18 OCTOBER 20194-WHEEL & OFF-ROAD 4WHEELOFFROAD.COM
JUNKYARD ENGINE SPOTTER’S GUIDE
the 351C and always came with the 351M.
What to Look For: The 351M and 400 were
used exclusively in trucks, while passenger
cars could have received the 351C or the
400 until 1975. There are no visible external
differences between a 351M and a 400; the
only way to tell them apart is to disassemble
the engine and measure the stroke.
What to Avoid: The 351M and 400
blocks cast at Ford’s Michigan casting
center prior to March 2, 1977, were prone
to cracking and should be avoided. These
blocks can be identified by decoding the
block casting number.
Notes: The 351M and 400 are part of the
Ford 335 engine family that includes the
351 Cleveland. Though the engines are sim-
ilar in many ways internally, the Cleveland
is a narrower engine and therefore looks
quite different. Though these engines are
rather emission-choked in stock form,
there are quite a few ways to improve their
power and performance. These engines
share a bellhousing bolt pattern with the
385-series 429 and 460 big-block.429/
Identification: Look for seven bolts on
rectangular valve covers, and exhaust
manifold bolts that are all in a horizontal
line. There was a sticker on the valve cover
denoting the engine displacement, but this
sticker will likely be missing in a junkyard.
Donor Vehicles: 1968-79 fullsize cars;
1968-97 F-Series trucks.
Significant Milestones: The 1971
460 was rated at 365 hp; by 1972 it had
dropped to 208. Fuel injection appeared in
1988, and significant head improvements
came in 1992.
What to Look For: 1968-1971 engines
offered significantly more power than
those produced until EFI arrived in the mid
1980s. Aside from automotive applications,
the 460 was used extensively in marine,
motorhome, and industrial applications.
What to Avoid: The mid - to late -1970s
engines were laden with power-robbing
emissions equipment.Notes: The 429 and 460 are members
of the Ford 385 engine family. There is no
way to tell the difference between a 429
and a 460 externally; identifying them
requires measuring the stroke of the
engine. Because they share a bellhousing
bolt pattern with the 351M and 400, these
engines are nearly a bolt-in replacement
for the smaller engines.429/MOPAR/JEEP
5.7L/6.1L HEMI
Identification: “5.7L Hemi” is usually
prominently displayed on the valve covers
or engine cover, making these engines
among the easiest to identify.
Donor Cars: 2003-present Ram trucks;
2004-present Durango; 2005-present
Dodge Magnum, Dodge Charger, Chrysler
300C, Jeep Grand Cherokee; 2009-pres-
ent Dodge Challenger.
Significant Milestones: 6.1L introduced
in 2005. Variable valve timing appears
in 2009. The 6.2L supercharged Hellcat
appears in 2015.
What to Look For: 2003-2008 Hemi
engines are the easiest to adapt and bet-
ter supported due to their simpler engine4.0L/4.2L I-
Identification: The inline-six configura-
tion makes these engines easy to spot.
The 4.2L engine have either a smooth
stamped steel or plastic valve cover and
are usually carbureted. The 4.0L H.O.
engines have a ribbed stamped steel valve
cover and have EFI.
Donor Vehicles: 1976-1986 Jeep CJs;
1987-1995 YJs; 1997-2006 TJs; 1987-
XJs; 1993-1998 ZJs; 1999-2004 WJs.
Significant Milestones: 4.0L introduced
in 1987 with Renix injection. 4.0L H.O MPI
injection introduced in 1991, and distribu-
torless ignition and coil packs in 2000.
What to Look For: The 4.0L engines are
the most desirable of these engines, as
they offer more power output and an effi-
cient fuel injection system. The 1999 and
newer models have a horseshoe-shaped
intake manifold that is said to flow better
than the regular manifolds.
What to Avoid: Stay away from the 1982-
1990 carbureted engines, as they have
a complicated and woefully inefficient
computer controlled carburetors. The 1987-
1990 4.0L engines used Renix fuel injection,
which, while acceptable, is not as good as
the MPI system that debuted in 1991.
Notes: While these engines are not
great swap candidates into other plat-
forms due to their length, the 4.0L engine
is an excellent candidate within Jeep
models to replace four-cylinder engines
that were offered alongside the 4.2L and
4.0L. Also, the 4.0L is a worthy upgrade
over the 4.2L and nearly bolts in its place.4.0L/4.2L I-MAGNUM V-
Identification: All Magnum engines are
stamped 360 or 318 on the driver side
near the back of the engine block. The
casting number of all 5.2L/318 blocks is
53006714 or 53006657. The casting num-
ber for all 5.9L/360 blocks is 5303006.
Donor Vehicles: 1992-2003 Dodge trucks
and vans; 1993-97 Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Significant Milestones: Not much
changed with these engines throughout
their relatively short production run.
What to Look For: Pretty much any
example of a Magnum engine is a good
swap candidate, although the 5.9L
engines are more desirable. These are
most often found in Dodge^1 ⁄ 2 -^3 ⁄ 4 -, and
1-to n t r u ck s.
What to Avoid: With such a large num-
ber of 5.9L engines out there, we’d hold out
for one of those over a 5.2L. Don’t confuse
the pushrod 5.2L/5.9L V-8s with the over-
head cam 4.7L that was offered concur-
rently towards the end of the Magnum’s
production run. Avoid the 4.7L at all costs.
Notes: These engines are cheap and
plentiful in wrecking yards, and their fuel
injection system is easy to transplant. In
fact, these engines can be easily swapped
into certain Jeep models while retaining
much of the stock Jeep’s fuel system,
electrical harness, and instrument cluster.MAGNUM V-