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

When sifting through your local scrap yard for parts, make sure you inspect carefully
before laying down your money. Two 429 engines are good "for instances." Very desirable
four-bolt block is complete with a broken connecting rod. However, if a block is all
that's needed, this one would be a good deal as the block appears to be OK. As for the
other 429, its block is scrap as shown by crack. The coolant wasn't drained. All it took was
one sub-freezing night.
the 400 installed in a full-size '73 Ford
with the FMX automatic transmission
(code PHB-AD). It has the same pattern
as the 351C!
A final note about the 351M/400 block.
It was cast at one of two Ford foundries,
the Cleveland Foundry or the Michigan
Casting Center. Those cast at the
Michigan Casting Center prior to March 2,
1977 experienced water-jacket cracking
problems immediately above the lifter
bores due to an internal coring problem.
The cracks will be horizontal and approximately
one inch above the top of the
lifter bores. To determine if a block may
have the problem, look for the castingdate
code. The magic date is March 1,
1977, or in code form 7C01. This has to
be cross-referenced with the casting-plant
code-CF for Cleveland Foundry and
MCC for Michigan Casting Center. These
codes are located on the top-rear of the
block next to the oil-pressure sending-unit
hole. So, if the block in question has a
7C01 or earlier date code and the MCC
plant code-an M above two Cs, one
inside the other-look closely for cracks.
4291460-Although totally different engines,
the 4291460 has the same bellhousing
pattern as the 351Ml400, but not
the same as the 351C. All of the blocks
are the same with exception of the mainbearing
caps. Some are two-bolt and some
are four-bolt caps. All 429 and 460 blocks
use two-bolt main-bearing caps except for
'70-'71 SCJs and '71 CJs whose blocks
are cast and machined to accept four-bolt
caps in the number-2, -3 and -4 positions.
Because the two-bolt 429 and 460 blocks
are not cast to accept four-bolt caps, they
can't be machined to accommodate them.
With the exception of the main-bearing
caps, the only other interchangeability
consideration is deck height, the distance
from the centerline of the crankshaft
bearing bores to the block deck surface.
4291460 blocks originally had a 10.300-
inch deck height. It was increased 0.010
inch to 10.310 inches in '70-112 for a
slight reduction in compression. A significant
reduction in compression ratio was
made in 1972 by a combination of increasing
deck height to 10.322 inches and
increasing cylinder-head combustionchamber
volume. This resulted in a 2-
point drop in compression-from 10.5 to
8.5.
Four-bolt main bearings and deckheight
differences don't present mechanical
interchangeability problems, however
there are other considerations. It would
be a step down to go from a four-bolt
block to a two-bolt one if strength is
what you're after. Because of deck heights
and cylinder-head combustion-chamber
volumes, block and cylinder-head combinations
produce different compression
ratios. You should be aware what compression
ratio you'll end up when switching
heads and blocks. This is covered in
more detail later in the chapter.
You'll find 4291460 cylinder-block
casting numbers under the right-rear
cylinder bank. The number is vertical, or
parallel to the engine block's rear face.
CRANKSHAFTS
335 and 385 Series crankshafts have
one thing in common: all are cast-iron.
Otherwise, their dimensional differences
prevent crankshaft interchanges between
351C, 35 1M/400 and 4291460 engines.
351C-35 1C main- and connecting-rodjournal
diameters are 2.749 inches and
2.31 1 inches, respectively. As with all
Ford 351 engines, the stroke is 3 .SO inches
and the engine is externally balanced.
There are differences between 351 C
cranks. Boss and HO crankshafts are
selected for their high-nodularity content.
Nodular cast-iron has its graphite in the
form of spheres rather than the flakes of
grey cast-iron. High nodularity means the
cast-iron contains more nodules, or
spheres, resulting in higher strength. Boss
and HO cranks can be identified by a
Brinell test mark, a spherical indentation
approximately 118-inch wide in the front
or rear face of one crankshaft counterweight.
The rough casting surface is ground
smooth in the area tested, so it shouldn't
be too difficult to find the test mark if it
is there. Remember, the test only ensures
the strength of the crankshaft. Consequently,
most other 351C cranks will have
the same strength, the test just proves it
for high-performance applications. Regardless
of this one difference, 351 crankshafts
are interchangeable and can be
identified by code number 4M or 4MA on
the side of the front counterweight.
351Ml400-35 1M and 400 crankshafts
are the same in all respects with one exception-throw.
Crankshaft throw is the
center distance between the main and
connecting-rod journals. It is half the
stroke. 351M and 400 strokes are 3.50
inches and 4.00 inches, respectively. Because
stroke is the only exception, 351M
and 400 crankshafts are interchangeable if
351M pistons are used with 351M cranks
and 400 pistons are used with 400 cranks.
Journal diameteis are 3.000 inches and
2.3 11 inches, respectively.
4291460-Except for the numbers, the
4291460 crankshaft description sounds
like the 351C. CJ and SCJ versions of the
429 use hardness-tested cranks which can
be identified using the same method as
for the Boss 351C and HO cranks: a
Brinell test mark on the smoothed face of
a counterweight. Main-journal and connecting-rod-journal
diameters are 3.00
inches and 2.50 inches, respectively for
both 429 and 460 cranks, however the
460's stroke is 0.30 inch more at 3.85
inches. Because their rods are the same,
you can interchange crankshafts so long
as the pistons are designed to go with the
crank. 429 and 460 code numbers are on
the side of the front counterweight.
CONNECTING RODS
All Ford 335 and 385 Series engines
use forged-steel connecting rods with 318-
inch connecting-rod bolts.