NAPA could get me a 2" to 1 7/8" bushing, so I picked up the '98 460 hose again (NAPA 8220). But there's no way it will work with the oil filter in the stock '97 location. Below is a picture with the oil filter removed and that hose installed. The hose runs solidly through the space the filter needs to occupy.

I'm pretty sure there's no hose available that's going to snake past the oil filter in that location.

 

If you just want to eliminate the cooler completely, I still have my original 1986 oil filter adapter.

 

Thanks. I still have a couple other options I'm working out, but I might come back to you on that. One of the reasons I'm trying so hard to use the stock '97 filter adapter is that I couldn't get it off my block. I'm sure I could with enough effort, but the big bolt through the center isn't the easiest to get at, and an air impact wrench (through a long extension) wasn't budging it. So the "easy" route will be to keep it.

 

How about a 90° piece of 1.5" ID exhaust tube, I think it comes out to 1.75" OD, or maybe find something similar to emulate the water passage part of the cooler.

 

My current plan is to run some 1 1/2" copper pipe around the oil filter, using the stock '97 lower hose from the radiator and just a short section of hose with an elbow to the water pump. I did some REALLY convoluted radiator "hoses" like that to put a serp belt on my Bronco. (Below is a link to my Bronco thread about that). This should be a lot easier than that. Hopefully I'll get it all put together this weekend. Then I'll update here.

 

Doesn't look much worse than what I had in a 64 Falcon. I had a Corvette crossflow radiator with a copper elbow and pipe to clear the Tecumseh compressor for the A/C.

 

If you read all of the threads I am putting this in, sorry for the multiple posts. But it seemed worth documenting it in the discussions on both the 460 forum and the '92-'96 forum, and I want it in my "build" thread.

To answer the question I started with in the '92-'96 forum, yes, there are special things that need to be done to remove the oil cooler from a '97 F-250HD 460.

For starters, the cooler does need to be removed, not just disconnected from the coolant hoses. The coolant inlet and outlet necks on the cooler are too much in the way. And once the cooler is removed you need to do something special with both the oil flow and the coolant flow.

It seems to me that there are 4 options (well, really only 3 because option 1 really can't work):

1. Remove the stock 90 deg oil filter adapter, get a threaded nipple and put the oil filter straight off the block. Then use a lower radiator hose from a '90 F-250 with a 351. But this actually doesn't work because there's no room for the filter between the block and the crossmember.
2. Remove the stock 90 deg oil filter adapter and put either the Ford racing adapter, or a stock adapter from an earlier 460 (~'91). Those apparently allow you to clock the oil filter low enough to clear the radiator hose. Then use the '90 F-250 351 hose.
3. Remove the 90 deg adapter and use a remote mount filter, along with the 351 hose.
4. Leave the stock 90 deg adapter on, make a bypass pipe for the oil, and make a new radiator hose to snake around the filter and steering box. That's what I ended up doing.

So how did #4 go? I started with the oil bypass pipe. I have access to a mill at work, so I put a piece of pipe between two steel blocks that bolts in place of the oil cooler. It attaches and seals the same as the cooler, so that took care of rerouting the oil.



Next was the coolant. I started with the stock '97 460 radiator-to-oil cooler lower hose and another of the hoses I had laying around from my earlier experiments. I used the stock lower hose as-is, attaching it to the radiator outlet as normal and cut a short piece with an angle off the other hose to attach to the water pump inlet. Then I took some 1 1/2" copper pipe and fittings and made a piece that connected those two hoses while snaking over the oil filter and then down between the filter and the steering box. If a picture is worth a thousand words, here are about 6,000:





So with all of that done I changed the oil, filled the radiator and I'm back driving my truck again!

 

Nice job and good improvising

 

Thanks. It reminds of what an old-time parts-counter guy told me once when it wasn't apparent what collection of parts was going to work for whatever job I was trying to do at the time: "Looks like you're gonna have to get crafty on that!"

 

I couldn't find the beating the dead horse smilie, so I will petition the mods to get me one. The time has come for me to tackle this issue as my Long cooler has failed, and allowed antifreeze into my freshly rebuilt motor. I've been doing all the same research, as we have before, and then I stumbled upon this little guy.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252079896406?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Assuming I ditch the 90 degree fittings and just run the hoses through the cross member hole, I'm thinking this kit will work just fine.

I may have to "get a little crafty" with the cooler and filter mounts, but I am willing to tackle it.

Can anyone find a reason this kit wouldn't work?

 

There is several hoses of various sizes for the 460 engine that fit with or without trimming once the oil cooler is removed. these engine where used since late 60's to late 90's every year a little different.

the best way is to remove cooler, add adapter and then put correct hose in.

for the oil filter and and cooler, a amsoil duel filter kit works the best. i mounted under coolant tank. theres enough room there. i trimmed the inner fender to be able to drop filters strait down without spilling oil. also can pre fill filters. if towing alot or hauling the filters plug up quickly every 1,000 miles or so. by plugged i mean a 5 point drop in pressure overall. so i take 2 minutes, swap primary, leaving micron in and back going down the road. for a oil cooler i used a 3 ft cooler, mass airflow, but wasn't enough. it is best to go to a radiator shop and get a 3x3 or roughly similar for a semi.

the cooler the oil, the less filter and the more mpg and less maintenance.

i also on 1 truck took and put a 3 inch body lift and left radiator down. creating a 3 inch air dam to cool top of engine, decreasing engine temps 30 degrees and top of engine air temp by 130 degrees. i also removed the ford plastic shroud in front for more airflow.

less heat, more mpgs with these engines.

 

Hoping someone from earlier in the thread will chime back in...

Not sure why a 3x3 oil cooler seems like a good idea for a 460 in any application.

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if you tow, go on long distance drives, haul with this, or daily commutes involve grades then the more you cool the oil the less oil changes, the less oil filters you will need and the less overall maintenance and longevity you will get out of this engine. i have a 18" by 30" and noticed significant drop, but still to hot of oil going back to engine. so next step is to go bigger.

i like the 460 contrary to most but not stock. i currently have 4 or 5 pickups with these engines and a spare on hand in case. i work and max these engine out, but they keep on giving with little to no maintenance. except for the typically spark plug that fails when ever engine gets hot. i have lost 2 on 1 side and 1 on the other going up hill, but even on 3 dead cylinders it still climb pulling 4 tons.


i got a pickup that's getting a 460 swapped out for maintenance, but in the process putting in a efi controller and a 7.3 idi radiator as they will fit ironically. 4x the cooling capacity and putting a 4x4 oil cooler, seeing what kind of mileage i squeeze out, so far at 15, but should be closer to 20 when done. and that's towing mid size loads. controlling the a controller for these engines, which runs $1500 Canadian, $900 us. it basically is a plug and play, so more uniform injections and the ability to custom tune much like a modern vehicle can be. but without environmental restrictions. i can put on over 10k miles a month so i get what i can out of fuel.

 

If you feel the need to have a massive oil cooler to pull 4 tons with a 460, you need to get your scales calibrated bud.

Ok bud, you wanna blow smoke, go have a dart... No way in Canada will a 460 get 20 mpg pulling a sled trailer, much less any kind of heavy load. I believe you are at your minimum post count to post your own thread now, and it would be a good way for you to outline and share the mods for your truck in the OBS(9th gen) or big block forums.

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[QUOTE=cbakker;16272588]If you feel the need to have a massive oil cooler to pull 4 tons with a 460, you need to get your scales calibrated bud.

what i said about 4 tons had nothing to do with oil cooler cbakker. i was refernecing how reliable these engines are. so read before commenting, it always helps.





[QUOTE=cbakker;16272588]Ok bud, you wanna blow smoke, go have a dart... No way in Canada will a 460 get 20 mpg pulling a sled trailer, much less any kind of heavy load. I believe you are at your minimum post count to post your own thread now, and it would be a good way for you to outline and share the mods for your truck in the OBS(9th gen) or big block forums.

i dont pull sled trailers, goose necks and 5th wheels, 16k minimum weights to 25k, and average 8 to 15 on that. depending on weather on highway or pavement. its all on how you take care of what you got and the fuel you run.

the big reason i need a bigger oil cooler in my pickups is i dont see a whole of pavement pulling those loads, mostly dirt trails or gravel at best. so steep grades and unforgiving, you break down where i am mostly at it could be a few weeks before you're found. oil temp is a issue for me. and on a side by side comparison between maintenance and wear and tear, my truck with add ons overall cost less to run and maintain. but if it cost $200 for a small cooler, and $300 for a larger? why go small?

i watch these posts on 460's and give helpful advice, over 20 years working and owning these engines for over a decade. As any mechanic would know, its more then just pulling a oil cooler, its changing the coolant lines, adding oil coolers, filters, and several other areas to be addressed. ignore one and all you are doing is coming back to it later. theres a lot of good information out there but a lot of threads are misleading and have incorrect information on these forums these days. all i am doing is stating the obvious to help those who do not know as much.

anyways good chat,