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Transmission swap from 63 T-bird 390 to 429 engine

7K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  stuarta 
#1 ·
Hello everyone and excuse my ignorance on the subject but I have to ask to get some type of guidance.

We own a 71 Mach 1 that had the original 351 Cleveland with transmission. A few years ago my father decided to swap out engine with what the mechanic told him was a 429 off of a 70 something Ford LTD, Marquis or some type of car. There en-lies part of the issue. I have no real idea what engine it has or from what car it came from, but from other people viewing they tell me it is a 429...

So my question is, we never changed out transmission when they put 429 in the car. It still has the original tranny for 351. My transmission needs replacement and I have a 1963 tBird 390 engine. It is original and I am not sure why type of tranny these carried if C4 or C6 or what. i am just saying those trannies because they are the only ones I could find info on google.

I want to see about putting the tranny from the 390 into the Mustang with the supposed 429 it has. Is this possible?????

Does it matter where the 429 engine came from (car model) or can I not swap it out?

Please any guidance will help or at least to guide me to ask more questions when I go shopping around or to mechanics.

Thank you
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Here are pictures of the tranny from the 390 tbird and the numbers on it. Not sure if they mean anything to you all.

The other pictures are of the supposedly 429 engine and the manifold numbers. Again not sure if they mean anything to you all.


Ok nevermind. I couldnt get the pictures uploaded
 
#3 ·
429/460 cubic inch "385 series" engines are entirely different than the 352/360/390/406/410/427/428 "FE series"engines... bellhousings/transmissions do not interchange between these different types.

I'm also curious as to how the 351 Cleveland transmission was used with the 429, as the Cleveland uses the Small Block Windsor transmission case pattern, and a transmission from a 351 Cleveland(or Windsor) will not fit the 429-460.

351M (often called 351 Modified) engine however does share a bellhousing/trans case pattern with the 429-460 big block, as does the 400 Ford(also called the 400M by many)

Sounds like maybe you don't have entirely correct info on the history of what was done to this car.
 
#4 · (Edited)
the 429 wont fit between the fenders on the mustang. At least without some mods.
The boss 429 stangs were hemi headed and they had the engine bay pretty modified from the factory to accommodate the big 385 series motor.
I don't think you can make it fit.All the sheet metal is different, aprons , strut towers, core support all different
Also ,the 351 C engine could have a bolt pattern on the trans end for the bigger FX and C6 or the smaller C4 , but it wont have both.
Eric is correct.The FE engines use a different bel pattern on a C6 than the 385 series engines
 
#6 ·
the 429 wont fit between the fenders on the mustang. At least without some mods.
The boss 429 stangs were hemi headed and they had the engine bay pretty modified from the factory to accommodate the big 385 series motor.
I don't think you can make it fit.All the sheet metal is different, aprons , strut towers, core support all different
Also ,the 351 C engine could have a bolt pattern on the trans end for the bigger FX and C6 or the smaller C4 , but it wont have both.
If its bolted to a trans from the 390 car,it has the bigger trans pattern and it should bolt to the 429.
Ok, like mentioned, I might not have entire history of what was done. Where can I get codes of what is in car?
 
#12 ·
OK Eric.I stand corrected..:D
I WAS thinking about the 69-70 stangs as you said.:embarrass:)
Check the link I posted on the transmissions. Some clevland blocks were made with the Windsor pattern. And some were made with the larger. One is rare,I don't remember which
Good to see you.Its been a while.:thumbup:
 
#14 ·
I'm pretty good with Ford, even if I am a Chevy guy, Bro-in-law was a Ford nut.

All true 351C engines are small blocks, 2V(Two Barrel)and 4V(Four Barrel), made from 1970-73 only,.... it is when some confuse the 351M into the issue that messes things up, the M's were 1971-81 IIRC, so there is some overlap of these being used in the same years.....but they never had the same bellhousing bolt pattern.

The 351C has the Small Block Windsor pattern, the 351M/400 have the 385 series pattern on it.

Why Wikipedia has a "Cleveland" pattern listed as the 383 series pattern I have no idea, it is a misprint.

The ultra rare piece I know of is the separate bellhousing C-4 trans with a 385 series bell on it, came in only a few early 70's 351/400M applications when the supply of 385 series pattern FMX cases were in shortage due to a plant fire at the FMX plant....this rare bell allows you to bolt a 429-460 or M engine to the little C-4 main case!!!!....some Stock class drag racers covet this bellhousing, allows them to use a race built lightweight C-4 behind the big block.
 
#13 ·
the tranny pictures is from the 390.


By these numbers im thinking 460 is in there or can you used the same part for 429.

The head is 6066 in case you cant see it.


Also these extra pictures are from the tranny of the 390 tbird and its numbers
 

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#15 ·
You have either a 429 or 460, only the crank stroke is different, and with the original valvecover sticker gone, the only way you will ever know for sure which it is you will have to open it up and measure the crank stroke...no worries, both are good engines.

Edelbrock just named the intake the "Performer 460" because that is the most common size of this Big Block 385 series engine that Ford sold, it does not mean that it only fits a 460, manifold is the same for both.

"Performer 6066" is Edelbrock's Performer aluminum performance aftermarket head, and not an original head.

You cannot use the 390 tranny on the 429/460 engine.
 
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