460 heads
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 394
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From: austin
460 heads
I just bought a '78 F150 4x2 with the 460 in it. According to the owner's manual, it requires regular (leaded) gas (i.e. it's not a CA emissions truck). From what I've been able to tell by searching here, I can either:
1) run unleaded the way the engine is, and it'll probably be ok, or
2) replace the stock heads with the D3VE heads that have the hardened exhaust valve seats
The guy I bought it from had been running unleaded, but he thought it might still have the stock heads on it. Compression check was good (all holes >= 140 psi)
I just need some advice on what to do with the heads/gas.
TIA,
TM
1) run unleaded the way the engine is, and it'll probably be ok, or
2) replace the stock heads with the D3VE heads that have the hardened exhaust valve seats
The guy I bought it from had been running unleaded, but he thought it might still have the stock heads on it. Compression check was good (all holes >= 140 psi)
I just need some advice on what to do with the heads/gas.
TIA,
TM
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 22,436
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From: Louisville,Ky.
What casting heads does it have on it now, I wouldn't think that Ford used a "leaded" and "unleaded" head in 78. They should all have hardened seats. It wouldn't be cost effective for Ford to have 2 different heads for that reason.
Jimmy
Jimmy
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: austin
LxMan, I'm not sure what it's got now. I was just going by the owner's manual saying that "F-150 vehicles in '49' states, the engines are designed to operate on regular (leaded) or 'low lead' gasoline." Also, the gas gauge doesn't say anything about unleaded fuel only, nor does the gas tank door. The filler opening is huge, which would also indicate that it was supposed to run on leaded gas.
TM
TM
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Joined: Sep 2001
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My 78 was the same, it would run on leaded fuel. All of the heads since ~74 have had hardened valve seats that will work with unleaded (different engine lines had different change dates).
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Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Louisville,Ky.
It should be stamped in the head about 1/2 way back just above the exhaust ports. I'll bet that they are D3VE's.
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Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 394
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From: austin
hmmm, they are labeled C9VE-A. Aren't these the heads used in '69, with a much higher compression ratio? Do they bolt right onto the '78 460, or is there other stuff I need to be checking to make sure everything was done correctly?
Also, how does this impact which gas I should be using?
Thanks,
TM
Also, how does this impact which gas I should be using?
Thanks,
TM
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 760
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From: Boise, ID
Yup, C9VE-A= 1969 era heads. Their actual casting date may be as late as 72' but you've got the right idea about the compression. I couldn't say for sure what your comp. ratio would be with those heads on a 78' short block.
The heads you have most definetely DO NOT have hardened seats unless someone has had them done before.
I don't recommend running unleaded without hardened seats for any length of time. Especially on a decent set of heads like yours. I have a 68' 302 that I ran unleaded through after a rebuild without hardened seats thinking limited mileage wouldn't hurt them. After 15K miles the valves were so far receeded into the heads that they almost went into the water jackets. I was about a millimeter away from turning them into scrap.
The heads you have most definetely DO NOT have hardened seats unless someone has had them done before.
I don't recommend running unleaded without hardened seats for any length of time. Especially on a decent set of heads like yours. I have a 68' 302 that I ran unleaded through after a rebuild without hardened seats thinking limited mileage wouldn't hurt them. After 15K miles the valves were so far receeded into the heads that they almost went into the water jackets. I was about a millimeter away from turning them into scrap.