My 92 F250 (460 auto, 4x4) has sprung a pretty bad rear main seal leak at 200k miles on odometer. I plan to get a remanufactured long block and stick with EFI on the rebuild. This is an ocasional driver that I would like to use mostly for toy (camper, boat etc.) towing in the future. Therefore I would like to hop it up a bit but I am having a hard time finding performance upgrade parts for the EFI versions of these engines. So my question is what would you guys do in my situation to improve performace but retain the reliability (i.e. intake/exhaust only, chip upgrades, etc)?

 

The speed density system is what's holding you back. It's very sensitive to cam changes or any other major mods. If you were to change to a Mass Air set up then the sky is the limit.

Your stuck with cast iron EFI heads because they are EFI only and can not be swapped with carbed heads. I am not awhare of any after market intakes for the EFI 460.

The easiest thing may be a super charger but I'm not sure how that will work with a speed density system.

 

Find yourself a F500/F700 with a 429 in it, and take the heads. While the 429 in those trucks aren't the same engine as the famous 70's 429, the heads are a direct bolt on with EFI 460 intakes, and the ports/valves are huge.

For what you will be doing with the truck you don't need to go overboard with the cam - don't forget the mass of the factory pistons and rods so you're RPM's are limited anyway. Buy yourself an "RV/Towing" cam for about $120 and shove it in there with the industrial heads, and your truck will breath new life magically.

Very low-buck upgrade.

 

I'd be careful about putting too much money in a '92, in a few months when the '07s come out, it will almost be 15 model years old.

I have a couple of older vehicles, that run fine, but I might think twice about pouring $$ into these vehicles, as a lot of the other components, being that old, are probably close to the end of their service life.

Might be an idea to look around for a lower mile, later '90s or early '00s, HD pickup, like the F250, V10 or 7.3 Diesel.

Just MO.

 

I agree with Fredric

I have a 78 short block fresh rebuild with the fuel injection heads and ancilarry goodies. I used a Mild RV cam installed with a straight up timing set in the rebuild and am very happy with the results.

I have this engine installed along with the engine managment system in a 1964 F100. I cannot see spending 40k on a new truck. Total investment in this truck is less than 5k and will give me years of fun driving and the grunt to tow my 63 Pro Street Uni around.

Garbz

 

What year 429s have these heads?

 

All of the F500/F700 429cid trucks have essentially the same heads. There were some minor differences in oiling and rocker size, but the differences are so minimal for your purposes, it's irrelevent.

These are often refered to as "460 industrial heads" which you'll find on platform mounted 460's for starting jets, irrigation pumps, powering super-sized well pumps, combines, tractors, and so on.

 

Would these industrial heads be EFI ? Can you use a mustang mass coversion and play with larger throttle body and injectors then as well? Do you get a chip burned for the specific mods to make it all work properly? I may be in the same boat soon, a '93 250 with 460 auto, 4x4 ltd slip 4:10's both axles.

 

As I said above the 460/7.5L "toy truck" EFI intake bolts onto the 429 "big truck" heads just fine, assuming you're using a 460/7.5L "toy truck" block of any year.

Since you would be using a stock 7.5L "toy truck" EFI intake, you can convert to mass air and install larger injectors and so on.

There are companies who burn chips for people, but for my project (500cid, twin turbo stroker) I used an 89-93 mustang mass air computer for a while, then switched over to an EEC-V which gives me OBD-II to attach to the in-dash PC for monitoring, tuning, and so forth.

I'd rather buy the software/hardware necessary to tune it myself, and get it "dead nuts on" rather than "darn close".

But then again, I'm also installing a pair of T04 garretts and will be boosting the snot out of the engine (which I built with silly low compression - between 6.5:1 and 6.8:1 somewhere.

 

Where can one find the info and software to be able to tune an EEC_V system? Can you give me some idea as to how long the learning curve is to learn how to do the tuning? I would like to change my speed density system to mass air. Gitting the parts together and doing the install and wiring is not a problem for me, however I need to know that I will be able to learn how to tune the system when finished.

 

Hey Fredric, what heads are you talking about. I am a mechanic for a utility co. and we have had med. duty trucks for ever with 370s and 429s and I have never or herd of this. The later 90s had EFI but they had a industril version of the same EFI heads as the pick-ups with the higher port location. The earlier ones that were carbed had the an industril 385 head but the ports were in the same location as the standard pick-up and car carbed heads.
I gess what Im asking is what years and casting No's.
Leadmic

 

would 72 ltd 429 heads work on 90 460

 

If the truck has an overdrive auto, are there ecu's that will work, or can the mods that Frederic suggested be used with speed density? Thanks.

 

The 370/429 heads as you mentioned are the ones I have. the EFI intake bolts right on. I don't have the casting numbers handy... as the heads are 3 hours away at the moment. When I get them back I'll post them.

 

Have you ran this engine? The EFI manifold will bolt to standard carbed heads but the ports wont seal. If you have ran this engine with no vacuume leaks you are indeed on to somthing. Please post year and casting No# when you can.
Thanks Leadmic