400 into ranger: need help

[lilmanMS]

Hey yall, i need a lil help here on some fabrication work for my project. Im planning on dropping a ford 400 that is slightly built but gonna add few more things to it, off into a ranger this summer and i need help on the fabrication ideas. the ranger im looking at is a 82 long wheel base, do yall think that should tote it or should i look for another model ranger? i allready know im gonna have to cut the inside fender walls out and probably a lil bit off the firewall for the exhaust. what is yalls suggestion? should i reinforce the frame any? allready plannin on traction bars and a 9 inch rear end for that monster of a motor. as for the engine clearance of the hood, allready plan on cutting a hole for the breather to poke through and make a custom fit hood scoop over it. what is yalls suggestion on this project?

 

[Mutant Pony]

I take it this is a 2wd. You will need to cut a nice chunk out of the firewall at the top of the tranny tunnel. either that of you will need to do a lot of work with a BFH. The 400 it self will fit quite well. The radiator needs to be moved forward some. The exhaust is going to be the hardest. There is just no room left. My cleveland was tight, yours will be much tighter.

 

[BlackBII]

BFH=Big F@#$ing Hammer

That'll get it to fit.

Don't use a 'cowl' style hood scoope, as they are ugly!

What tranny are you plannin on usin'?

 

[lilmanMS]

thats what im talkin bout, think a 10 pound sledge could do it? yea its a 2wd, trying to make a lil hotrod and somethin unique. yea so think ill have to jsut cut holes in the lower edge of the firewalls for the exhaust to go through then re weld around em to make it solid again?bout how much think itll need to be moved forward some? and no way could use the original radiator either huh? got a flex force fan on it so that helps with it. yea im not fond of cowl hoods either. what plan on doing is getting some sheet metal and measure the dimensions out right then bend em to make the hood scoop and tack weld it over the breather to where there isnt no room behind, or on the sides of the breather so that way all the air going into the scoop will be forced into the motor. plus, looks better when look up the hood scoop and see the breather being sucked down when rev on the motor some. already got a c6 bolted up behind it. works pretty good.

 

[Psychopete]

got a flex force fan on it so that helps with it.

You'll probably have to find a thin electric fan to fit..

Any progress?

Pete

Edit
Mutant Pony, (Or any one who knows)
On the 351C, did you custom fab headers or use exhaust manifolds?

Can the C6 speedometer cable be adapted to a stock Gen-1 Ranger speedo?

Would you recommend pedistal mount or stud mount roller rockers?

How hard is a roller lifter conversion - drilling the holes correctly for the spiders?

 

[lilmanMS]

you dont think the force flex would work? no not yet, but fixin to test the compression on it then yank the motor and get ready to rebuilding it. if i can get by with the force flex fan i want to cause those electric fans arent that cheap and same with the electric water pump. yall any suggestions on parts for the motor, cam kits, heads, anything?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

A 400M is no bigger externally then a 351C.

later,
Dustin

 

[Psychopete]

It's a little bit taller (somewhere around an inch?), intakes won't interchange... Same engine family though. The "M"s are also big block motor mounts and bellhousing (mid-block ), and the "C" is small block mounts and bellhousing.

Pete

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It's a little bit taller (somewhere around an inch?), intakes won't interchange... Same engine family though. The "M"s are also big block motor mounts and bellhousing (mid-block ), and the "C" is small block mounts and bellhousing.

Pete

It would be both taller and wider. The 400 is not a particularly compact engine.

 

[lilmanMS]

yea its not exactly a small engine. its sittin in a 78 f100 at the moment and it has some room left in there but not to much. talked to a feller yesterday who has a chevy 400 in a s10 and he said only way he could get his exhaust to clear was to go outside the frame. think i might have to do that?

 

[baddad457]

It would be both taller and wider. The 400 is not a particularly compact engine.

Ditto, it's both taller and wider than the 351C. About the same width as a 460.

 

[projectnitemare]

Most junkyards around here confuse the 400 with the 460, they look similar and are just about the same size. It would definitely be much easier on you if you used over the frame headers, will have to be custom of course. I'm sure you'll find the steering shaft and exhaust will be fighting for the same space. You might run into some issues with the oil filter area and steering box in the same space as well. Good chance that even a relocation kit will be too big. If that's the case you will need to swap in a outside frame mounted steering box, which may help with the exhuast issue as well. The engine will fit, no problem there, just the other stuff that causes the problems

Matt

 

[lilmanMS]

hwo bout some block hugging headers? found some by dynomax and they every more hug that block. yea i know its gonna be a tight squeeze with the steerin and all. a relocation kit might be to big? it shoudltn, just relocate the oil filter onto side of engine bay or firewall huh? ok, outside mounted steering box? you lost me man, please help me out here. im a lil new to the whole world of hotroding.

 

[dogboy]

On your Ranger, the steering box will be on the inside of the drivers side frame rail (between the frame rails basicly), where as an "outside the frame" gearbox is on the outside of the drivers side framerail.
Make anymore sense?
If you are still not clear on it, I can probably whip up a quick little drawing or something.

 

[lilmanMS]

okay, i think i got. so itll be sittin on the far left of the frame on the outside of it, not on the inside. okay question, dont you have to move the steering shaft and all over with the steering box? and does it come with a kit to do it with? and about how much do they run?