I have put a 460 engine into a 1983 XE sedan, i am in Australia, engine is fully reconditioned, car runs a 4 speed Toploader-9 inch diff with 3-5 ratio, as my car doe's not have a Tacho. I have gone out and purchased a 8 Grand Auto Meter Tacho, i have had my sedan at 160kph on the freeway and it seemed to rev high, i now have around 1200k's on my engine, i will be installing the Tacho this weekend, the 460 is completly stock apart from Edelbrock RPM Manifold, Pacemaker headers, High Energy 8-5 litre Sump, High Volume oil Pump,Edelbrock Hi-Flow waterpump.what i would like to know is what RPM is safe for my 460 engine, and what MAXIMUM REVS to take it to without blowing it up ! as i tell every-one over here the 460 in my XE Sedan will do 200kph in 3rd gear....Thanks again- Jamie, Australia. P.S, Carb is a 670 street avenger, car runs a 3 inch single exhaust system.

 

From what I have read, the 460 weak point at high RPMs is the rods, at least for the 90s. So if you are using stock rods, you are probably limited to somewhere around 5,000RPM or so. I am not a 460 expert and have never "hot rodded" a 460 so I don't know the factual answer.

I do know with my 94 stock EFI 460, that it will turn up to somewhere past 4,500 RPM, but anything over 4,000 RPM is really just a lot of thrashing around.

I assume and have read that with proper balencing, correct pistons and rods etc, you can wing the engine pretty high.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Mine sees 5500rpms often, and I'm just running a stock '88 truck bottom end. No problems thus far. To me the factory vavletrain is what will give you trouble first, the bottom end is pretty stout.

 

with stock rods, and I assume standard weight pistons, if the rotating assy is balanced, and you have the cam to support it I would consider 6500 to be the MAX I would ever consider twisting it, and even at that not to long or too often keep it below 6k and you should be ok. But if the rotating assy isn't balanced then I wouldn't push it past 5500 max.
The rods are your weak point and even with "football" rods (cj, and truck rods) I would never consider anything over 6500 as safe even polished, and balanced with lighter pistons.

 

i have stock CJ rods that were magnafluxed, shotpeened, ARP wav-lok bolts installed with forged pistons. and i 've reved her to 6500rpms continuously in 1st for at least 3 minutes and it was good.

i'd say if you have those square bolt rods, its gonna be 5500rpms max and just touching that rpm and not holding it.


BESIDES, WHY IN THE HELL WOULD YOU HAVE TO REV A 460 THAT HIGH ANYWAYS????????? with stocker heads ported, i make my max power at 5000rpms anyways. so i normally only rev to 5200rpms and after that its not worth it unless you just like to hear a motor rev to the moon for nothing.

ITS A 460, it makes power right away and with stock heads it won't get better than making max power than 5000rpms. SO KEEP IT THERE!!! even with edelbrock heads max power is still around 5500-5800rpms regardless how high your cams revs to.

 

depends on the edelbrock heads I know guys reving 460s, and 514 with the edel heads past 6500 (no hwere near stock bottom ends though), and the power range on those engines is over 6k (one even has a 5k stall in it if that tell you anything)

 

Thanks Guys, i will not rev my 460 engine over 5'500 revs. all the bottem end is completely stock, my engine is a mid 80's 460 Externally balanced. Parts for the 460 are very EXPENSIVE over here in Australia, i will be going to Performance Parts in about 2 years. i did read in a mag down here that the 460 stock Crank & Conrods were good for 600 Horsepower, maybe just another wifes Tale....Thanks again,Jamie- Australia.

 

[QUOTE=XolieX]
BESIDES, WHY IN THE HELL WOULD YOU HAVE TO REV A 460 THAT HIGH ANYWAYS????????? [QUOTE]

The only time mine gets in the 5,000rpm range is while off-roading, or during the occasional burnout. Is blasting it off the rev limiter neccessary you may ask? No, but it sure is fun

 

With stock heads and cam, anything past 4500 rpm is not making you any extra power (actually less) and by 5000 rpm there is nothing in the way of power left (horsepower drops off fast after 4500 rpm. The heads and cam (mainly the cam) in a stock step up determine max rpm. Reving it higher is just abusing you engine for no gain.

 

I've got my rev limiter at 6K and try not to bounce it off that too often. My bottom end is still stock. Before the new heads, cam, headers, etc. it was very tough to even get the engine to rev past 5K. Even with my foot to the floor I guess it just couldn't get enough air to go any faster.

 

Well, don't get me wrong, if I'm actually asking the engine for lots of power I keep it in the 2,600-3,000rpm range, which is the thick of the power band on my setup. I guess that reving it to 5 grand being 'abusive' is just a judgement call, I personally see nothing wrong with it. If it lets go its just an excuse to oogle over the carnage and build it up to higher specs next go 'round....

 

broke/threw a rod on my first 460 after a stressfull discussion with my wife and then reving putting my foot to the floor on my stock set up.(Seemed to relive my stress at the time) I had absolutly no problem going over 5K with my stock set up.

After my rebuild and triple checking all bolt torques I easly go over/around 5k, no problems.

 

Them wimmins will do it every time. I didn't think about this last night when I posted but a couple of the lobes on the old cam that came in the truck were pretty wiped out. That could have been part of the reason I couldn't get mine to rev higher.

 

i recently dynoed my truck and the power was already taking a plunge before it got to 4k RPMs!?!?!?!?! SO i guess high revs would be pretty useless without many mods.

 

yep it takes mods to make them rev, take Ivans he has a pretty radical cam, and TFS street heads with that cam and head combo it would be totally capable of twisting up till it snapped a rod which is why the rev limiter. My engine revs over 7500 with ease but then again there is nothing stock about my engine except the timing cover.