[bvteachey]

I found a Ford F350 Custom in the Junkyard today, the guy told me I could get it for 125! Including transmission and transfer case! Ive got a few questions though. Will an M block tranny hook up to 460? What about the transfer and radiator? What parts should I also make sure to take to do the transplant? Thanks for the help!!!

[Broncobill78]

Yes, the 351M/400 share the same bellhousing bolt pattern with the 429/460 so the tranny is a bolt-in. Don't quite know what you mean about the transfer case. What do you have now in the Bronco & what parts are you looking to swap in from the F350 ? If you're looking to swap the 460 from the F350 into a 78/79 Bronco then the best source I know of for a one-stop-shopping sort of thing will be L&L products.

http://www.landlprod...list.aspx?cID=1

The swap is very close to being a bolt-in as it stands. I've done a couple in the past using 460 motor mounts & headers from L&L. they're available thru Ford since the 460 came in F-trucks and those have the same engine compartment as the Bronco. Since your 460 is from a truck I *think* it's a straight bolt-in. I've used Lincoln engines for both my previous swaps and I needed to get rear-sump oil pans as well as new brackets for all my accessories. The 351M/400 radiator in the 78/79 Bronco will work just fine with a 460. I'm in the process of doing my 3rd swap but this time I'm using a 460 from an E350.

This post has been edited by Broncobill78: 11 May 2009 - 02:31 PM

[bvteachey]

Sounds good, by transfer case I was assuming that the old tranny may not hook up and I may also need a different transfer case, Is there any easy way to tell if the engine has been rebuilt or what shape the block may be in? My bronco has a strong 351M that Ive thoroughly upgraded but I was hoping at some point to swap out for a strong 460, at this price I can afford for it to sit around and slowly put it together! Thanks for the input.

[Justshootme84]

The Ford transfer cases share the same bolt pattern for the tranny (or tranny adapter) from both the smallblock and bigblock engine trannies. The difference in bolt pattern is in the bellhousing, where the tranny bolts to the motor. The F-350 will most likely have a Borg-Warner 13-56 t-case if it's a mid-80's model or later. If it's older and happens to have a New Process 205, there are two different length tranny adapters. A short one (5.75") for the F-series trucks and the other longer one (8.75") for the Bronco. I would take the motor, tranny, t-case and both axles for $125, or get the whole truck!!! JSM84

[Broncobill78]

The 460 will bolt up to your existing tranny no problem so what you do with the f350 tranny/xfer case is up to you. Might want to sell them since you'd probably make more than the $125 you're paying for the truck & make this swap pay for itself Hell, for that matter part out the entire truck & spend the $$$ building the 460.

As for ck'd the 460 for a past rebuild, first & easiest would be to clean it up and just take a look at it. If the whole engine has been painted, particularly the rear face, the it's a good bet that it's been rebuilt. They aren't painted at the factory and it's doubtful that someone pulled it out *just* to paint it. After that I'd pull the heads then clean & ck the tops of the pistons. If the engine's been bored it'll have replacement pistons and very often the size of the piston will be stamped on the top (.020, .030, .040, .060, .080 are the usual overbore sizes. .030 & .080 are the most common off-the-shelf pistons available with the other sizes being available as special orders). You might also pop a main bearing cap & look at the backside of the bearing shell. If the crank has been turned the "under" size is usually stamped there (it'll probably be .010)

[smittybronco]

as they said before it is pretty much just a bolt in deal... depending on the flywheel/clutch combo as well as bellhousing u may have to put a lock washer between block and bellhousing... i have had that happen on a few 460 swaps the is some of the support webbing in the bellhousing that hits the clutch so that is the reason for the washers... u should be able to use the exhaust off of that 460 already and the mounts...