Hi everyone,

I'm Stewart and recently bought a '66 F100 that the PO swapped a '65 430 into. One of the reasons that I bought the truck is because I appreciate the freak value of engine swapped vehicles like this and since then I've been trying to educate myself about MEL's as much as possible—which is why I joined this forum. I'll get some pics uploaded as soon as I figure out how to make this forum accept them. Looking forward to gleaning as much info as I can here!

Here we go:

These pics are just days after I purchased it. I've made a few minor cosmetic updates and a lot of mechanical "corrections" since then such as straightening out the timing and reviving the ignition system, replacing the gas tank and fuel pump, replacing the mechanical fan with an old Flex-a-Lite electric, and re-jetting/repairing the old Holley 750 DP that's on it. Runs super sweet now, I'm just enjoying driving the heck out of it currently. That torquey Lincoln motor is great in a little pickup like this, I don't think I could ever go back to the original 352! Oh yeah, it also came from the factory with a 5-lug Dana 60 with limited slip and 3.54 gears.

Better pics from today showing the exhaust manifold spacers on the passenger side to clear the higher starter mounting position on the FE bellhousing. Plug wires are off an old 351w project, hence the mismatched boots. Carb has a 2" four hole spacer under it so the Holley linkage clears the manifold and because well, why not?

Nice ride. Welcome on board.

Hello,
I have been threatening to put a 430 in my 65 F-250. I mocked everything up in 66 frame a couple of years ago. Is your F-100 a Camper Special? If not and the Dana 60 is original it has the towing package. Non Camper Specials likely didn't have the helper spring pack. The transmission is my main hold up. I don't want an automatic. I plan on cutting the ear off above the starter and fusing a bolt boss in so the MEL will accept FE bell housings. What of those spacers on the passenger side exhaust manifold?

Chris430,

Sorry I just now saw this, I didn't swap the MEL in so I'm just going off what the PO told me. Supposedly the block has been cut so the starter would fit and the manifold spacers allow the exhaust to clear the starter on that side. I don't know where the spacers came from, I assume a machine shop made them but they don't leak at all.

The truck is not a camper special to the best of my knowledge, nor does it appear to have any helper springs. The Dana 60 is original to the truck too. I'm away from home this weekend but if you want any measurements or something, I can help out when I get back.

I see. I wonder if he cut the 65 block ear off above the MEL starter to fit the FE bell housing. I have heard of guys doing that and running just four bell housing bolts in the MEL.

I believe that is the case, he mentioned the block had been cut and because of that would be worthless to a restorer. I don't see how the swap would be possible otherwise.

I had considered doing that but adding the fifth bolt boss above the starter or even tanking a busted FE and grafting that whole ear on. The dowls provide the tensile strength but that loss of clamping force around the dowl had me concerned about possibly cracking the bell housing when the 65 F-250 is loaded heavy or crossing the Continental Divide.