engine swap 390 to 460
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2006
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engine swap 390 to 460
i have a 73 f250 with a 460 its great runs like brand new. i have 72 f250 with a worn out smokey 390 with no power. i think it needs a rebuild. can i just easily put a 460 right up to the 390 trans and mounts? is this difficult. i have never changed an engine but i probably could do it i think. i have a married transfer case on the 72. also my rear is broken dont know what i should do with that fix and change ratio? or someone has a used rear for $150 what would you do?
thanks mike
thanks mike
Last edited by 4x4bigblock; Mar 7, 2006 at 09:27 PM.
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I dont believe the 460 will bolt to that bellhousing. If the trans behind the 460 is good just use that one. The mts you can find at L&L I think, they seem to have everthing else or you can build/modify them yourself.
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I have a question about this. I currently have a good running stock 390. I want 400hp and a little more torque. My dad has a 1970 460 block,heads,pistons, and rods. Would it be better to build the 390 or swap to a 460. I know a basically bone stock 460 with an intake cam and headers will get me to where I want to be. The parts are more expensive for a 390. I hate making hard decisions. 
what makes a 390 better than a 460
what makes a 390 better than a 460
Originally Posted by oldmansimek
By the time your done buying stuff from L&L you will have spent more money putting the 460 in then it would cost to rebuild your 390 which is pretty much a better engine anyways.
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If you have a pre 73 460 that is a different story depending on the heads and such. Parts are generally cheaper for a 390 and very easy to come buy. The FE motors are awesome motors in trucks they have great torque and if you build them right they can last for a very long time. My buddy bought a GT390 out of a thunderbird about 10 years ago and still drives it every day and that motor has amazing torque and power for a pretty much stock motor. I have a 71 460 in my truck now with 515 horse and if anything happens to that motor I will not put a 460 back in I will build either a 428 or a 390
Last edited by oldmansimek; Mar 9, 2006 at 10:19 AM.
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Originally Posted by oldmansimek
If you have a pre 73 460 that is a different story depending on the heads and such. Parts are generally cheaper for a 390 and very easy to come buy. The FE motors are awesome motors in trucks they have great torque and if you build them right they can last for a very long time. My buddy bought a GT390 out of a thunderbird about 10 years ago and still drives it every day and that motor has amazing torque and power for a pretty much stock motor. I have a 71 460 in my truck now with 515 horse and if anything happens to that motor I will not put a 460 back in I will build either a 428 or a 390
I live in Pittsburgh and have a very hard time finding parts for my FE. I only found 1 junkyard that had one and it was a beat up 352FE that sat in a puddle for a few years.
I know the FE is a good motor but the 460 is a newer design with a lot more potential for power than an FE, and from what I see a lot cheaper also.
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From: Louisville
The FE motors (including a 390) are a different beast than a 385 series (including a 460) What makes one engine better than another depends on what you are looking for. So no, there is no way the engine will just 'drop in'. You would be far better off to put an engine from the same family in your truck.
Also I must disagree about FE parts being cheap! Perhaps junkyard cores are still inexpensive, but the aftermarket is not!!! Just look in a Summit/Jegs catalog.
The question that will keep me up all night is why don't you just drive the '73? The '72 has a broken rear end and a worn out engine, you might as well just give it away...
Did I mention I have a trailer...
Also I must disagree about FE parts being cheap! Perhaps junkyard cores are still inexpensive, but the aftermarket is not!!! Just look in a Summit/Jegs catalog.
The question that will keep me up all night is why don't you just drive the '73? The '72 has a broken rear end and a worn out engine, you might as well just give it away...
Did I mention I have a trailer...
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Senior User
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If your looking for FE parts I have plenty and run into them all the time. I also find alot more performance parts for them at car shows and flea markets then any 460 parts. I bought a set of 427 medium riser heads at a tag sale for $25. looking for a block to go with those if anyone is feeling generous. I know alot of people with 390 and 360 motor's in there truck from the mid 60's to the mid 70's that drive there trucks every day and have no problems. Almost everyone I know with a 460 new or old has alot of problems. Sorry I'm so sour about the 460 the one in my truck recently pissed me off real bad. I had two manley stainless valves break off at the keepers and cause alot of destruction to my motor with only 600 miles on it. Manley is paying for almost everything because they were faulty valves.
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From: Louisville
I have no problem with a 390. I have turned a wrench many a time on one. My brother's T-bird is banging out about 600HP on nitrious, the old FE is getting it done!
I too have some spare FE stuff laying around, some blocks, heads, intakes, and exhaust manifolds. Geez that stuff is heavy! Built to last I guess!
I too have some spare FE stuff laying around, some blocks, heads, intakes, and exhaust manifolds. Geez that stuff is heavy! Built to last I guess!
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Yeah FE stuff is very heavy I had to carry those heads about a mile back to my truck which I did with great pleasure. Don't mean to be putting down 460 I've just been having bad luck with them lately (they are great motors) mine just broke at a bad time when I had nothing else to drive.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2006
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its a different truck... the 72 is the other body style of course. the interior is way different. the 72 is a short bed. the 73 is stock and like new i want to leave it that way. my 72 i want to get crazy with. it can be my hot rod truck off road truck whatever. so i want to build the 390 really powerful without spending much. what is the best way to rebuild that engine withgout spending crazy amounts of money. i do want horse power maybe nitrous i dont care. just keeping it in a decent budget.
thanks gear heads...
thanks gear heads...
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: okc
I replaced a 360 with the 460 i currently have, and ill never look back....not to say i wouldnt own an FE engine, mine was solid and reliable, but the numbers prove that a built FE could never handle the torque and horsepower numbers that the stock bottom end of a 460 can do...500HP is pretty much the limit on FE's from what ive read in past years..the stock 460 rotating assembly is good up to 600HP, with different rods, pistons and a good set of heads 800HP isnt that hard to get, with the right amount of cash obviously...now, i know you arent building a truck thats gonna push those numbers (yet) so either motor is gonna get you around pretty good, sticking with an FE will be easier, but the reason a switched to 460 is that i COULD NOT find a decent 360/390 ANYWHERE in Oklahoma....i searched for 6 months and could only find them out of state on occasion.....either way you will be happy with the motor you choose, its just a matter of how much work you want to do to it....
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From: Texas
I had a 73 f250 with a tired ole 360... I changed the crank and rods and boom there was a 390, bored .030 over slight cam, edlebrock intake and carb..O man she ran sweet..I could not keep the yokes in her bacause of the torque...That was one good ole truck....Sold it to a guy who took it to his friend and made a snow plow truck out of her,,,,in Pagosa Springs Co...Man I mis that truck!!
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From: loveland colorado
I am in the middle of my project of switchin from a 360 to a 429 in my 69 f100 shortbed, this is gunna be sweet when done but i am 16 and after going to school, coming home from work at 10 at night its goin a little slow, youl run into a lot of problems but they all can be solved, i used a bell housing out of a 79 f250 with a 400 and found out that the motor mounts out of that truck with a little fabrication will work to, you can use your fe flywheel fe clutch lots of parts. now my only problem is finding a set of headers for this swap, i have the old set of headers off of my truck if anyone wants a good cheap set of headers any one know where to find headers for this swap?