# questions about my 400 engine



## funbooker (Apr 18, 2012)

I'm putting together a 400 engine that I never saw together so I"m trying to figure it out.

1. The valley pan has a rubber seal pressed into it on the top. It looks like a crankcase breather but something probably plugs into it but I'm not sure what.

2. The intake manifold ends near the back of the engine. I can see part of the heads behind it. There's also a tube that's nurled at the top, about 3 inches sticking out of the passenger side head. I'm not sure what goes there.

I've attached a photo to see if it looks right to any of you.


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## gjones (Oct 8, 2012)

That appears to be correct. The valley pan seal is for the pcv valve. The fitting at the rear of the right side head is for the heater core hose.


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## funbooker (Apr 18, 2012)

That all makes sense, thanks.


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## funbooker (Apr 18, 2012)

One other stupid quesiton. Will this engine turn clockwise, facing it when the engine runs? How about the distributor?


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## gjones (Oct 8, 2012)

Technically, the engine turns counterclockwise, however when looking at it from the front, it will be turning clockwise. From the top of the engine, the distributor will be turning COUNTERCLOCKWISE.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Yepper ... as viewed from the front of the motor, staring at the balancer, it turns clockwise. Distributor, viewed from above, turns counter-clockwise. 'Correct' orientation of the distributor is to have the vacuum canister hose fitting pointed at the drivers side head/fender, rotor tip pointed at the firewall with the engine at TDC compression on #1 cylinder. Firing order is 1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2.

PCV valve inserts into the grommet on top of the lifter cover, other end of the hose goes to unported manifold vacuum - either a fitting screwed directly into the top of the intake manifold or to the large fitting coming out the rear of the carb (if not used for the power brake booster). Going into the manifold directly is better because this air tends to be somewhat "dirty/oily", so if you route it through a vaccum source on your carb it'll work, but it'll get those passages in the carb pretty nasty over time.

Bear


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## funbooker (Apr 18, 2012)

Thanks, that helps a lot but I had some other advice saying at #1 TDC on the compression stroke, the rotor points roughly in the direction of #1 cylinder so that tower on the cap becomes #1 and the firing order continues from there. Any thoughts?

Also, I could use a photo of how the power steering pump and alternator attach to the engine if anyone has one, no AC. I"'ve got 2 brackets for the alternator, not sure exactly where they attach to the engine. The PS pump is there and there are brackets and one long bolt but I'm not sure how it goes. I could probably figure it out but a picture is worth 1000 minutes of scratching my head.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

funbooker said:


> Thanks, that helps a lot but I had some other advice saying at #1 TDC on the compression stroke, the rotor points roughly in the direction of #1 cylinder so that tower on the cap becomes #1 and the firing order continues from there. Any thoughts?


I'm attaching a .pdf to this message that is a scan straight out of the factory assembly manual. It shows the orientation of the distributor, and where #1 plug wire goes to on the cap.

Of course it doesn't really matter, as long as all the timing relationships are right, the engine really doesn't know or care which terminals the wires go to as long as they get "lit" at the right time and in the proper sequence.

Bear


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