Hi, I've been using this site for quite a while and you guys have helped alot. I searched these forums and the internet and I think I understand how to decode casting numbers but I'm not 100% sure. Anyhow mine is off a 460 in a 78 F250 that was originally a 400 (according to VIN) and its "D1VE-6015-A2B". Here's what I'm thinking: D=70's, 1=71, V=Lincoln, E=engine, 6015=460 and A2B=??? How close am I? Any info would be great. Also, should I use this info when ordering parts (headers, heads, cams etc)? Thanks

 

Well that would be the standard way basically of decoding casting numbers, but Ford quit using them as year numbers and instead started using them as revision date casting numbers in your case, the D1VE means it was revised in 1971, and the V does mean the 385 series engines were originally intended for the linclons. Now on the D1VE blocks those were used from 1971-1978, the heads will help narrow it down a little, in 71 they would have the DOVE heads, 72 would be the D2VE, and 73 on would be the D3VE heads(this of coarse does not include the PI, and CJ motors in 71 and 72 those are different casting numbers. So if you have the D3VE heads on a D1VE block it's a 73-78 engine. Now the suffix numbers are more minor revision numbers, but do not designate 460, the 429 and 460s used exactly the same blocks with the same casting numbers.
Hope that helps

 

thanks, that does help. I'll post the head numbers asap. Can I get those without taking off intake or head covers? When buying parts does it matter if I cant narrow down the exact year? Thanks again.

 

The head casting #'s are above the spark plugs just under the lip of the valve covers. Narrowing down a specific year 460 doesn't matter as much with post 73 engines. The only major changes came in 79 with an external balanced rotoating assembly and 87 or 88 with the EFI heads.

 

If your buying new pistons then know what head you have will help you select the correct piston for the deisred compression ratio. Everyone will all suggest you run the early timing chain and gears over the later one. The reason is the later timing set is retarded and the early set is not giving you a little better timing and performance.

 

Any idea what the block casting # would be for a 68, 460 motor. And are all 460 blocks the same? Are all motor parts interchangeable?

 

68 block casting would be C8VE, are all the blocks the same? yes and no, the early blocks (DOVE and earlier) are 10.300 deck height then they went to 10.310 in 71 and to 10.322 in 72 or there abouts. no not all parts are interchangeable, the early internally balanced cranks don't fit very well into the 79 and later D9TE blocks, the flexplates are different for the internally and externally balanced engines. the Damper spacer for the early engines is straight, the late models have a hatched weight on it.

 

i have a what is suppost to be a 70 429. block # is csve-b. stock heads that i pulled off are dove-a and heads i put back on that i had alot of work done to are cdve-a. i would really like to know what i got.

 

the csve is not a valid casting number, looks like it could be C8VE instead and those would be 1968 heads. If they were put on a D0VE-A block then someone put them on there as shouldn't have been there from the factory (DOVE block should have DOVE heads on it) the cdve is also not a valid casting number is that possibly C9VE? those would be 1969 standard passenger car heads and for all intents and purposes they are the same as teh C8VE and the DOVE heads. so basically what you have is an early engine with mismatched parts for years but will have no affect since those casting numbers were interchangable.

 

I have a 460 block out of a 71 Lincoln. Anything special about it? Is it more desirable than other 460 blocks? Where do I find the block casting #?

Its a rebuilder engine, whats it worth?

Sorry so many questions..
Ryan

 

Hey peoples...I picked up a 78 Bronco that someone stuffed a 460 into. Problem is that the pulleys are not aligned very well and it throws the alt. belt and chews them up.

So in my process of trying to find out what parts/brackets I need to correct this problem has led me to tryin to identify the year and model of the engine. Which in fact is how I landed here...From what I've read and found on this site, I pulled the starter to get the block# and found the head casting#'s which are pretty much the same as the chap who started this nearly 3 year old thread. Mine are as follows: Block- D1VE 3or8 015 AA and the heads- D3VE A2A

I'm gathering it's a 73-78 lincoln engine? I'd like to get as specific as possible info due to having to get replacement parts. As well as to find out what the stock HP and Torque was so when the times comes I can get what I need to bump this thing up to about 400ponies and 500ft.lbs of torque.

Any and all info is GREATLY appreciated

 

You need to verify which water pump you have. There is a long and a short water pump. I think the only years that the alt had it's own belt was 68 and 69? Don't hold me to that but I think it was found in the early lincolns? After that the alt has to be run with power steering. This is based on the car components and the trucks stuff I'm not sure how much crossed over. I know the cars had a sag PS pump and the trucks had the weaker ford style PS pump which has a bracket that looks like the one found on a 351M/400 engine but is different in fit than that of the 351M/400.

So the block numbers and head numbers mean nothing. You need to know what you have on the front of the engine or proof of what it came from and this will be hard to prove because you already have a mixture of pieces, hence the belts flying off.

 

I dunno if any of these will help but here's a few pic's I took of the engine when I brought it home.

 

That's the car sag PS pump set up. What I should have been a little clearer about is that you can not run the ALT with PS because the water would have nothing to turn it. The ealry years I mentioned the ALT turned the water pump as well so you could run with out PS if you wanted too which was something I had to do in a 70 mustang with a 460.

Anyways from the pictures you posted the Alt set up looks correct. Maybe some one used the wrong spacer behind the Alt causing it to sit out to far or in to far? I would suggest going to NAPA and buying a high dollar belt for the alt. I had a slight alignment issue on a PS set up in a truck and I had the same issues as you. Once I installed the good belt from NAPA my troubles went away. The belts you have look like the cheaper belts you get at autozone or something like that.

 

I've actually been toying with the idea of going with a serpentine belt set up that Jeff's Bronco Graveyard carries. Pretty sharp but pricey...it at least comes with the P/S pump I believe. I just need to varify the correct year of the engine. And save up a lot more $$$'s