I am a proud owner of a 1967 F100 Short Bed and I am getting started on an engine swap. I have the original 352 but I'm really not interested in rebuilding it. I had bought a 351w to drop into the truck but then decided if i was going to swap i was definately going to go big. I have done some research and have found everything needed to drop in a 460. What I am really wondering here is...I have found 2 460's to be available. One is from a mid 80's ambulance which the guy stated would be a van motor (not original) which is going for $500 and I can hear run...The next is out of a 1975 Lincoln Continental which I believe was a Mark IV and the guy cant promise it will run but he's going to try to get it started for me and says that it has been rebuilt a while back...asking $250. Here's my problem...On a site that i have found, it states that a pre-1973 460 made 395 HP and from there on it only made 220 Net HP. Now...Either way I go the motor is going to be a later series only yielding the 220 net. I plan to put an Edelbrock carb, cam, intake, and heads in it along with L&L's headers and an Eagle crank and Rods. Will the pre-1973 and 1973-on motors be around the same HP rating with the same exact components in each??? What were the differences in the earlier and later styles that made such a big diff in HP ratings? And in anyones opinion what motor would you go with....the ambulance motor or the lincoln? Im lost here and cant decide...Help???

 

Just a stab here and the guys in the "385 series" motor forum may have more input but... In the early seventies, ie 1972/73, the compression ratios on the motors were lowered slightly via different pistons for emission laws, coupled with the ratings going from gross hp (just motor) to net hp (motor driving all accessories). As far as the motor itself, the blocks and cranks should all be the same, probably just a bigger dish in the later model pistons. The differences in the car/van issue should be limited to the configuration of the oil pan.

I almost forgot...Welcome aboard FTE.
just $.02, --Mike

 

Thanks Mike...i didnt believe that the years would really make a difference being that just about the only thing thats going to besalvaged would be the block. Thanks for your input...greatly appreciated. JelloGreen

 

Blocks are different and unless you are building an all out race engine I would get a 73 or later block. Deck hieght is different, 68-70 10.300, 70 1/2 10.310, 72 and later 10.320. I would go with 10.320 and stay in the mid 70's if possible as all of these motors are internally ballanced. I say this because it gives you more options on type of piston you can use.

I'm going though this myself at the moment. I blew my 69 429 up and want to build a stroker. The block has all ready been punched once but after a sonic check I can only go 60 over. I want to use a d-shaped piston but at my deck hieght there is not one available unless I have them custom made.

As far as HP figures go the drop was do to a change in head and piston combination. Starting in 72 the head volume increased to 92cc from 77cc, combined with a deep dish piston gave about 8.5 to 1 compression.

I would not worry about whether an engine runs or not with what you are planning. Make sure that an engine spins and make sure it as never been bored before. A good indication of this is to look at the freeze plugs. If the freeze plug are bare, no righting on them that is a good indication the block has never been touched.

 

I can't add much to this thread, but about the pre-73 460s:

Yes, they did have insane power. Mainly, becasue they were running something like 10.5:1 compression, and with a huge bore that the 460 has, they needed something like 102 octane to run well (and run they did!). After that, the compression dropped to 8:1, with the smog controls and things.

My daily driver (until very recently) was a 1977 Lincoln Mark V with the 460, and it's rated at 208hp. They were tuned for torque, though, and they did make a respectable 356 ft/lbs at something like 1800rpm, which is really needed for moveing those 5,200lbs cars. Part of the drop in power was the switch from gross to net, but mostly it was the big drop in compression, and smog controls. Ford found that if they retarded the cam timeing, they engines got worse power but better smog results.

You can stick 10.5:1 pistons in any 460 and get that kinda power, but you'll probably need to run 104 octane race gas, which is like $5/gal

 

The ambulance should have come with a 460 Van motor stock (van chassis, and usually had every heavy duty option available) I would probably use it, as it may still be stock bore, over the rebuilt lincoln, which may already be over-bored to the max. Another option..... since we are both in Ohio, lemme know if you want, and we may have a rebuildable 460 out back in the parts shed that I can set you up with. Might be able to make you a better deal since all you want is a bare block. Eastern Ohio here, about 20miles N of Cambridge at the 70/77 split