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

Five- and four-plate timing chains for use
with 1 /2-inch and 13/32-inch-wide
sprockets. Narrow chain and sprockets
were used only in '73 and later 351C,
351 M and 400 passenger-car engines.
press with mandrels to back up the piston
and bear on the pin is required.
Assembling a connecting rod and
piston can be accomplished by one of
two methods. The first is done by reversing
the disassembly process, however it
must be done with considerably more
care. The other method, and the one I
prefer, is the heating method. This is
done by simply heating the small end of
the connecting rod with a torch so it
expands, allowing the pin to slide into
place without need for a press. The rod
should not be heated excessively because
of the possible damage. Pin and piston
have to be fitted very quickly to the rod
before the rod and pin approach the
same temperature. Otherwise the pin is
trapped by the interference fit before it's
in position, requiring a press to complete
the installation.
If you are assembling your own
pistons and rods, be aware of the piston's
location relative to its connecting rod. As
installed in the engine, pistons usually
have a notch at their front edge or an
arrow stamped in the dome, both of
which must point to the front of the
engine as installed. If you have the Boss
351C, or the 429 CJ, SCJ or Police
engines, the single intake-valve reliefs
should be on the intake-manifold side
of the bores. Also, connecting-rod numbers
must point toward their cylinder
bank. Numbers on rods installed in the
right bank must point to the right and
those in the left bank must point to the
left. So, putting them together, you'll
have piston and rod number 1, 2, 3 and
4 with notches or arrows pointing
forward and rod numbers to the right.
Piston and rod numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8
have piston notches or arrows pointing
forward, and rod numbers to the left. As
for the Boss 351C, 429 CJ, SCJ and
Police, the valve reliefs should be located
opposite the rod numbers.
TIMING CHAIN & SPROCKETS
I previously discussed timing-chain
wear and how to determine if a chain and
its sprockets need replacing. However,
here's some more information about what
replacement parts you should consider.
If your engine is one of the hotter operating
'73 or later engines and you live in
a hot climate, change to the cast-iron
cam sprocket. This avoids the problem
of cracked and broken sprocket teeth,
but don't expect better sprocket or chain
wear. There's little if any difference.
Several changes have been made to the
35 lC, 351M1400 and 4291460 cam-drive
components over the years. Some changes
have been major to the eye, with little
effect on the engine performance. Some
subtle changes have affected engine performance
considerably. For instance, the
'73 351C-2V went to narrow 13132-inchwide
sprockets and a 4-plate-wide chain
as compared to the 112-inch sprockets
and 5-plate chain previously used. This
change was also carried over into the 400
and was originally installed on the 351M.
For a clearer picture of the changes made
in the timing-chain department, refer fo
the nearby chart because it does get complicated.
For instance, 351Ms and 400s
installed in trucks and Broncos have
wider chains and sprockets while passenger-car
engines have had their cam timing
altered by changing the keway position
in the crankshaft sprocket. This is the
subtle change I was speaking of. These
types of changes were also made to the
4291460 engines except these engines
stayed with the 112-inch-wide sprockets
and chains. One major difference in 460s
built for use in motor-home chassis -
M450s and MSOOs-between 1974 and
1976 is they used a double roller-type
chain and sprockets. This type chain is
very durable and is normally available
as an aftermarket item.
Generally, the changes made to crank
sprockets only resulted in the camshaft
being retarded for emissions reasons. Unfortunately,
this type of change also hurts
engine performance. This is illustrated by
the change made to the 460 Police-interceptor
engine in 1977. The C8SZ-6306-A
crank sprocket, replaced by the retarded
D2VY-6303-A sprocket in 1975, was reinstated
in 1977 to improve engne per-
formance. Passenger-car and truck 4291
460 engines retain the D2VY-6306-A
sprocket with exception of motor-home
engines. They use roller-style chains.
Again, another thing to consider when
replacing your cam sprocket is this is an
opportunity to change to the cast-iron
type, particularly if you live in a hot
climate. TRW offers both nylon and castiron
cam sprockets. This makes it convenient
because the gear specified for a
specific engine can be installed on that
engine without any other hardware
changes. In other words, chains and
gears are manufactured to accommodate
the hardware originally installed on the
engines for which they are specified.
Heavy-Duty or Performance Applications-In
addition to the OEM and OEMreplacement
timing sets, high-performance
and heavy-duty sprockets and chains are
available. Consider these if your engine 1s
going to be used for extremely hard
service. They elongate or stretch less and
are relatively unaffected by high engineoperating
temperatures. The chain I am
referring to is a double-roller type with
matching sprockets, similar in design to
bicycle chains except with two rows of
rollers. These are manufactured by
Cloyes Gear and Products, Inc., 4520
Beidler Road, Willoughby, Ohio 44094
and TRW, 8001 E. Pleasant Valley Road,
Cleveland, Ohio 44131. These products
should be available through your local
engine parts supplier.
Camshaft End-Play-I could wait until the
engine buildup chapter to talk about camshaft
end-play, but it's a good idea to find
out if you need a part now instead of
waiting for a long holiday or late Saturday
night when everything is closed and
you are in the middle of assembling your
engine.
A camshaft doesn't have to be installed
in an engine to check its end-play. Just
install the sprocket on the cam with the
thrust plate in its normal position. Now,
use your feeler gages to check the clearance
between the thrust plate and the
front cam-bearing-journal thrust face. The
maximum-thickness feeler gage represents
camshaft end-play. End-play should be in
the 0.001-0.006-inch range with a maximum
of 0.009 inch.
OIL PUMP & DRIVE SHAFT
Lubrication is a major key to an
engine's durability, and the oil pump is
the heart of the lubrication system. Don't
take any short cuts here. Check your oil
pump for any internal damage such as
grooving or scoring of the rotors or the