I just bought a Ford F-100, I was told that it has a Big Block in it but the person I bought it from didn't know what engine was in it. I think its probably either a 429 or 460 but I am not sure. Thats what the guy I bought it from said. Anyone here know?

 

That is an FE series engine, of which the 429 and 460 are NOT members.

I see D3...in the castings, which is 1973. The most common flavor for '73 would be a 360. If you are lucky, it's a 390. Since the PO didn't know, that usually points to a 360.

It could be almost any FE, as they all look alike, and a rattle can and some other do-dads can make a 352 look the same from up top as a 427.

My guess is 360.

***********See below, this is wrong, it is a 385 series***********

 

Is there any other pictures that I could take to make it more definitive?

 

You can't tell with most FE series engines what the CID is from the outside. You need to measure the stroke and that will give us a clue to start with. A 3.50" is either a 352 or a 360. A 3.78" is a 390. A 3.98" stroke is a 410 or a 428. A 427 also has a 3.78" stroke but you can tell them from the outside block differences.

 

How do I measure the stroke? Would I have to take the heads off?

 

No, the heads do not have to come off. Set engine to TDC. Pull plug #1, use a dowel and feed it into the hole until you find the piston. Mark the dowel. Now turn the engine over 1 revolution (by hand is best with a wrench on the damper bolt) and measure and mark the dowwl again. Now measure the distance between the marks. That is your stroke.

 

Thanks bear, I will pull a plug this weekend and measure the stroke.

 

Umm...guys? That IS INDEED a 385-series, not an FE. Easiest external clue: look that the exhaust manifolds. An FE has the bolts above and below the exhaust port (unless you're talking about the late-'60s GT heads...those had either three or four bolts per port). In the middle pic, you can see clearly that the manifold bolts are on either side of the port. Also, look at the spark plugs...those in the pics are all parallel, while on the FE, the spark plugs are angled toward the middle of the cylinder head.

The shape of the water pump is wrong for an FE, too. Can't describe it accurately, but a water pump for an FE vaguely reminds me of a Ch*vy pump.

Having said that, I don't know of any way to tell a 429 from a 460 externally. But since we're talking about trying to measure stroke, the 429 is 3.50", and the 460 is 3.85".

Pat

 

Thanks PatsPOS, I can tell that you know your Ford blocks. I was pretty sure that they guy I bought the truck from was not lying to me. He said it was either a 429 or 460. I will pull the plug measure my stroke and figure it out.

Thanks again!

 

Oh poop. Sorry, got hung up on the exhaust manifold, valve covers, and a couple of other things I THOUGHT looked different enough from this pic:

http://www.123engines.com/engines/wp...s-460-ford.jpg

Clearly, the plugs and the other items you mention should have jumped off the page.....time to hit the eye doc, I guess....

 

i'll say 460 as i think they stoped useing 429s in 72 if i remember. and with d3 heads well that would be 73

 

D3VE casting numbers indicate the year of design, not the year of manufacture. Those heads were used from '73 to early 1980 460s, and on 429s (used in the heavier trucks) as well.
429s were used in heavier trucks up to 1996.

And, I will add, that looks like a very well done installation, too. Nice find!

 

Right now I have an edelbrock carb on my 460, I am looking to change my carb out. I am going to buy a Holley street avenger (had one before liked it a lot). What would the best CFM be?

770 or 870

 

Go with the 770, the 870 is to big. Biggest mistake street hot rod guys make is too much carb. Go to the Holley site and look under tech tips. There is a formula for carb size. Just be realistic about max rpm.

Holley Interactive Carburetor Selector

 

Thanks again Bear,

I never had a Big Block before so I wasn't sure. I didn't want to overkill it...