Good Morning, I have a '51 F1 that I'm looking for a replacement motor for. I've found a good deal on a '78 Lincoln 460 with 85k original miles. I have a couple of questions.... Will there be any clearance issues? Is this motor too heavy for stock suspension? I have upgraded the front brakes to disc. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Im doing the same swap in my 48 f1. You might have to shift the motor over to clear the steering box depending on what headers you use. Youll probably want to go to power steering also with the extra weight. With such a big motor, you really have to plan it out carefully and do alot of test fitting.

 

Weight difference: 460 = 720 lbs. , Flathead = 585 lbs. Check here for swapping -

Engine Swaps - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

 

It's not just the weight of the engine. The big C6 full of fluid will weigh considerably more than the 3 speed gearbox that came in an F1. The suspension will carry it, but you might want to consider new springs made for the application, just to be sure. Stressing rusty 60+ year old spring steel might not be the best idea. Big blocks have been done, so it will fit, but you run out of room really fast in a bonus built engine compartment.

 

I have a 56 with a 460, this is a torque monster! Not every "good deal" is really a good deal just because the price is low...I would think long and hard about this size engine in an F1.

 

Best have a gas pump in the back yard.

 

460 plus 500 gal tank in the back ya gonna need helper springs, put
a flathead back in there. I know, my F350 460 cant get over 4 mpg. thats
why its got two gas tanks. Im not a darksider but would love to put
a 337 flathead with OAD in the thing if I ever could find one and get rid
of all that foolishness under my hood. And then they wife had a 1977
460 town car that got excellent milage highway but not local. I am not
knocking a 460 but a 430 Lincoln has way more guts....

 

Hey Goose,
It's good to ask questions up front as you put together a plan
for your nice truck build. We have a '50 F1 that we put a small block Ford in - a 351Windsor. It fits - but just barely. We moved it an inch or so over to the passenger side to get enough clearance to get the steering & exhaust in to the driver's side. We also had to go with a really slim electric fan up front to squeeze the engine in front of the radiator. You can get plenty of horsepower with this engine - all depending on what you put in it. We are running approx. 400hp with a top end package from Edelbrock.

Anything from the 289/302/351W small block Ford family would fit great.
To Ax's point I'd take a look at gas mileage so you can afford to run the truck when you are done. I kind of wish I had stayed with nice 289 that came with our truck.

Good luck over there in Mississippi!

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

I dont know, the 460 doesnt get that much worse mileage than the other old carbed engines people put in these.

 

A reckon I would go ahead with it if:
1. You intend making it a show truck, not a daily . A well detailed 460 in there is gonna win some bragging rights! or
2. You are flush with cash and you don't care about fuel economy
Otherwise, I think I'd be reconsidering, but it's your truck.
We love pictures!

 

Thanks for all the replies, I decided against the 460, probably going with a 302 with auto tranny. My buddy has one that I can get fairly cheap, but I'm sure it needs work.

 

Chances are whatever work it needs, it will be cheaper in the long run than the effort and expense of installing and operating the big block. The SBF fits really nice in a 51.

 

Would be great if you'd offer your goals for the project as I suspect you'd get more targeted advice.
I removed a Ford 390 and C-6. Now that my swap is done, the -250 lbs on the front end is very obvious.

If you intend to drive it regularly, why not buy a newer EFI / computer controlled engine / trans combo. If you do any amount of driving, you'll make up for the cost in fuel.

I've been getting 18 mpg with my all aluminum 6.2L (about 380 cubic inches) and 6 speed auto box install. And I've had a heavy foot around town.

This package also has 405HP and 420 ftlbs without the larger exhaust and tune I'm running. The drivetrain was just less than $3k shipped plus about another $1k for the stand-alone harness, trans conversion (mine was from a 4WD and had to be converted to 2WD and computer tuning).

I realize this goes against the grain of most here. I built my truck to drive regularly and love the reliability, power and economy.
It also sounds really great, too.

Doug

 

I recommend you read my post in this topic on developing a goal based build plan,
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...1955-f250.html
Too many builders, especially new builders, start with a laundry list of parts they are going to change without any real plan or sound reason, or worse yet with a plan based on "parts I can get for free or real cheap...".
An older engine that is in need of a complete rebuild will cost as much or more in the end as a modern ECU engine that doesn't need rebuilding including an aftermarket plug and play wiring harness, as stated the modern motor will give better performance, be more reliable, and live longer. There is no reason to fear an EFI engine, installing one is not as difficult as hooking up a modern component entertainment system, and programming one is no more difficult than programming a smart phone.

 

Hi Ax, you've written up a sound structure of a build plan there. (I just clicked on your link). Wondering what happened to the guy you were all helping out initially?
Things kinda stopped after his last post. heheh.
I think you are right about the modern engine versus old school engine. Am drawn to the old school look but appreciate modern tech. Hmmm. A Quandary for sure.
Cheers
Pb.