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

This is the part of engine building I
like. Everything is clean, all the parts are
new, reconditioned or have been checked
out. The running around associated with
getting parts and jobs done you couldn't
handle is just about over.
Things You Need Before Starting-Just
like all the jobs you've done until now,
there are things you'll need for assembling
your engine in addition to all the parts.
Trash bags are useful for covering up
clean parts, particularly the block, during
assembly. You'll aso need a complete
gasket set, gasket sealer, gasket or weatherstrip
adhesive and a spray can of aluminum
paint. All sorts of sealers and adhesives
are available, but I'll list a few that
work particularly well in certain applications.
First is room-temperature-vulcanizing
(RTV) silicone sealer. It's great if
it's used right in the right place and in the
right amount. Used incorrectly, it can be
disastrous. You have to know its limitations.
It's not a cure-all. Ford markets
some fine sealers. Perfect Sealing Conlpound,
B5A-195 54-A, is a general-purpose
sealer. Gasket and Seal Contact Adhesive,
D7AZ-19B508-A is especially good for installing
intake-manifold gaskets. Another
good one for this purpose is OMC's (Outboard
Marine Corporation) Adhesive
Type M. You can also use weatherstrip
adhesive as a gasket-adhesive: Ford's
COAZ-19552-A or 3M Corporation's
08001.
Lubricants are a necessity when assembling
an engine. How an engine's critical
parts are lubricated during its first
few minutes of initial run-in will be a
major determining factor in the engine's
durability. Remember this during the
assembly process. Lubricants to have on
hand include at least a quart of the oil
you intend to use in your engine's crankcase-probably
a multi-grade detergent
type-a can of oil additive and some
moly bdenum-disulfide grease. As for
what brand of oil to use, I won't make
any suggestions because the brand isn't as
important as the grade. So, regardless of
the brand you choose, use the SE grade.
In addition to crankcase oil, get a couple
of cans of Ford's Oil Conditioner, D2AZ-
19579-A, or GM's EOS (Engine Oil Supplement)
for general engine assembly,
351C external components. Although there are variations, particularly front-cover
designs, 335 and 385 Series engines appear basically the same. Drawing courtesy Ford.
initial bearing lubrication, and to put in
the first crankcase fill. Finally, in the oil
department, you could also use a squirt
can. Fill it with motor oil for ease of
application.
Tools-Now, for special tools other than
those normally residing in your toolbox.
You must have a torque wrench because
an engine cannot be assembled correctly
without a torque wrench. When it comes
to tightening bolts, even the most experienced
mechanic doesn't rely on feel, he
uses a torque wrench. Therefore, put this
tool at the top of your list.
The next item is one that I don't consider
necessary because bearings are made
to such close tolerances, however it's not
a bad idea to use Plastigage as a check to
be sure you get the right bearings. It's
not uncommon for the wrong bearings
to be in the right box. Plastigage is a
colored strip of wax used for checking assembled
bearing-to-journal clearances. All
you need to know about it at this point is
you'll need the green Plastigage which
measures 0.001 -0.003-inch clearances.
Get one envelope or strip of it-you
won't need much.
The need for the next tool depends on
the route you took with your cam
bearings. If you left your old ones in the
block or had your engine machinist replace
them for you, you won't have to
concern yourself. If you have yet to replace
them, you will need a cam-bearing
installation tool set. Before you rush out
to rustle one up I'll suggest you have an
engine shop do it for you. It's not too
late yet. However, if you still insist on
doing it, read on.
CAM BEARING INSTALLATION
Guess I didn't scare you out of
attempting to replace your own cam
beariigs. well, you can't back out now,
so get on with it. The first thing you'll
need are the tools. There are two kinds:
one pulls the bearing into its bore with a
threaded rod, nut, thrust bearing and a
mandrel; the other drives the bearings
into place with a mandrel, drive bar and a
hammer. When installing cam bearings,
three things must be kept in mind. First,
the bearings must be installed square in
their bores, oil holes in the bearings must
line up with those in the block and care
must be taken so as not to damage the
bearings.
Different Sizes-The 351 Cs and 351M/
400s have progressively smaller camshaftbearing
inserts from front-to-back: 2.124,