Cylinder Head Interchangability

[coop7379]

I have a 79 bronco with a 400. The valve seals are bad and i dont have any mony to get them rebuilt and dont know how to do them myslef. my dad has an extra set of heads for his 73 mustang with a 351C that are just fine. My dad says that he is not sure but he thinks that the heads are interchangeable. i would like to know if anyone knows weather they are or not. [-o< I realy hope they are but want to know for sure before i tear into it. Thank you for you help.

 

[BLADE262US]

Hello Yes they are interchangable but the 70 to 73 mustang heads were meant for leaded gas so running unleadd in them will kill the valve seats in a short period of time . Up to you to put them on but kinda a waste of time .

 

[BigNasty]

Practicality comes to my mind on this
If you think that swapping heads will be cheaper and easier... after the cost of the gaskets, coolant, oil. it really won't be cheaper or easier

Best bet is to learn how to do the seals and replace them yourself. It really isn't very hard to do and the cost of the seals, the tools and valve cover gaskets, really isn't that much in comparison.

 

[4xfan78]

Spend the hunderd or two have the rebuilt and upgraded and use them.

 

[Broncoholics]

Doesn't cost much for case hardended valve seats to be installed at a machine shop. This made my Bronco run like a new engine; took away that low idel miss I thought I had. The unleaded gas caused the valves to recess 1/8" up inside the heads which created bad leakes.

 

[4xfan78]

If you're dad hade them worked on before they could be ready to run on unleaded gas now. The 351c heads would be the better to go with they would up the compression ratio a little also.

 

[coop7379]

ya my dad had them rebilt already and i get all the fluids for free from his work so im not going to have any extra cost becouse of them. the fack that it will up the compresion is one that i didnt know and am glad to hear becouse my friend and i have been compeating with are broncos becouse they are the ecact same and he just had his engine compleatly redone and the heads built by the guy who builds gravediggers heads. so he has me beat . the compresion upidg might give me my advantage back. thank you all for helping me /