The chance has come for me to pick up a 351M off of Craigslist for $250. From what I can tell, it's a stock motor with no rebuilds, and from the brackets on it, I can tell that it came out of a 1980-1981 F-Series truck or Bronco, which means it's all correct for my 1980 F150.

To sweeten the deal even further, the motor comes with a bonus C6 transmission, and an NP208 transfer case. No extra charge.

He said it ran before he decided to part the truck out, and he hasn't even broken the trans and transfer case away from the motor yet.

The con is that the motor is about an hour and a half away, and so my gas factors in as well. I also don't think my Ranger can handle the weight, since my leaf springs are shot. So I'd have to either find a trailer, or have a buddy go with me and use his truck.

I keep trying to talk myself out of it, but am I being absolutely crazy?

That's a lot to pay for a boat anchor Shaun... I'd say you're paying for the trans and t-case while getting a free engine...

$250 for a 351M is pretty steep...I woulda said stay away until I saw you get a trans and tcase too, now I think that's a pretty average deal (for my area anyway). I'd say go for it...IIRC, the last 351M/C6/203 combo I scrapped was like 980lbs with a few parts stripped...so if you figure you need to haul 1,000lbs, that should tell you whether you need a trailer or not.

250 for all 3 items, or no Shaun imo....

UTfball68 said:

$250 for a 351M is pretty steep...I woulda said stay away until I saw you get a trans and tcase too, now I think that's a pretty average deal (for my area anyway). I'd say go for it...IIRC, the last 351M/C6/203 combo I scrapped was like 980lbs with a few parts stripped...so if you figure you need to haul 1,000lbs, that should tell you whether you need a trailer or not.

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I've seen 351M/400's go for $400 here. They're getting rare in Florida, and most people that have them know what they are. They'll talk crap about them all day long, but when it comes time to sell, they want 460 prices.

As for my Ranger, the most weight I've ever carried is 500lbs, and I had some pretty severe squat. That's when I decided to check my leaf springs, and upon inspection I found that I barely have any free arch at all. Somebody used my Ranger like an F350 at some point before I bought it.

I'm still teetering on the fence. I already have a 400/C6/NP208, but my 400 only has one soft rebuild on it left. I've been trying to keep my eye open for a virgin block, but after 30 years, that's getting hard to find.

Oh, and a 460 isn't an option, unless I'm buying it to make a table.

Boat Anchors around here are damn near free... just teasing...

but i would snatch it if i was you.. you need the trans and transfer case.. and if the block is good but the 400 block wasnt, then you can put the 400 crank in the 351 block... more the parts the better..

I actually need the engine more than anything. My Trans and Transfer case are fine.

Grab the 351...swap the 400 parts...call it a day and move on. Then mate the best of your trannies and tcases and call it good. Then sell extra parts.

Curiousity...was the NP208 what was available behind the 335 series/C6 combos through 83??? I was just always under the assumption that the 203 or 205 were what resided behind that combo.

UTfball68 said:

Grab the 351...swap the 400 parts...call it a day and move on. Then mate the best of your trannies and tcases and call it good. Then sell extra parts.

Curiousity...was the NP208 what was available behind the 335 series/C6 combos through 83??? I was just always under the assumption that the 203 or 205 were what resided behind that combo.

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My crank is already .020 undercut. It's only good for another .010.

As for your question, the NP203 and NP205 were no longer used after July 79. The aluminum case NP208 replaced them for 1980, and from 1980-1982, that is what came behind the 351M/400-C6 combos. However, the 351M was dropped after 1981, and the 400 was phased out during 1982 and only saw use in F250's and F350's during 1982. The 460 replaced the 400 for 1983.

I have read that a select few 1980-1982 trucks came with a BW1345. However, I have never seen proof of that combo, so I can't really say for sure if that's completely true.

The NP208 saw use until around 1987, when Borg-Warner took over the leading spot for Ford T-Cases. New Process came back with Ford for a few years, but I think BW still has the top spot these days.

Just for the heck , I searched CL here. There were no 351M or 400's for sale.

Well, new variable. A 351M just came up for sale locally. This guy wants $150 for it, but is willing to negotiate in order to get it out of his garage.

However, I'm still not sure if it's a car or truck block. I want a truck block, and so if it doesn't say D7TE, I'll pass.

Only difference is the oil pan and thus the pick up and a front block dipstick. Transfer the pan and pick you already have and call it good. And if it is a 351m, I wanna say those only came in trucks...the 400 woulda been in cars. IMO, $150 is steep for just a 351M engine...but it sounds like they're hard to come by in your area...if you could get it for a bill or less, probably worth it.

UTfball68 said:

Only difference is the oil pan and thus the pick up and a front block dipstick. Transfer the pan and pick you already have and call it good. And if it is a 351m, I wanna say those only came in trucks...the 400 woulda been in cars. IMO, $150 is steep for just a 351M engine...but it sounds like they're hard to come by in your area...if you could get it for a bill or less, probably worth it.

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The 351M was actually built as the replacement for the 351C. It was introduced in 1975 for cars, and then 1977 for trucks.

The D7TE blocks actually have reinforced main bearing support webs. The car blocks eventually received the reinforcement in 1978, and were deemed D8AE.

I'm extremely picky about my F150. The D7TE block is the correct application for a 1977-1982 F-Series truck or Bronco, and therefore in my mind, that is what should be in there. In my eyes, using a D5AE or D8AE block would be like you putting a 429 in Red. It shouldn't make any difference, but It would annoy me every single day knowing that it's a car block in my truck.

One thing I also have to watch out for is a block cast before March of 1977 at MCC. If the local block was cast before then, it's prone to lifter valley cracking, and I don't want to chance that either.

In reality, the 351M/C6/NP208 combo is the better deal, since I know 100% that it's from a 1980-1981 truck or Bronco. However, I don't know if I'm really willing to drive two hours round trip when I can pick up the other 351M in a matter of minutes for $100 less.

I can understand that...and all very good info.