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

You're now ready for the last big operation,
putting your newly rebuilt engine
back where it came from-its engine compartment.
Get those boxes of bolts, nuts
and parts out from where you've been
storing them. You'll also need to round
up the engine hoist, jack and jack stands
again.
Before getting into the installation,
thoroughly clean your engine compartment,
the accessories, related brackets
and hardware so the total job under the
hood will look really good. Cleaning an
engine compartment requires a spray can
of engine cleaner, a stiff-bristle brush for
the stubborn grease and dirt and a garden
hose. Don't forget to protect your car's
body paint. Engine cleaner is strong stuff.
You can use the same process to clean all
the bolt-on parts and accessories, or you
can load them up for a trip to the local
car wash. The advantage in doing this is
you leave the mess there, and the hot
high-pressure water and soap makes the
job much easier. Let's get on with
installing your engine.
FRONT TRANSMISSION SEAL
Any leakage into the clutch or converter
housing which obviously didn't
come from the engine should be corrected
now. This is usually accomplished by replacing
the transmission front seal in the
case of an automatic, or the bearing retainer
gasket and/or seal in the case of a
standard transmission.
Automatic Transmission-If you have an
automatic transmission, replace the frontpump
seal whether it shows signs of
leaking or not. Chances are, it will start
leaking before you get out of the driveway
if you don't, and now's the opportune
time.
Before you can replace the front-pump
seal, you'll have to remove the converter.
Drain the converter before or after it's
removed. This will 'prevent spilling fluid
while reinstalling it. It's best to drain it
now and fill the transmission after you
get everything back together. To drain it
before removal, position one of the converter
drain plugs at the bottom. Put a
bucket or drain pan directly underneath
before removing the plug. After the fluid
has drained, replace the plug and remove
the converter simply by pulling on it, but
351 M/400 lacking only an A/C compressor. Accessory installation can be
difficult part of an engine installation. Drawing courtesy Ford.
be ready to handle some weight-it's not
light. Now, if you decide not to drain the
fluid first, pull the converter off and tilt it
front-down so the iluid won't run out.
You can drain it by tilting it forward.
Removing the converter exposes the
front-pump seal. Put a screwdriver behind
the seal lip and pry it out. Go around the
seal, prying a little at a time and the seal
will eventually pop out. The seal can be
removed with a chisel and hammer, driving
against that little bit which extends beyond
the front-pump bore. I don't recommend
this because of the risk of damaging
the stator support or the seal bore. So pry
it out.
Before installing the new seal, clean
the front-pump bore by wiping it clean of
any oil with a paper towel and lacquer
thinner. Run a small bead of oil-resistant
sealer around the periphery of the new
seal, preferably on the edge that engages
the pump bore first so the sealer will wipe
the full face of the mating surfaces as it is
installed. This makes a more effective
seal. Just before installing the seal, wipe
some clean oil on the seal lip so it will be
prelubed. To install the seal, place it
squarely in the front-pump bore with the
lip pointing toward the transmission and
tap lightly around it with a hammer. Be
careful it doesn't cock in the bore. Keep
doing this until you feel the seal bottom
firmly all the way around. Wipe any excess
sealer off and you're ready for the
converter. While you're still in the engine
compartment, clean the inside of the converter
housing so it will start out clean.
Make sure the front face of the housingthe
surface that mates with the engine-is
the most
clean and free of any burrs or nicks. This
will ensure a good fit between the engine
and the transmission.
Before installing the converter, check
the smooth outer surface of the spline, or
the surface which runs against the seal,
particularly if the seal you replaced leaked.
If it has any nicks or burrs or is at all
rough, polish it with 400-grit paper. If the
surface is deeply grooved, replace the
converter. Otherwise you'll end up with a
leak just as before. If the surface appears
OK, just clean it' with a paper towel and
lacquer thinner.
Now you're ready to install the converter.
Lightly oil the surface you just
cleaned. It's added insurance for the seal,
even though you already lubricated the
seal. It also helps during the converter
installation.
Start the converter on the transmissioninput
shaft and rotate it back-and-forth
while pushing on it until it engages with
the transn~ission. Be careful here because
the converter must engage the transmission
input shaft, but must also key into the
front pump and the stator support. As a
result you will definitely feel two engagements,
and probably all three. When you
are certain the converter is on all the way,
position the marked flex-plate drive stud
at the bottom of the housing in readiness
for installing the engine.
Standard Transmission-It's rare when a
manual transmission leaks into its bellhousing,
but when it does, the culprit is
usually the gasket between the front
bearing retainer and the transmission case.
If your transmission is not leaking, leave
it alone because chances are it will never