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Booyah45828 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 22-March-2022 at 9:06AM
New member here making my first post.

Looking to restore a 72 gran torino. I've done a couple mustangs and a 71 torino. Looking for a factory 400 car, but I know not many were built.

Thanks for having me.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote californiajohnny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-March-2022 at 10:33AM
welcome!
JOHN
74 GRAN TORINO S&H CLONE
74 VETTE CUSTOM
90 S10 BLAZER 4X4 LIFTED
77 CELICA CUSTOM
75 V8 MONZA SUPERCHARGED
79 COURIER VERT. SLAMMED
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70 CHEV C10 P/U
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72 RS 351 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-March-2022 at 11:51AM
Welcome.

The Q code means 351C-4V and many cars have had the engine swapped before. I have most of a 400 in parts but I don't plan to ever build one at this point. The 400 is very large and heavy, the 351C can make better power with less weight and similar costs, easier trans and headers install etc.


Edited by 72 RS 351 - 22-March-2022 at 11:57AM
Don
73 Ranchero "Sport 72 front end", floor shift/console, planning EFI 7000+ rpm 351-4V &4R70W
73 Ranchero GT 351C-4V &4R70W for sale later.
92 Lincoln Mark VII SE GTC, OBDII 347/4R70W
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72FordGTS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-March-2022 at 1:56PM
Welcome to the forum! I upgraded you to a full member so you have full forum privileges. The 400 was one of the less common engines in 1972, but still far more common than the 429. 

Originally posted by 72 RS 351 72 RS 351 wrote:

The 400 is very large and heavy, the 351C can make better power with less weight and similar costs, easier trans and headers install etc.

Don, the 400 is only about 30 lbs heavier than a 351c. Tmeyer has the weight of an all iron 400 at 565 lbs and all iron 351c at 535 lbs.


They also aren't thar much bigger than a 351C, but I agree the headers, engine mounts, and large bellhousing make it more of a pain to deal with. While a 351C can make more power,  the 400s can make lots of power and have a big torque advantage.


Edited by 72FordGTS - 22-March-2022 at 2:01PM
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72 RS 351 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-March-2022 at 2:31PM
I don't know about the 30lbs figure, the 1" taller deck height is a lot of extra cast iron weight. I do have both of my blocks bare in my garage under my steps. I could weigh them some day, but I remember well how much harder it was to move around the 400 block. I could lift the 351C block myself into my 72 Gran Torino. I had to have help with the 400 block when I loaded and unloaded it. The rest of the engine does have the same weight except for a small difference with the crank and intakes.

I'd guess/bet it's closer to 75lbs more with the 400. I like the 400 for the built in torque, absolutely. I was working towards a 408 with my 4V heads and the Torker intake, 4-bolt mains etc. But I hadn't learned about the newest oiling upgrade method(lifter bore bushings), or that the 4V heads really need to be pushed to a solid 7000rpm for a 351(or else the 2V heads are a better choice). The 400 can do well for 6000rpm with the same H/C/I parts, but nobody really does that. It's cool to talk about it, but the nice builds are so rare, it's a shame.
Don
73 Ranchero "Sport 72 front end", floor shift/console, planning EFI 7000+ rpm 351-4V &4R70W
73 Ranchero GT 351C-4V &4R70W for sale later.
92 Lincoln Mark VII SE GTC, OBDII 347/4R70W
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Booyah45828 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-March-2022 at 1:45AM
Thanks guys.

The one mustang and the torino both had clevelands. So I'm familiar with the platform and have parts.
The 400 is an inch taller and heavier then the 351c. But I'm not that worried about engine weight, with how heavy the cars are to begin with. Not looking for high hp out of it, something streetable with big block torque. Could build a 408c, could always 460 swap, but the 400 doesn't get much love, so I'd like to try my hand at that.

I've done the headers, straight pipe, lumpy cam builds. I'm looking to do something more refined with this.

Tmeyer is doing a lot of work for the 400's, stroker kits, forged pistons, etc. He's doing a lot of work for the cleveland platform in general.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72FordGTS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-March-2022 at 7:34AM
That's cool that you want to do the 400, they are much unloved (kind of like our there Torinos) but have a ton of potential.  My '72 GTS is a 400 car and I went to TMeyer when I did my engine build.  My engine has his pistons for 9.3:1 compression, a custom grind roller cam (designed by Time), roller rockers, stainless one piece valves, long tube headers, aluminum intake and Holley 4bbl.  It's a super streetable build with tons of bottom end power but it pulls hard to 5500 RPM.  Tim Meyer is a great guy to deal with, very knowledgably but humble and down to earth.  I am a big fan of guys like him who help keep these smaller niche engines going.  

Hey Don, check that link I posted above, Tim Meyer has photos of the engines on scales!  So they are actual real world weights.  Interesting, he weights a 400 with an aluminum intake and water pump and it drops the weight to 530 lbs, so pretty much on par with an iron 351C (and this is my setup too).  He also has the 351C with aluminum heads, water pump and intake at only 410lbs!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote 72 RS 351 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-March-2022 at 7:56AM
Originally posted by 72FordGTS 72FordGTS wrote:

That's cool that you want to do the 400, they are much unloved (kind of like our there Torinos) but have a ton of potential.  My '72 GTS is a 400 car and I went to TMeyer when I did my engine build.  My engine has his pistons for 9.3:1 compression, a custom grind roller cam (designed by Time), roller rockers, stainless one piece valves, long tube headers, aluminum intake and Holley 4bbl.  It's a super streetable build with tons of bottom end power but it pulls hard to 5500 RPM.  Tim Meyer is a great guy to deal with, very knowledgably but humble and down to earth.  I am a big fan of guys like him who help keep these smaller niche engines going.  

Hey Don, check that link I posted above, Tim Meyer has photos of the engines on scales!  So they are actual real world weights.  Interesting, he weights a 400 with an aluminum intake and water pump and it drops the weight to 530 lbs, so pretty much on par with an iron 351C (and this is my setup too).  He also has the 351C with aluminum heads, water pump and intake at only 410lbs!


I'm sure your 400 is a blast to drive, it's kind of close to what I would have done. The 400 is a good engine choice for any big Ford body, the header choices are much easier then also. I'd like to find someone who could appreciate the block I had machined, it would be good for a 434 or any high rpm version. When I did most of mine(the machinist had his son/partner die, and then he died not long after(they lost my crank)), back then you used stock rods. The stock 400 rods had the longest rod bolts of all engines, no aftermarket company made them except Pioneer. So I had the rods polished, bushed, and SPS nuts for the rod bolts. Back then $275 was a lot of money to rebuild a set of rods.
Don
73 Ranchero "Sport 72 front end", floor shift/console, planning EFI 7000+ rpm 351-4V &4R70W
73 Ranchero GT 351C-4V &4R70W for sale later.
92 Lincoln Mark VII SE GTC, OBDII 347/4R70W
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72FordGTS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-March-2022 at 10:52AM
My rods were refurbished by Tim Meyer. The engine has ARP hardware throughout, including the rod bolts.

If I had the funds, I would have loved to do a 400 with 4V heads. But I had no 4Vs, and it's big dollars for the intake spacers and I don't have the skills to make custom headers. George Pence did one years ago and apparently the 400 performance well with the big heads. Since my car was all original though, I am glad it still has most of the original engine parts and like I said I am very happy with the outcome.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72 RS 351 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-March-2022 at 12:12PM
I have the first intake spacers that were made for the 400 with 351 intakes. It was sized for 2V heads, and I had just begun trying to port them larger. I didn't have  proper aluminum bit, and they were over $25 at the time, and I was rather poor. So it got put to the side, and time passed.

Did you hear that RCI has ended, George Klass was the representative on the Corral for them. The owner was the only one building the headers, and he just died in January from the flu. It's sad, they(he) was one of the best choices for popular headers for most cars, I was about to order a set of mid lengths for my Lincoln.

By chance did the Hooker 6915 headers get a look to work with the 400? Those seem to fit a few cars with the 351C, 4V heads, and I wonder if it might still work with the 400.
Don
73 Ranchero "Sport 72 front end", floor shift/console, planning EFI 7000+ rpm 351-4V &4R70W
73 Ranchero GT 351C-4V &4R70W for sale later.
92 Lincoln Mark VII SE GTC, OBDII 347/4R70W
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