Hello all. Browsing my local junk yard this weekend I found a couple trucks with small blocks and MAF (I think they were 96s). Two questions: will the MAF setup swap onto my 95 460, and is it worth doing? Looking for mileage, most I will be towing is about 7500 lbs (car trailer).

If yes, what all is involved? Thanks all.

 

If you are not willing to make this a hobby and follow up on it regularly, don't do it. Most of these projects are a half-step to the junkyard. It is only useful to support other modifications, specifically a camshaft. A 460 responds to breathing work but to make it work as cleanly as the original you have to dig deeper than that.

Mileage is a power use thing. Use more power, burn more gas. If your foot is deep in the pedal, burn more gas. A 460 is leggy. If you're not holding it back you are burning a lot of gas.

If you are driving enough to make mileage a serious concern you might consider a diesel but then other costs have to be considered. No free lunch here.

 

If the potential donors were/are 1996 F150/Broncos then you do not want to go down the path of not only a MAF conversion, but also an OBD-I to OBD-II.

 

You won't see any milage gains with a MAF conversion alone so don't do it for that reason. And those junkyard parts are not directly compatible with your truck, a '96 F150/Bronco is OBD2 while your '95 is OBD1 so the most important part of it.. the computer, won't even plug into the harness on your truck.

 

I don't understand the above statement. Could you dumb it down for me? Sorry to be dense.

The truck is a hobby of sorts for me. I have 4 vehicles and this one isn't my daily. My intended use is hauling whatever needs hauling for homeowner use and hauling a vehicle (jeep to trails, Camaro to track). Modifying my vehicles is a hobby of mine. Jeep more capable off road, Camaro faster, and truck more capable/comfortable. Mileage is of concern as far as what is easy to get, if I can get a couple MPG cheap I'm interested. For what a diesel would've cost me, it will take quite a few years to recoup the cost considering my limited use.

Looks like the MAF setup is a no go for me, for now. But I am curious if the OBD 2 setup from a 351 would control my 460? Can the sensors from the 351 be made to work with the 460? Down the road I have a plan to swap the drivetrain out of this truck into a sixth gen crew cab. Not a fan of carburetors. I figure if I am installing a new harness into the older truck, might as well go with the best setup. Can you reprogram the computers on the OBD 2 trucks? I had a 2002 Camaro that I mailed the computer to a guy and he loaded another tune on it, do the OBD 2 trucks work the same way? Would be nice to edit things out of the tune, such as the air pump, rear O2 sensors, etc. I swear I will do MUCH more research before jumping into that project. Just curious at this point. Thanks for the knowledge all.

 

The 460 uses bigger injectors than the smaller V8s so tuning would be necessary, but yes that PCM could control a 460. Both motors use all the same sensors so other than positions on the motor the wiring harness is much the same.

 

The "leggy" comment was just meaning that it wants to run or something like that. You could get a bunch of speeding tickets without even noticing that you are speeding. You have power to pull a tremendous load in a relatively light truck. There was a medium duty version. It was a 429, sometimes referred to as a 7.0, sometimes referred to as a school bus engine. They put them in dumptrucks and such.

I think that in later installations there was an OBDII version. I have never seen one that I remember. If you put a 460 in an OBDII truck and used all of the wiring from the truck you could probably buy parts off the shelf to make it all work. Probably much easier in a truck with a manual transmission. An automatic might be tricky.

The low speed power of the 460 might make a conversion worthwhile. There are later trucks with big engines. It would be far easier to just buy one.

Altitude is the 460s Achilles' heel. Get a load up to 6000ft or so and all the turbo diesels will walk away.

http://www.460ford.com/forum/37-engine-tech/

http://www.429-460.com/f2-engine-tech

 

Thank you for the info.

With regards to using an auto, I plan to use the motor and trans from my 95 together. Why would it be tricky? I ASSume the OBDII trucks used the same E40D?

By 'later truck', do you mean one in the sixth generation, or later years? I like that style and would like to stick with it. For the sake of style, I don't mind doing the swap. Has been a goal of mine to do an EFI swap to a carb'd vehicle. Would also be nice to get something old enough to legally drop the emissions equipment.

 

You kinda lost me on the swaps. You want to put a newer control system on a drivetrain and swap it into an older body? Sixth gen? Meaning 1979 body style? I've owned several Ford trucks in the range from the sixties through the nineties and there isn't enough difference to justify swaps like you propose. I really can't recommend swaps as a reasonable approach. Nobody else will ever want to work on it and even you will forget what goes with what. After you make it work the thrill is gone and it will likely sit until it becomes a nuisance.

There are so many trucks out there with various features that you are far better off to pick on that you like and drive it. Go for the one in the best condition that you can justify buying. With the price of new trucks breaking through the $100K dollar mark almost any old one is a bargain.

 

I'm looking for a fuel injected 79 body style. I like the style but just don't care for carbs. Goal is to find a 79ish crew cab with solid body/frame and swap over the drivetrain from my 95. I hear what you are saying. But for me the install is the fun part. If I tire of it, I'll sell it and build another one. I don't NEED a truck, so if I am without one for a bit while I do the swap - no biggie.

If swapping to MAF at the time I do the swap is minimal effort for a decent gain (tune-ability is enough of a gain for me), then I'll go to that extra effort. I can see it beneficial to build the swap harness (using parts from a OBD II MAF truck) while still using the 95. Then yank the motor from the 95 and jam it in the 79 in a weekend-ish. In theory, should expedite the process.

At this point, this is a far off plan. Nothing I am looking to invest (lots of) time or money into. I need to build a dropped V8 Comanche first. Then need to get the Camaro into the 10s. Then I'll look into the 79 crew cab. Unless a 79 crew cab falls into my lap for a good price, then that project will get pushed up the list. Of course these projects are worked in around the honey-do list.

 

MAF 460 is a bit of a unicorn. 85lebaront2 would be the guy to talk to about this. Try messaging him.

 

If I just had to do a swap I might see if I could swap the cab and bed onto the truck instead of swapping the drivetrain.