400M Rebuild

[Red Green Jr]

Well, I did it. I rebuilt my 400M this summer at my cabin. I just thought id share some pics and info.

First off, i would have had no chance at this project without this book:

http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/0895860368

if you are planning a project like this for the first time, be sure to get a book like that

I will just cover the highlights of the project for now, if you have specific questions feel free to ask

Basic Steps:

-I just started by stripping the block as much as i could, labeling and disconnecting all wires and vacuum lines (about 4 wires and 5 hoses)

-while lifting the engine out, follow the transmission with a jack until it disconnects from the engine,

-place a rod between the frame rails to support the transmission

-most of the work is simple unbolting, cleaning, and labeling

the biggest challenge i ran into was the cam bearings. a special driver tool is needed for removal and installation because each of the five bearings is a different size. i found a used tool on craigslist for $120. but the real problem comes in when installing the bearings. without immense precision, the bearings will be out of alignment with each other. large shops have the equipment to align bore the entire block, most of us dont. I did figure out a neat trick to do a cheap easy align bore of your own, if your willing to try it, more on that later.

for the most part, its a basic engine, and easily rebuilt if given enough time

Also, if it helps, ill try to give my complete parts list, i had to get a lot more parts/tools than i thought for this build, so try to plan ahead

-along with the attached pdfs, i had to get:

-Cylinder Hone, plus two sets of coarse stones (the stones wear down fast)

-an extra piston ring after i broke one (dont pull them too hard)

-and i did get the performance moly rings from oreilly's, not economy like it says

-engine assembly **** (very important)

-liquid gasket

-a few misc taps to chase threads

-piston ring compressor

-an extra piston after i screwed up pressing it onto the connecting rod

-tons of WD-40 and sodium hydroxide solvent

*heres the backwoods way to align bore your cam bearings,

so after i installed my new cam bearings, i tried putting in the new camshaft only to have it get stuck halfway

i tried the old school blueing and scraping for hours to no effect, so i figured out my own way

-if you notice two pictures below of a camshaft with grooves cut in it

-this is my stock camshaft, which of course has the same size journals as my new one

-so i cut a few grooves in each journal with a grinder to create a makeshift reamer

-i slide the modified camshaft into the block with the misaligned bearings, gave it a few turns, then slide it out

-my new camshaft slid in without a problem

O\'Reilly Auto Parts.pdf

Summit Racing.pdf

 

[Duncan]

I have finally decided to rebuild a truck. I am looking at a Ford year 1973-1979 because I like the way they look and the family had a 1977 Ford when I was 15 before I had my license that I worked on and used around the farm and for mudding until my dad had to sale it. The only problem is that I don't t know what the big differences in them are and which one is the best to go with to do a rebuild on. I am sure there are some differences in them such as axles, gear ratios, etc etc.

I am not looking to do a complete restoration back to factory look. Basically want to get everything in good working order mechanically, get body work done to make it look good, new suspension, lift, wheels, tires and eventually a new transmission and engine. Pretty much want it to look good, be road worthy and off road worthy. So my question is what year is the best to go with? And what model number to go with (example: F100, F150, F250 etc etc)? And why? Thanks a lot for the help. Really hope to get some good answers on here because I can't find any info online.

 

[Red Green Jr]

Thats all personal preference really, I prefer the 78-79, or full size, bronco. I bought my truck two days after my 16 birthday and started wrenching on it that day. It has had plenty of problems, but I have been able to do everything myself, including the entire engine rebuild. These trucks are built simple and strong. As for components, I have been very satisfied with the ford 9in rear axle, mine has a clutch driven posi trac that has come in handy many times, i have not upgraded any of the differential components since i bought the truck and it has held up strong to a lot of abuse. if you find a truck with a 9in rear axle, chances are it has the dana 44 up front. this axle is plenty strong for hobby farm muddin. if you want extra strength, look for dana 60 axles front and rear, and posi trac is a must in my opinion.

during the 78-79 model years, the bronco and f-series use mostly the same parts, or at least very similar ones, so the choice between them is whether you want a pickup body or suv body. if you are looking for extra strength, the F-250 usually comes with heavy duty parts, like dana 60 axles and front leaf springs. in these older models, engines are easily swappable and who knows what someone dropped in there. ford usually put in a 351 windsor or a 351M, a few came stock with the 400M but you can commonly find one with a 460 or 300, ive even seen a few diesels.

mostly, its all up to you as what you want out of the truck, its not too hard to buy the cheap POS and just swap in whatever parts you want.