If I am gonna build a mild 460 would it e a good idea to put a 429 crank in it so I could safely rev it higher and quicker even though I would be losing some cubes? How high can either of these rev?

 

For street and off-road use you are much better off with the 460. Torques rules on the street. Your limiting factor in both engines is the cast pistons and factory rods. With stock components don't spin past 5,000-5,500 RPM. Running forged pistons ( or KB hyper's) and ARP bolts in the CJ or truck rods will let you go to 6,500 RPM safely. That is also about the limit for ported factory heads, CJ heads, or the Edlebrock style aftermarket heads. The heads I just mentioned won't make significant power beyond 6,500 RPM. Once you drop on a set of SVO pro-stock style heads the sky is the limit. Just by dropping a set of those on my 514 c.i. drag engine I picked up over 100 HP. Of course to really get the use out of the SVO style of heads you need to run aftermarket rods, a 3Y crank or better, roller cam, 4-bolt block, etc. At these power levels your talking BIG BUCKS.
Anyway to answer your original question...stick with the 460.

Deen

 

The 460 crank can take 7500-8000 rpm's with light pistons, good rods (especially alluminum), and a good ballance job. The SCJ iron heads can support you up to 7500 (at least) rpms and make good power (A range of 700-750 on a 540ci), but no where near what the A heads can offer you, such as a EX-514 or Blue Thunder head or the New Kasse designed Ford Motorsport Super CJ allum head that was used to win the 2003 PRIMEDIA engine masters challange.

 

Both of you just threw MAJOR aftermarket ideas at this guy. He didn't ask about Blue Thunder heads or 540 CI engines. Take a look at what you both posted. How was any of that helpful?

A 429 will outrev a 460 on the street. Just depends on what you want. I like my 429 and it gets 16 MPG.

From light to light, you'll like the 460 better.

 

Scroob,

How are YOU being helpfull by putting my answer and fordtrkpullers answer down? zzcharger asked if he should run a 429 crank in a 460 for the street...I said no...ask almost anyone and the answer is almost always "bigger is better" for the street.

He then asked how high you can rev these engines...seems to me I answered that too depending on what factory or aftermarket pieces he would be running from mild to wild.

We all have good answers here and there is a little bit of knowledge gained from every post. It's still up to the reader for what he can glean from each reply.

Deen

 

And to add to that...he says he is going to biuld a mild 460/429. If your biulding it, you will generally ALWAYS ballance it and make sure the block is straight and true, and the great majority of peeps will buy a cheap eagle or scat H-beam rod for about 350 bucks while they are at it.....its extremely cheap insurance! Add to that most always you will overbore it .030" and get a trw or similar piston (and TRW makes a nice lite piston for this application). I put the semi obvious together, as he neglected to give exact details on his impression of what exactly a "mild biuld" is, and I thought I gave him a very realistic benchmark. A nice eagle rod and lite TRW piston on a 2 bolt block with a factory crank will take 7500 rpm easily so long as heads and cam will get you there. I assume his heads will be stock iron, maybe DOVE or D3VE heads....both of them can flow plenty to get you into the 7K area with a inexpensive solid flat tappet cam. I offered some input, now I added more....please...dont take offense to my posting what I thought was relavant information.

For the best head porting site on earth for factory iron BBF, go check out http://reincarnation-automotive.com/ it gave me the knowledge to turn my 466 into a class winning puller, its the best $25 I ever spent on making my Fords perform! He shows you everything from C8 castings to D3 castings, and also the original Kasse cj FMS head and the new Kasse super cj FMS head.

A mild rebiuld, if done smart and right can be inexpensive and done to last, and make 550 HP without really trying to hard while still being very streetable. My daily drive F-250 with a 466 puts 395 HP at the rear wheels and uses factory block, crank, truck rods, and D0VE heads with the MPG port plates. It can be done with some carefull selection of parts, and spend the time on the website I recomended to learn to port your heads to the best of your ability.

I took no offense, I am not replying with attitude..... :]

 

Deen,

Because the guy asked a simple question that required only a simple answer.

I know a lot more than the average newbie about this stuff, and I even had trouble wading through those posts. Besides, neither one of them answered his question.

 

The 429 crank is not worth the loss in cubes. A 460 will rap just as quick, and the additional 31 cubes will do nothing but help your cause. Both cranks will stand up to 7000+ rpm easily. For the money, and for parts availability, go with the 460.

 

Wow! I hope nobody gets upset over this post and I really appreciate all the help and suggestions I am getting from all you guys. It is one of the better question and answer things I have asked on here. So here is the next one. It is gonna be a street engine so should I really go with a solid flat tappet? Is it really gonna gain me that much to have to keep up with the adjustments for it? Not that I am afraid of maintaining it but I would rather get in and drive it rather than check it once a month. But if it is worth the HP than I would consider it. Fordtrkpuller, what is your exact combination since it sounds like what I am shooting for and anything you would change? This will be going in a lighter truck.

Thanks everybody! Jack

 

I have a 2 bolt D1VE block, truck rods with ARP fasteners, I overspent on pistons and got flat top Vanolia's with the under head mill and skirt milling option to get them lite (Can you say $800.00!!!). I have D00E-R heads as cast with a Cam Research Corp solid lifter cam (I forget the specs and I sold the cam, but Scott Main there can set you up. It was about a 248/256 duration @ .050 and .650 lift on a 110 lobe sep), all valve train was a set from Cam Research, Comp Magnum roller tip stamped steel rockers, trick flow pushrods, Farrera super-flow stainless steel valves, Crane HI-6 ignition with LX-92 coil, stock crank, stock dizzy, .030" bore, block was decked, pistons were .015" down the hole at TDC. Wiend Stealth SCJ intake and a 2" spacer with a 750CFM holley 4150HP carb, K&N air filter.

The only thing I did that you would not want to do was I angle cut the heads to push the compression up but it requires ultra 94 fuel with octane booster to drive easy, and cam2 if I want to really work it.

If you just cut the heads down and get one of the liter aftermarket pistons that are standard stocking pistons you would be close to my output. You most likely will want to cut the pistons for valve reliefs now that can fit a .700" lift cam just in case you ever want to grow. It will cost you a slight amount of compression, but later you may be greatfull!

My HP was on a 4x4 going thru a C-6, NP-208, and a Dana 70 rear end, so I expect about a 30% loss from the heavy drivetrain. If you do porting on your heads you should easily pass that number, my current config with the heads ported is much more potent and all other components remained the same. I do run thru headers, and they make a huge power difference over a stock manifold. If you do your homework and do it right you can spend only a couple grand and get one heck of a street terror from a 460, and the TQ it puts out will give leave you in awe!

Also, I dont drive it every single day, I have a small truck I drive dialy, the runner is my 2-3 day a week toy and stock class pulling truck. I adjusted my valves after the first 6 months and found they were only off by about .004". I run Mobile 1 oil 20-50 racing oil.

Any of the heads from a C8 do a D3 can make similar power, the DOOE-R has a lazy intake port so it gives up some low rpm response and power, but pays you back on the top end. Pick the head based on your application.....normal street use, you can't beat the C8,C9, or DOVE head. PI heads are between the DOVE and the DOOE-R on intake port. They all have a similar flowing ex port after proper porting aside from the fact the D3 has the smog bumps and the DOOE-R has a slightly different port shape that can be pushed to about 230-235 cfm. The others can get to 220-230 cfm.