rocker arms were mounted on non-adjustable, positive stop studs until '72. Then shared the same mounts as the Cleveland. The 460 is a stroked 429. The CJ had a hotter cam, larger carb, bigger port heads and valves. The SCJ had 4 bolt mains mechanical cam, adjustable non-positive stop rocker arm studs, stamped rockers arms push rod guide plates. The pistons are forged aluminum and con rod bolt seats are spot faced. The Boss had aluminum heads and hemi combustion chambers."