460 Police Intercepter

[Old Rusty Wrench]

I'm looking at a '74 Ranchero with engine compartment full of a V8. It has been stting for 21 years. The old (82+) owener says it has a 460 Police Intercepter engine that was too hard on gas for him. He said the engine is from '70s, was rebuilt in the early '80s and installed in the Ranchero. The owener say the PI engine had special heads with bigger valves, special pistons and special crank caps. My question is what is a 460 PI? What are the design specs and what was the power? My son (OJ) thinks Ford may have put on 428 or 429 heads and some internal design build-ups on the 460 PIs. What can you guys tell me or has the owener just wishing that is what it is. It has an auto trans, could that be an C4 or C6. It is also equiped with a big under the bumper to frame hitch and air bags for heavy loads. Thanks for any engine and install info you may know.

[80demoace]

They for sure did not have 428 heads!!! A 428 is a different series of engine (FE) and completely different than the 429/460.

[85e150six4mtod]

Check the August Hot Rod mag for a '75 Ranchero with a slightly modified 385 series engine. Some useful tips.

There was a 460 PI engine, although what exactly each engine had seems a bit murky, this site has some casting numbers you can check against your block and heads:

http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod/engine2.html

Page 2 and 3 are where to look, scroll down to the 460 info. Note 460/429 are the same series, thus heads can interchange. NO interchange with 428/427, that is FE series as per prior post. Note also the link above is at the top of the Small Block forum.

The early '70s started the era of low compression smog motors, and increasing Federal standards. Thus, the "police" motors usually got things like oil coolers and other durability items, instead of, for example, solid lifters, bigger carbs etc as see in previous years. However, your motor has been rebuilt, so who knows what secrets lurk under the cobwebs and grime. 4 bolt mains? Big valves? Possible.

FWIW, with an engine like this, I would do a complete tear down JUST to be sure I didn't damage it trying to run it after sitting so long.

Auto trans will be the C6, all aluminum, 3 speed, non-OD, non-lockup. Strong & inexpensive.

Good luck with it.

[mcdonaldm]

the true Police interceptor heads had a casting number of D2OE (not D2VE) and had 2.19 intakes and about 85cc combustion chambers and larger intake and exhaust ports (although not as large as the cobra jet heads). the regular passanger car engines (C8VE, C9VE, D0VE and D3VE) heads had 2.08 intake valves and the first three had 75cc chambers while the D3 heads have 95cc chambers. the D2VE heads are great door stops or boat anchors so not worth talking about.

not all the 460 police interceptor engines got the good heads. i read that only the early engines got these heads while the rest got the garden variety passanger car heads. most 460 PI engines where basically the same as the regular engines but had oil coolers, heavy duty suspension, brakes and tranny and dual exhaust.

unforetunetly a lot of people think they either have the police interceptor engine or the cobra jet engine because of how much gas they use or how much percieved power they have under the hood. a 460 just does not get good gas mileage not matter what it is in.

so look at the head casting number (right above the two middle exhaust ports, can't miss it) to see if you have a true PI engine or just a regular 460. nothing wrong with the regular 460 by any means.
more then likely a C6 as that was the only tranny offered behind the 460 from the factory and the c4's with the correct bellhousings are pretty rare.

rgds
MIke

[Old Rusty Wrench]

80demoace, after I posted my question I looked back in the engine forums I saw that a428 is a FE block. My son (OrangeJuice) called me to tell me the same. We spent hours and hours on his 390, 60 over 406 and I didn't learn a thing about the Cobra heads he used.
85e150six4mtod Good info. I spent a hour on the like to Baumann Transmissions Controls.
Thanks mcdonaldm, I'll take brush, rag and a flashlite to take a look at the heads.