How To Rebuild Your Ford V-8 351C-351M-400-429-460.pdf - Index of

CYLINDER HEADS
It's now time to begin buttoning up
the top side, so position your engine upright.
If you are working on a bench or
the floor, your engine will be unstable, so
block it up under the oil-pan flanges or
bell-housing bosses so the engine will sit
level and be stable. If you don't do this
you can count on your engine rolling over,
particularly when it's unbalanced with
one cylinder head installed. If you're
using an engine stand, just make sure the
post is tight.
Get your cylinder heads out of storage,
the 2 head gaskets from your gasket set
and the head bolts-20 grade-8 bolts to be
exact. All 351C and 351M/400 head bolts
are the same saize: 1/2-13 x 4-5/16 inches
long. The top 4291460 head bolts are
shorter than those for the bottom row.
Their sizes are 9/16-12 x 4-318 inches
long and 9/16-12 x 5-118 inches long,
respectively.
Clean the Head-Gasket Surface-To ensure
the best possible head-gasket seal, clean
the cylinder-head and cylinder-block gasket
surfaces with solvent. Check to make
sure all cylinder-head locating dowel pins
are in place. They are a must as they
accurately locate the heads on the block
deck surface. If they are missing, replace
them. Do this by inserting the straight
end in the block with the chamfered, or
tapered end projecting outward and tap it
into place. You'll feel the pin bottom in
its hole when it's fully installed.
For pre-'72 engines having high compression
ratios, you'll need the best
sealing head gaskets available. Use Felpro's
"Permatorque" or Victor's "Victorcor"
head gaskets. If you use either of these
gaskets, your block and cylinder-head
gasket surfaces must be in the best of
condition-free from distortions and
smooth. These gaskets are very hard, and
consequently can't conform to surface
irregularities. Because head gaskets are
included in a complete engine-rebuild
gasket set, the set you purchase should
include these head gaskets.
Coat the Head Caskets-Head gaskets can
be installed as is, however I like a little
added insurance. One of the most common
and easiest to appy "sealers" is
aluminum paint from a spray can. Evenly
coat both sides of your head gaskets with
it. After the paint has dried, position the
gaskets on the engine block by locating
them on the dowel pins with the FRONT
designation on the gaskets to the front.
If you get the gaskets on wrong, you'll be
wondering why your cylinder heads are
melting and your idiot lightlgage is not
After cleaning cylinder-head and block head-gasket surfaces with solvent, fit head
gaskets to block by positioning them over cylinder-head dowel pins. FRONT of gasket is
indicated.
INSTALL TWO HEAD GASKETS
If your engine is one of the pre-1972
high-compression models, it probably
has experienced detonation problems.
Their small combustion chambers and
resultant high-compression ratios make
detonation a problem. Detonation is a
real engine killer. If your engine is in
this category I recommend installing
two head gaskets under each head to
reduce the problem. The increased
clearance volume will result in approximately
a one-point-lower compression
ratio. So, if your engine had e 11 : 1
compression ratio, it will end up with
10.0: 1 compression-an engine that
can be operated with less tendency to
detonate.
Be aware that if you install two
head gaskets, the rocker arms will be
raised on the block with the heads
approximately 0.40 inch. This is no
problem unless your valves are of the
non-adjustable variety. If they are nonadjustable,
you may have to install
longer pushrods, depending on what
other work and how much of it you've
done to your head. So watch out for
this one.
indicating trouble. The problem is the
water passages in the heads will be blocked
off so coolant can't circulate through
them.
Install the Heads-Flex your muscles and
lift a cylinder head into position on the
block. Locate it on the dowel pins, making
sure the head is down against its head
gasket. You don't want a head falling on
the floor, especially with your feet down
there. One trick to prevent this from
-
Wlth fingers In an ihtake and exhaust port,
cylinder head is carefully fitted to block
over its dowel pins. Get a couple of head
bolts threaded in immediately to ensure the
head won't fall off.
happening is to slip a couple of the bottom
head bolts in each head before installing
it. Hold the bolts out of the head
by stretching a rubber band between
them. Then you can run the bolts in without
leaving the head unsupported as you
reach for a bolt. Put the other head on
the block.
Oil the bolts under their heads and
their threads before installing them.
Torque the head bolts in sequence and
in stages or steps as indicated in the sketch
and table. Generally, head bolts need not
be retorqued after the engine has been
run, but it won't hurt anything to check
them. 351C Boss and HO head bolts
must be retorqued when the engine is hot.