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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Trucks / May 2007'86 F150 Major Update/fix-up
Hello I'm not normally on this NG, but I have some questions I'd like to ask folks who know more than me about this type of stuff. I have an '86 F150 with the 4.9L straight 6 and 4 on the floor (granny low for 1st). Nothing fancy here, just a work truck. I have about $1000 to 2000 to spend, and I'd like to do some serious work. I'll be doing most myself, as I am a fairly competant mechanic from engine rebuilds to any other non-machinst work... I'm not familiar with some auto lingo (mostly the damned abbreviations), but most I understand... I want to improve the springs to at least 3/4 ton capacity for towing. Should I look for both front and back? (suggestions?) I was given a Ford 351m400 v8 rebuild. I want to put this in, along with possibly a manual overdrive tranny to replace the basic 4 speed. (suggestions of parts to look for, adaptability, etc???) I have a newer bed/tailgate, hood and drivers door to replace as well (Chicago salt and 21 years old). I'll be replacing the fuel tank and lines, as well as brake lines and drum slaves/emergency brake cables... I'll be repairing a damaged roof hole from where a visor was attached with the trusty mig welder we got for Christmas! Mainly the truck will be used for towing old tractors to and from my place, shows and family homes/farms, once/twice or 3 times a month in the summer. I can't justify replacing it when I have most everything to 'rebuild' it. Besides, my wife cries everytime I talk about replacing it...(She's quite attached, as it was her first vehicle ever, so there's an odd sentimental part to this as well) Any input for lower cost ideas and suggestions are welcome. I will not compromise on the suspension/reliability by cutting corners, though. Thanks OldIron > I want to improve the springs to at least 3/4 ton capacity for towing. > Should I look for both front and back? (suggestions?) It's not just the springs that affect load-carrying capacity. If you overload the axles, you may have problems with bearings, etc. If you're interested in reliabilty, I would take the limited funds you have and put it into the drivetrain, rather than the body. Is the engine you have a 351M or a 400? (not that there's much difference between the two).  SignatureDavid M (dmacchiarolo) http://home.triad.rr.com/redsled T/S 53 sled351 Linux 2.4.18-14 has been up 12 days 21:24 > Hello > [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > OldIron Ahh, I love that bodystyle, and I'm one of those rare guys who likes the 400 engine. You need to get an LMC catalog. www.lmctruck.com Every little thing you'd need is in there. The 400 is very upgradable. Until the new generation of engines came out in the 90's the 400 had the longest stroke of any of Ford's V8's, and can be made a torque monster. Bore and Stroke are 4.00 x 4.00. You should also look at the door placard and find out what level of braking that truck came with. You might want to upgrade those if they're not much. CJB Thanks for the link and info! I'll check the brake specs before in case we need to improve them. I honestly don't know the difference between the 351m and 351m400. (in response to DavidM) I was told, and being free I didn't delve too deep, that the engine is a 351m block that Ford modified, thus the 'm', to 400 cubic inches. Once we pull the oily plastic off, I'll find the data plate and know more... I have an old Holley 850cfm double pump we'll probably throw on it, as it appear to bolt right to the manifold. If there's a fit issue, I may have it cleaned up by a machine shop. Might be overkill, but it's a big air hungry engine... Anyone have any ideas on the 5 speed manual? Are there multiple types for that age truck? Recommendations? I figure I'll look in bone-yards unless other have better advice... Thanks again! OldIron >Ahh, I love that bodystyle, and I'm one of those rare guys who likes the 400 >engine. You need to get an LMC catalog. www.lmctruck.com Every little [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >CJB There is a 351M AND a 400. There is also great controversy as to what the "M" stands for. I was told by more than a dozen veteran Ford Parts people that it stood for "modified" because it was a "modified Cleveland". Any time at all in a ford dealership and you will hear it called a 351 modified. And the difference between the 351M and the 400 is the crankshaft. The stroke is different. The 4" bore is the same. Steve > Thanks for the link and info! > I'll check the brake specs before in case we need to improve them. [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >> >>CJB Steve Then, would my guess be right that the data plate for a 'true' 400 would just indicate such, and a 351m would has something to that effect on the dataplate? OldIron >There is a 351M AND a 400. There is also great controversy as to what the >"M" stands for. I was told by more than a dozen veteran Ford Parts people [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] >>> >>>CJB Of the ones I've seen, they've all had "351M/400" on the data plate. The truth lies in the tag on the coil, which is rarely there after the first time it comes off. Steve > Steve > [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] >>>> >>>>CJB > And the difference between the 351M and the 400 is the crankshaft. The > stroke is different. The 4" bore is the same. > > Steve The rods are also different, I believe. SignatureDavid M (dmacchiarolo) http://home.triad.rr.com/redsled T/S 53 sled351 Linux 2.4.18-14 has been up 16 days 9:39 Yes, the longer stroke would require a shorter rod . Probably a different piston also. I'm not sure about that one. s >> And the difference between the 351M and the 400 is the crankshaft. The >> stroke is different. The 4" bore is the same. >> >> Steve > > The rods are also different, I believe. > Yes, the longer stroke would require a shorter rod . Probably a different > piston also. I'm not sure about that one. That doesnt make sense to me. If the stroke is longer it means the crank throws are longer. If you use a shorter rod, then wouldnt the piston skirt hit the counter weights on the down stroke? So wouldnt the opposite be true? Whitelightning Well if you use the same rod on a longer stroke, then the piston pops out of the hole. So a shorter rod and a different pin location are the trick. Steve >> Yes, the longer stroke would require a shorter rod . Probably a >> different piston also. I'm not sure about that one. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Whitelightning > Well if you use the same rod on a longer stroke, then the piston pops out > of the hole. So a shorter rod and a different pin location are the trick. > > Steve Interesting. The 327 and the 350 share the same bore, different strokes, same piston and the same rod length. We take a 350 block , turn a 400 crankshaft mains down to 350 specs, and get a 383, using ether the standard 5.7 length rod or a 6 inch rod for radical compression even though the 400 has a much longer stroke than the 350.. In fact most all the chevy small blocks used 5.7 rods regardless of stroke. We did have to watch valve pockets though to avoid interferance. I am not up on fords. I like the the 289 and the 302 engines. The 351 Cleavland was a favorite as well, but I never really did a lot of mods on them. Lets face it a 351 4V Cleveland with a 4 speed in a 70 Cougar really didnt need any mods, it was a go like hell off the show room floor. Same with a 289 K pulled from a Fairlane or Comet and slammed into an early Falcon., or shoe horned into a Pinto Wagon, actually a 289/302 into a Pinto was ins some ways easier than the more common small block into a Vega. Whitelightning > "Steve Barker" <ichasetrains@some.yahoo.com> wrote in message > Interesting. The 327 and the 350 share the same bore, different [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > more common small block into a Vega. > Whitelightning If you have a different stroke on the 350 and 400 then you surely have either a different rod or different piston. There's no way you can lengthen the stroke, stay with the same rod and piston and not have it pop out of the hole. SignatureSteve Barker |
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