I'm thinking of buying a 1969 429 originally out of a ranchero to put into my 78 Bronco. The guy is asking $500 for it complete with C6 and bellhousing. He says it ran well and didn't burn oil when he had it in his truck before pulling it out (due to bad tranny) and swapping in a 360. I don't need the C6 as it's worn out and the C6 in my truck is in good shape. I'm not very familiar with these engines and was wondering if 69 was a good year for manufacturing these engines and are there any concerns I should be aware of with this engine? What should I look for when I go to look at it later this week? Any advice is appreciated.

 

Great engine, but if you live in a state like I do where 91 octane is the best grade pump gas available, the 10.5:1 c/r might present detonation problems.

 

Good point on the compression. Also make sure the water jackets arent cracked at the back of the block, behind the tranny bell housing due to freezing. The early blocks were thinner in this area and prone to cracks if the antifreeze wasnt monitered properly. Trust me!

Nathan

 

If you have a problem with the compression you can run them on propane. I have an F600 with a 429 that I converted to propane. It gets 16 miles per gallon loaded with 1-1.5 ton. It has high compression stock heads I think 11-12 to 1 compression ratio. The engine is cranking out about 575 horse. All you really need to do to convert to propane is replace the carb with a mixer, install cold firing spark plugs, and mount a propane tank in back. I have a 25 gallon tank that lasts a long time.