On 21 Aug 2005 10:46:58 -0700,
trippingtoo8track@yahoo.com wrote:
>I have an '82 F150 w/400 CID 335 series engine. 2-barrel- not original
>motor, someone put it in, I believe the motor is a '77 model
>
>anyone else here run a 400 CID ?
>
>For some reason this motor never really caught on in a big way with
>Ford guys- and was eclipsed by the smaller 351C- it seems to me the 400
>should make even more power with the same heads and mods.
>
>opinions ?
Hot Rod magazine had a build-up of one of those things a few years ago.
They made 380 horsepower with it and spent remarkably little money. It
was a torquey bastard, too - they never had to take the motor over five
grand.
I think the reason it never 'caught on' with the performance crowd was
the fact that it only came bolted to Ford's heavier tin - the '72-newer
Torinos and big A-bodies, and later the full-sized Broncos, F-series
pickups, and Econoline vans. Add to that they were always kind of low-
compression mills (except the first couple of years). They had odd
motor mounts so they don't bolt easily into other chassis, and for the
most part, most folks interested in performance were looking at the 429s
and 460s.
The potential for power is definitely there, though. It has the cubic
inches for impressive power, and the 351C-2V head, although not quite
the deep breathers the 4V heads were, are certainly adequate for good
performance for a 400-inch V8. Get the compression up, give it a good
cam and a decent induction (Edelbrock Performer series intkae and sensibly
sized four-barrel carb) and it'll make power all day.