I recently bought a 1994 f250 with a 1979 460 engine in it. I'm having vibration issues and I'm trying to track it down. A new clutch and flywheel were put in before I bought it and was told it was for a 88-97 model, could that be the issue? Block is stamped D9TE and is the later externally balanced motor.

 

I would get ahold of the guy you got it from and ask him if it shook before they put the clutch in it. Your '79 motor should be external balance so there shouldn't be a flywheel weight issue. All clutch disc and psi plates are neutral balance. Every now and then you can get a bad psi plate weather new or reman, but see what the guy says first.

 

It did have the vibration before

 

Can you describe the "vibration" ?

 

Noticeable shake at idle, somewhat goes away when you give it gas, then around 2500-2700 it gets much more aggressive.

 

First I would look behind the front vibration damper and see if there is a small counterweight behind it or just a spacer sleeve. If there is no counterweight, then your motor is internal balance and it probably has the wrong, a (counter weighted) flywheel on it that came from the old motor. Never say never with Ford, I came across a D9 short block that I could tell had never been apart and it was internal balance so it can happen.

 

It has the hatchet weight

 

Is this the reason he sold it off to you ? Does the motor run good ? Next, pull each plug wire one at a time while it's running, see if there is any difference in any cylinder being dead.

 

He bought another one is the reason he told me he was selling it. Motor runs strong and drives great just has a shake. He drove it down the interstate 75 mph to work and back everyday for about a month, I figure if it was to out of balance the bearings would be burnt up by now.

 

TWO different 460's were used in 1979, one was internal balance, the other was external balance (has a weighted crank spacer).

There were no before/from serial numbers or production dates, the block casting number had to be known to get the correct harmonic balancer and flexplate (M/T not available w/460 until 1983).

Block casting number D1VE-6015-AB or A1B or A2B = Internal Balance: 1971/73 429, 1971/78 460, some 1979 460.

Block casting number D9TE-6015-AB = External Balance: Some 1979 460, 1980/97 460.

OP says it's a D9TE block, so it's external balance, but it's possible that someone installed an internal balance harmonic balancer.

Not everyone knows that there were two different 460's used in 1979, despite that fact that I've listed this same info dozens of times on FTE

 

Mine is the D9TE 6015 AB

 

I read your post #1, so I knew that and said so in post #10.

 

Have you had a chance to pull plug wires yet ?

 

Yea, it's hard on the main bearings. Mains send their debris right down to the rods too. Over time the main caps will start to walk when they loose their register. Pickup tube could crack in time.

 

Havent had a chance to pull them yet, probably won't get to it until sometime next week