I just bought a '80 F250 with a '83 460 out of a motorhome. I am trying to id the motor to make sure it is what I was told. The valve covers has 7 bolts and the water outlet comes out of the intake but at an angle. Is there any way to determine what year this motor is? My next problem is that the headers on the motor are in the way of putting trhe dipstick tube in?? Do they make a different set of headers for this application?

 

460 T-Stat is on top angled to pass side headlight,7 valve cover bolts.Not sure about header fitment but you should be able to install dip stick tube.Mine took a couple of tries and a slight bend but it fits.In a '88 F250 4x4.It's just under the master cylinder.

 

Ok that looks just like mine from what I can tell. Is there a difference in header design from the rear sump and the dual sump pans?

 

I think sump placement is more relative to chassis than to header/exhaust since the width of the pan is the same (OEM in my experience) regardless of front or rear sump.

 

big difference is that on front sump applications the dipstick isn't in the pan it's in the timing cover.

You just have to bend the dipstick tube to work around the headers. the header companies don't take the factory dipstick tube into consideration as it's something easily manipulated to fit. chassis components and steering etc ARE taken into consideration above even performance as those are not easily moved by the average person.

 

ok,got it,I think.Is there any kind of sealer or o-ring down by the oil pan?

Does anyone have a part # from there dipstick just to make sure I have the right one?

 

the dipstick itself is pretty generic. fill it with the proper amount of oil start to circulate through the filter then let sit for half hour and check the level. mark the dipstick at that point with a file or something to scripe a line and that is your full mark.

 

I think you're going to have this issue any time you put headers on the 460....they do make aftermarket dipsticks for this but I have not tried them....but need to myself.

As far as you wanting to know what year it is....go take a look at the intake and you will find a part number on one of the front runners. This will get you into the ballpark.

As stated above...Oil pan is application specific and not really year specific. In the F series trucks, in the late 70's, they moved to a rear sump pan as Ford decreased the distance between the frame and hood...so they moved to a rear sump pan in order to get the engine to sit lower in the frame. On the 4x4's of the 70's...they always had rear sump pans to clear the front axle

 

I think I got it , just need to bend the mounting tab up by the valve cover now. I think I will do an oil change and see where the oil level is on the dipstick though.