I just bought an '88 F-350 4x4 for $1500. This will be my new off-road vehicle. The truck has a 460, C-6, Dana 60, 10.25" rear & 4.10 gears. The truck only has 91,000 miles. Anyway, on to my problem:

The engine was originally a 460 EFI. Some Unacceptable verbage on FTE Edited out decided to put an old 4 barrel setup on the engine, and from what I read, the heads were not designed to accept a 4 barrel intake....ports are different? The guy I bought it from tried to get it running with this setup, but he said it had horrible vacuum leaks.

So this guy decided to convert it back to EFI, but got tired of fooling with it. I have the lower aluminum EFI inake, all 8 injectors, fuel rail, but the guy I bought it from has "the wrong wiring harness from the salvage yard.” He ordered his parts from an online salvage yard, but he was given a newer model wiring harness, instead of one meant for the '88 model.

I'd prefer to convert it back to EFI, but I just want the thing running, and would be happy with a carb setup.

The other option that I have heard is to TIG weld a carb adapter plate onto the aluminum EFI intake. The EFI intake looks like a regular carb setup, except for an odd bolt pattern.

Has anyone else converted a 460 EFI to carb? What are my options?

Thanks for any advice,

Roy

 

The ports are different and you will get a vacum leak if you don't do anything about it. I'm not aware of any carb intakes made to fit the EFI intake. I did see a carb adapter for the EFI lower intake on Ebay once. Keep in mind you'll need to plug the injector holes someway or else you'll get a leak there.

 

Thanks for the input. I am aware of the injector holes......probably put the injectors back in there.....I know they'll fit.

Regarding the carb adapter, is this a common item, or are these rare custom pieces?

Thanks

Roy

 

What you may want to do is install earlier non efi cly heads, a nice after market intake and carb setup. Eric

 

Like merc460 said I would just get an early set of cheap D3VE heads and put them on and a stock or aftermarket intake. These heads are pretty lowcost I know theres even a ported set on ebay for $75 because they are mine lol. good luck Andy

 

You have to use a Cobra Jet intake. The ports are big enough to clear the mismatch of the regular carb ports.

That efi / carb converter may have been mine I auctioned on Ebay.Mr. gasket have them now.

 

Thanks for your post. I am getting ready to work on this truck in a day or two.

You said that Mr. Gasket makes an adapter for this setup.
Last night, I was looking at a Ford Performance book, that mentioned two specific WEIAND intake manifolds. The first one, # 8012 is standard issue. In the book that I was reading, the # 8021 specifically said "for "88 and up 460."

I researched this intake via the internet, and most of the info said something to the effect of "this intake needs machined/ported for best results." Is this the intake you are talking about?

I normally figure out "how to make something work." I have owned approximatley 40 vehicles, 12 being trucks in the last 10 years. I have rebuilt engines, installed lockers, etc.
I am not a "newbie" to fabricating, but to be honest, I have never looked into or thought I would have to, adapt a 460 EFI to a carb setup. I am a "newbie" to this application.
I really appreciate your advice and help on this subject.

1. Should I use the existing 460 EFI intake (plugged with injectors) and adapt a carb spacer & carb?

2. Should I buy the "Cobra Jet" intake? What is the "Cobra Jet" intake that you are referring to?

Thanks for the reply by email.

I wanted to post this on the board to see about using the stock intake.....at least to get the thing running.

Does this # 8021 intake need machined to fit properly, or is a bolt on?

I plan to do that in the future, but I have bought a Mr. Gasket adapter.......looks like a ma be able to rig up something up in the mean time. Also, I want to run a Quadrajet, since they are much better off road. The truck currently has a factory C-6, not the E4OD electonic trans, so by-passing the fuel injection should not cause any other problems/

How did you make your Mr. Gasket spacer work?

Thanks,

Roy

 

The 8021 doesn't need machining. The CJ ports are oval shaped just like the EFI's but bigger so they align.The carb 460 ports aren't. However, due to the larger port sizes and free breathing, you will lose a bit of low end torque, but gain more overall torque, hp, and rpm. The efi stock intake sucks...

 

Thanks Hellraiser. I definitely plan to buy the CJ Weiand #8021 in the near future.

The only other question I have is how did you make the Mr. Gasket adapter work? I know you said you had this before the CJ intake. What adapter did you use? I looked at several, and purchased the Mr. Gasket # 1932. Is this what you used?

Also, how much "seat of the pants" power did you gain by using the Weinad CJ intake.

Thanks,

Roy

 

never used the efi intake. I bought one for the engine I am building. I ported the hell out of it to find out there was not enough meat in the runners to get some good rpm out of it. So I trashed it and got the 8021. My guesstimate is it's good for 30 hp over the stock intake. yet, due to the port size torque will start a little further down the rpm range than the stock intake.

 

hey man, just thought i would give you a lil heads up if you wanna go carb route....you may have to completely redo the fuel system, depending on how it is set up now. i have an 89 that was efi, i put a carb motor in it. been havin fuel system probs since day 1. you may wanna run a mechanical pump(space permitting...still tryin that road). i initially ran the stock setup with an adjustable fuel pressure regulator with a return line, but that wouldnt hold the pressure below about 15 psi. but good luck man, mine ran like a scalded dawg for the 2-3 weeks it ran right.

mike

 

Thanks Mike. I plan to run a low pressure (4-6 PSI) electric fuel pump. I have used this with excellent results offroading in the past. I don't mean that they are better than a mechanical pump, but they are easier to change when mounted on the fender well. (I have learned to carry a spare everything). I would not attempt to run the high pressure EFI pump setup.

What problems did you have?

Did your carb combo run stronger (or weaker) that the EFI setup. I am guessing the the EFI is better on the low end, and probably loses a little on the top..... I just want something simple and reliable.

Roy