Do we have a 460 Guru willing to work with us on the 4X4 project? We have an used engine in unknown condition.

I was thinking we should do a compression test at the very least, and that it would be nice to get it running enough to check the oil pressure.

We should also replace the timing chain - the one it had stock would have the valve timing retarded for pollution.

Perhaps we could build an engine stand as it might be a while before we get it mounted into the truck. I have some wheels and 2" angle.

What say you, anyone know anything about these engines? Even if you do not want to work on it, you could give us some advice.

 

I have rebuilt one 460 in my career. It was mildly modded, but it didn't break or blow up so I guess that's a good sign... anyway, I ain't afeered of no 460 so I sure don't mind taking it on.

Leroy has a cam for us, correct? And if we're going to replace the timing chain and gears, we might as well go for a full roller set.

What year is this 460 anyway? I don't think I ever heard...

Also, I have a fairly heavy-duty engine stand. It's a cheepo that I beefed up. It held our Case 18 backhoe engine without too much complaint, and I can beef it up a little more. It never hurts to use a little additional support on the front of a heavy motor when on the stand anyway.

 

Lets see who else wants to get involved - both you and me are going to be busy on the frame and front end mods.

I agree with a roller timing chain, but want to see some torque curves on the cam. I expect we will be working more between 1500 and 4K RPM, while most cams move the torque curve up much higher. Lets not build something that is hard to drive while idling across a rocky trail.

We do not want a full race set up.

 

I'll tell ya, Ol Leroy sure showed me that he was pretty darned smart on the 385 series engines when we were scavenging at PicknPull last Saturday. Clint, I sure would be sending him a personal request for advice etc. A great resource there. He could probably write a pretty decent book on it.

 

I'd be glad to do the engine test/work here...I will be picking it up form Tim..no issue to build a test stand, complete with radiator to boot.

Should be prepared for at least a valve job, most mid 70's smoggengines with low compression and small ports are good to lose at least one valve in the first 50K of life...

Poses the question though, are the current heads on the engine worth the time to do anything with? Especially with a bigger cam.

I'm an emgine guy by heart, although never went through the ford channels, the nuts and bolts of the issue are realy the same, regardless of GM/Ford or MoPar...as long as it's a push rod motor, I'm a happy guy

Tim, check with Leroy, ask him what we can do with the heads, maybe he has a template for porting or knows here we can find one, I can port them..all heads require the same thing..no problem...but I don't know where the weak spots are on those particular heads where I may bust through and see daylight...that's a bad thing.

Actually. come to think of it, the head work might be a good Chapter Meet idea, huh? Wouldn't be time to port both heads in an afternoon, but we could get a few intake and exhaust ports done on one head.

 

Now now, don't be trying to give me the swolen head syndrome, my knowledge comes from a lot of tinkering, so I do know the results of the actions I might suggest, If I do not know what is going to happen, I will be the first to tell you that I do not know,

The heads that are on your engine are the 1973 castings, this does not mean that this is a 73 engine, these castings were used til later in the 70's, the biggest thing that these numbers tell me are #1 nonadjustable, pedastle mount rockers, #2 more than likely a 72-75 cc cumbustion chamber, but without removing the heads & having a look I cannot be sure about the combustion chamber size,

As far as the block goes, if I was a betting man I would say that the casting numbers would start with D1VE, indicating it is a 1971 casting, (again used til the late 70's) I did stick my hand behind the dampner & could not feel an external balance weight on the dampner spacer, this would indicate that it is either a 429 or an internaly balanced 460, reoving the pan will answer that question, if it is a 460 the crank will have a 2YA casting number, I do not remember the # for a 429, but I can go to the shop & find out if there is any question later, if everything turns out to point at a 460 then there are only 2 down falls that are only minor, 1 more than likley it will be fairly low compression for what you want to do, & 2 the internaly balance 460 had the weaker rods, (square heads on the rod bolts rather than the "football rods" which get there name from the oval headed rod bolts, leaving more material on the rod) myself I would not be concerned about the rods up to around 450 horse power, & 7000 rpm, some may argue but thats what I have done with them,
Now if an opprtunity come to swap the rods out & go to a higher compression pistion I would take it,

Now for the parts I have & the compatability with your engine, The cam that I have is a comp cams 280H, it is a hydraulic flat tappet cam, & will work with your non adjustable valve train, the only thing I would like to see with this cam & your engine is at least 10:1 compression & an upgrade in valve springs, an aluminum intake manifold would be prefered aswell something along the lines of a wiend stelth, (ebay has a few pass threw at a decent price, might keep an eye out) with this combo in your truck & a set of 4.10:1 gears I would expect enough bottom end grunt to spin a set of 33" tires at will on dry pavement, & should make good power to about 5000-5500 rpm,

Well I could go on, but I do have to work tomarrow so I'm off to bed,
If there are any questions in particular, I'll do my best to answer them,

Oh yeah, I didn't have time to edit this post, so read at your own risk

 

How about our heads? Are they worth the effort with the 280 cam? Can we open them up to work? Or just wasting our time?

 

PS, don't go to bed just yet>)

 

If they are the closed (72-75 cc) chamber head they will be fine, the biggest thing is the air injection hump in the exhuast port, If they are the open chaber heads youd be best to bag them, however I do have a set of D0VE heads kicking around here I could make the norcal chapter a smoking deal on, (that is if they are needed) The 73 heads may work out just fine,

 

Ofcourse I'm putting the cart before the hosre, but would you think the engine we have has dished pistons? I'd be concerned that the lack of avaiable quench and 10;1 CR may llead to detonation through the mid range. I can have the head milleds for the right CC's, but if the pistons are dished it might be a waste of metal.

Again, I'm Ford illiterate (heck, just figgere'ed out last week the oil pump is in the front of my 5.0

 

Better illiterate than illegitimate...

And you do know where the OP is in that 460, doncha?

 

\ Ocean Pacific?

You recall them daze

No, not sure where it's at, but if I know ahead if time how much to grind, we'd be happy.


And I thought these Ford blocks were tough, do we really need oil pressure?

 

OK, sounds like we have a plan - Mike to work over the engine. From what I have read the most important parts are a straight-up timing set, and porting away the EGR bumps in the heads.

I am not sure about the compression ratio - remember this thing has to perform at altitude and should burn regular gas. It will do us no good for this monster engine to make all its power over 5K RPM if we run it it between 1500 and 3500 RPM.

You got at least 4 to 6 weeks to get the engine ready - can you make that time line?

btw, Dan and I may need to borrow that engine for a fit check.

 

I'm sure we could borrow the one that's up here that the guy wanted a grand for. Since we'd just be using it for a mock-up I don't think he'd have a problem with that.

 

All the 1971 & later bbf engines had dished pistons, a 460 with flat tops & 72 cc chamber heads you'd be looking at 12:1, I had a 460 one time that only had the 6cc (IIRC) dished pistions and open chamber heads & it was still 10:1,

The desired quench will come with the closed chamber heads, the biggest thing is we have to see what exactly you've got, it is only speculation right now,

I'm sure this combo will be fine at 10:1, & 92 octain,