I recently bought my first 460 truck. Out of all the Jeeps, Mustangs, and Trucks it is the first big block I've ever owned. I was nervous about buying something outside of my safe, small block world. Obviously I didn't let that stop me, but even after buying it I am still nervous about issues with the 460 EFI that may be unknown to myself.

I would like to find some local experienced 460 owners and big block Ford shops and engine builders to gather some intel from. There are plenty of threads discussing modifications, but I'm looking for common issue discussion. What issues do they have? What's the first thing to look for on an early EFI 460 or 460's in general? Where are parts most affordably found? And list goes on.

Is it possible we can cover all inherent issues with the 460 in one thread so that we have a single source for our fellow members (... and lurkers too)?

 

Timing cover leaks, water pump leaks. And need gear reduction starts, hard to start after warm. Will need old fashion solenoid, and oil pan rear main seal leaks.

 

Big Block V8 - 385 Series (6.1/370, 7.0/429, 7.5/460) - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Might try asking this in the 460 section.

Basic maintenance is all this motor really needs. Keep up on that, and it should last longer than you. Using quality parts helps too. There's a reason Ford produced them for 29 years.

 

That's a good point. I think it should be some type of sticky of over there. Should I repost or is possible to move the thread?

 

Great engines. My first is in a 92 F250 with 270K on it. Worked hard, never been apart. Two more I swapped into 79 Broncos, and 6 more on stands. I kinda like them. Longevity seems to be way beyond GM 454 (8.1 may be another story). Comparable to GM 5.7 for long lifespan, got one of those untouched with 265K. Have read a 460 crank weighs 55 lbs more than 454's. Useless info but interesting.

 

fwiw, the 460 is one of the best engines ever made, and king of the old generation big blocks for both reliability and performance. any quirks that it has, especially in low rpm truck applications, are insignificant in the big picture...

fear not.

 

Warped exhaust manifolds is the likely #1 problem the EFI 460s have. Replace with headers, and a high flow cat, and it's fixed.

 

I've read that broken off manifold studs are a common issue due to the manifold expanding and contracting, it fractures the stud over time and eventually it will break off.

My rear most stud on the passenger side is flush with the cylinder head surface. Has a little exhaust leak for a few minutes when cold. Once it warms up, it seals up.

This truck is also my first big block. My experience is with SBF (and the 351M/400) and your usual SBC's.

 

my experience with the 460 based engines has been with full size cars, not trucks, but these engines are solid reliable performers that need basic maintenance generally to run strong and long. most of the issues can be solved with a little judicious use of a torque wrench, retorquing the intake from time to time, as well as the exhaust manifolds, keep fresh plugs in the motor, keep the oil changed, etc.

you might set the initial timing at 10-12 degrees, mine always liked that. and anything you can do to improve airflow to the engine will also pay dividends.

one nice thing with these motors is that you can take any 429/460 block, bore it .080 over to 4.44, stick in a 4.5 stroker crank and end up with a 557ci motor for little more than the cost of a rebuild. and most blocks need no clearancing for the longer stroke.

 

Not to derail the 460-love-train, but there are a few notable issues with them:

The oil cooler is a very common failure point. You'll end up with oil in your ooolant, and coolant in your oil, which is very bad.

Lifter issues are pretty common on higher mileage engines. They may randomly decide to start tapping. Usually it'll fix itself after a bit, then come back, fix itself, etc...

As noted earlier, timing cover/water pump and thermostat housing are common leak points as well.

 

I remove the oil coolers first waterpump change.

 

All my 460 does is go. I do agree about the gear reduction starter, I have the old fashioned kind, and it always sounds slow to me. Always starts, tho, so I leave it alone.

 

youre not derailing, you're informing the conductor and crew

oil coolers are suspect in just about anything that has them. some are suspect after 15-20 years, some off the factory floor. I don't like using them, never had a problem with oil temps either though...so never needed to use them.

lifters coming and going are largely due to sludge buildup and/or decreasing oil pressure with age and natural wear of bearings; i think that problem is shared with all hydraulic lifters not just specific to the 460. keeping oil clean keeps lifters happy.

460 manifolds are notorious for leaking (i know you didn't reference that, just moving along) but broken bolts and manifolds are issues on anything that has them as well, especially in the rust belt.

i wasn't suggesting the 460 is without its faults when i gave it praise earlier, i just wasn't specific about its issues.

as just stated; 460 stroker packages are insanely big and cheap!

 

the reality is that no engine is perfect. but there are a few that just seem to stand the test of time with few issues;

1: the ford small inline six - these engines are darned near bullet proof, as you need a nuclear warhead to kill them, and often times if you change the oil, install a new battery and points, they fire right back up again.

2: the venerable small block chevy. over the years this engine has been put in just about everything you can think of, and there are more ways to build one than just about any other engine.

3: the chrysler hemi. these engines, especially the 392 and the later 426, are the basis for the engines you see in top fuel dragsters making 10,000 hp. granted they are using aftermarket blocks and heads, but they are patterned after the production pieces. and even back in the day, the late 70s, you could still find stock block and head motors making nearly 3000hp in top fuel.

4: the venerable old 429/460. again these engines are virtually bulletproof, and you can build insane ci strokers with the stock bloco. i think john kaase built one of 707ci in a stock block making nearly 1000hp back in the early 80s.

i have owned three of the four engines listed, though i did help work on a race version of the hemi.

i agree with the issue about oil coolers, though a lot of the problem stems from people forgetting to change the gaskets on the cooler adapter once in a while. the rubber gaskets get old and harden up over time and eventually fail. but if one changes the gaskets every few years, the issues should not be a problem.