1976 Ranchero GT Transmission?

What does the "M" signify on my 400?
How is it different from the regular 400?
Are any engine parts interchangeable with the 351C?

Thanks!

 

The "M" supposedly stands for either 'Modified' or 'Midland,' depending on who you ask. We had a thread a few years ago on that subject, but I won't go poking the bear. As far as any interchangeability, the small stuff (water pumps, fuel pumps, carbs, etc.) is, but heads, blocks, cranks, any of the long block parts, are more or less not.

 

Don't know what the M signifies; there is only one 400 motor. No significant parts will switch without a lot of machine work. If you really like machine work prices, you can adapt the heads from the 400 onto a 302/351w motor -- but it might be cheaper to buy aluminum heads.

 

Swapping 335 heads (or even Cleveland heads) makes a poor man's Clevor, but the aluminum heads would flow better, as they're cast to have better flow numbers than even Aussie Cleveland heads.

 

Update: It has an FMX. Eventually, I may put a Gear Vendors unit behind it.

 

Sadly, there are more than one design 400. The early version had a small block bell housing while the "M" version had the 429/460 bell housing. The small bell housing version was usually found in late 1970 and early 1971 Galaxies and low trim LTD's. People were used to the previous FE engines and tried to treat the 400's the same with disasterous results. If you wound up a 400 past 4500rpm very often it would soon suffer a loss of oil pressure due to a harmonic vibration in the block that caused the cam bearings to disentigrate. Sorry, I run from 400 equipped Fords unless the body is nice enough to merit transplanting some other decent engine.

 

I agree Hillbilly.Clevelands tend to self destruct as well.Worst of 3 I disassembled.

 

There's a fix to Cleveland oiling problems, by running a dedicated oil line from the side oil port along the block, then wrapping up and over the back side of the block to the upper back oil port. I never got to do that before I got rid of the Squire (I should've kept the engine...big mistake), but the articles I've read on Cleveland builds say that the cam and bearings have a better chance of survival.

 

Even with that great oiling modification, Andy, if you run them for extended periods at high rpm, that damned harmonic causes the cam and main bearing webbing in the block to wiggle enough to cause cam bearing failure. It is unfortunately a built in self destruct mechanism in all Cleveland and "M" series engines. Why do you think Ford cheated and restricted those engines ability to breathe thus limiting their ability to turn high rpm's ?

 

I guess it comes down to what my thinking is: I only look at street use, and not constant racing use. But what really makes me shake my head is Ford's refusal to spend the money to correct the problem. Not even to put some kind of vibration dampening in to quell the block vibrations. Damned Whiz Kid bean counters.

 

It is kinda' weird Andy, even with the effort to have all the rotating mass balanced to the "Nth" degree, they still died because of that block webbing moving. I watched the fiasco develop on less than a year old cars being towed into the dealers because their engines had died due to low or no oil pressure. The local dealers threw their hands up and started to convert over to 390 and 429/460 engines just to keep the customers from sueing them into oblivion. Junk yards made a killing and it got hard to find good engines for a couple of years. I did a few conversions myself. You could grab a beautiful year old LTD Brougham or Grand Marquis Brougham for around $800 from disgruntled owners , drop in a nice 429 or 460 for another $500 then sell it easily for $5,000.
All because of idiot bean counters. Andy, back then these weren't considered race cars. Traffic was much sparser and there was room to run them wide open. I know I did along with a lot more folks. It wasn't uncommon to do an 80 mile trip one way in around 25 minutes back then. Miles per gallon wasn't an issue like today. And the State Troopers would smile and wave then motor on past like you were out for a Sunday drive. Don't try that today.

 

We tried changing the firing order (using a special order cam) and were able to get a Super Stock Cleveland engine to survive an entire season, along with finally surpassing the 700HP mark. Then we used that info (and cam strategy) in a Super Stock GT 460 and were able to set (and reset) the national record multiple times. It's the ONLY thing we were able to find that would keep the mains from wanting to exit the block.

 

I was only a kid, but yeah, I remember when Interstate 5 North of Everett was the old U.S. 99, and Interstate 90 was still the old U.S. 10 right-of-way across Snoqualmie Pass, and Dad was chogeying along at high speed on those narrow highways...especially our '69 F350 Crew Cab Camper Special with the triple-deuce 390 (and single 19-gallon tank!).

 

I was told it's a 400m.

 

If it has only the big block bell housing pattern, and the Thermactor port in the front of the intake, to the side of the dizzy, it'll be an M engine, whether it displaces 351 or 400 cubes.

 

Whats a "dizzy"?

 

Ignition distributor, the thing with a plastic cap with all the spark plug wires stuck into it. Lot's of old timer mechanic slang on here so it wasn't a dumb question.

 

Also easier to type, considering my ten thumbs.

 

C4 and FMX are decent to 500hp, but thats about it. A C6 is still supported by a lot of aftermarket companies... the C4 and FMX are not.

 

Why not just swap in an AOD and save a bunch of weight plus no need to get the driveshaft shortened for gear benders unit