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So a couple of years ago I acquired a very nice 1991 F150 XL.
Standard cab, short bed with a 302 and E4OD.
The truck only has 69 thousand miles on it and I've been slowly turning into a street truck. I've been kicking around the idea of doing a Coyote swap or dropping a 460 into it.
As fate would have it, I was talking to one of my new employees today and it turned out him and his father a gear heads. I told him how the next step was the engine.
He suggested a 460 that his dad has on a shelf at his shop. He said that the engine has no miles on it since the rebuild and was taken out of an 86 or 87 F350.
The thing that worries me is the rebuild, though it was done by a reputable builder in my area, it was done approx 15 years ago. The motor has the rebuilt heads torqued down, Intake and carb bolted down as well as manifolds on it and still wrapped in the bag that the builder wrapped it in. He said it had a mid range hauling cam installed but lost all the paper work for specs. The heads are rebuilt stock with stock intake and carb.
I'm going to take a look at it later during the week so what would you look for?
My plan is to swap cam and heads, along with intake. I'd like to run something like the Holley Sniper FI system with headers. I'd like to be between 400-500 hp but would like it to be dependable.
I'd like the motor to show well and sound mean as I'll be showing the truck in the summer.
Owner said he'd like to see $1500 for it. What's your thoughts?
I wanna see the cylinder walls but hate to ask him to pull the heads. But if he wants to sell it.........
The price depends on their definition of rebuilt. Was the block align honed, bored, decked ? Was it balanced ? Rods recon'd with new bolts ? Pistons, if they are just a stock replacement then you have no compression to speak of, they will be so far below deck and the dish is more like a crater. If it really is a later 460 then it should have the counter weight behind the damper and whatever flywheel or flex plate will need the counterweight as well. Heads, no big deal if you are going to get something else like you said.
My thought, if you are going to change cam and heads, then if it turns out the pistons are stock you will certainly want to address that problem. Considering what you are using / buying, 15 hundred seems a little steep at that point.
I'd pass on the 460. the rebuild is more for towing/torque. If you were building a off-road rig I would say get the big block for the torque, but judging by the photo your working on making a street machine / Sport Truck. I would do 1 of 2 things in this situation. I would either find a 460 motor and spec it out to my preferences, or build up a small block. There are alot of folks who run bored and stroked 351w engines ranging in the 408-427ci area and make +400hp. A small block would also be more rev happy and lighter on the nose so you could keep your current suspension. and feel of the truck handles. just my 2¢.
btw, instead of using a carb intake with a Sniper system you could use a Ford efi intake and swapp in a new Computer, Fiveology Racing sells get kits for swapping your EEC out for a newer MAF EEC https://shop.fiveologyracing.com/MASS-AIR-FLOW_c17.htm I have one of their kits and love it! They have amazing customer support and are very willing to answer any questions you might have.
Last edited by Skitter302; 11-03-2018 at 11:43 PM.
Reason: spelling error
I'd pass on the 460. the rebuild is more for towing/torque. If you were building a off-road rig I would say get the big block for the torque, but judging by the photo your working on making a street machine / Sport Truck. I would do 1 of 2 things in this situation. I would either find a 460 motor and spec it out to my preferences, or build up a small block. There are alot of folks who run bored and stroked 351w engines ranging in the 408-427ci area and make +400hp. A small block would also be more rev happy and lighter on the nose so you could keep your current suspension. and feel of the truck handles. just my 2¢.
btw, instead of using a carb intake with a Sniper system you could use a Ford efi intake and swapp in a new Computer, Fiveology Racing sells get kits for swapping your EEC out for a newer MAF EEC https://shop.fiveologyracing.com/MASS-AIR-FLOW_c17.htm I have one of their kits and love it! They have amazing customer support and are very willing to answer any questions you might have.
You make some good points about the small blocks, however down the line the truck will eventually see a lot of quarter mile time. That and I've always wanted to get back into a big block.
A while back I looked into Fiveology to switch the current 302 over to MAF.
With my long goals, I feel like the 460 will be worth it in the long run. Not just with power, but financially as well.
Do you guys know how much the motor and trans could sell for as a turn key with 79 thousand miles on them?
So you guys are saying that the price is high on the 460 I'm looking at now?
It depends on what was done to it. If done right just the block alone could have had close to $500 worth of machine work done to it. Need to find out exactly what was done. Used motors vary, what sells for $500 in one place might not be able to be given away somewhere else.
Good info fellas. Wasn't able to look at the motor last week because of some health issues with the owner.
I told him it was fine and I wasn't in a big hurry anyways. This gives me time to do some more research. Also, I won't be ready until the new year with Christmas coming up and Thanksgiving being at our place this year............again.
Well see. If I can get a good block on the cheap what do I need to do to it?
What am I going to be looking at out of pocket?
If the block on this one was done right, I wonder if it would still be worth buying so I don't have to do the machining.
I will have to do cam and pistons reguardless so........
When I get the block done, I want to go the full nine yards on it so when it's time to make it a track truck it's already where I need it to be.
Sorry for the ignorance fellas. I've done a lot of internal engine work but I've never had to deal with a stripped block at a machine shop before. I do plan on doing all the work after the machining is done.
You just wondering if you've gotten any closer to putting a 460 into that truck of yours?
Its still in the works but no, i haven't gotten any closer. At this point I'm still working on acquiring a hood, roll pan and possibly bucket seats and doing a custom center console along with a head unit.
The upper and lower bearings on the steering column are on their way out so I'm currently looking at a flaming river column.
That being said, intention is to get said projects done this summer and at least aquire the block this winter.
A couple projects at the homestead are going to factor into this as well and we all know how that goes.
Its ok though. I'm still happy to take it out as is.
10-29-2018, 08:23 PM
