Hello i am new to this forum, but i'm getting great info. I purchased a 1975 460 out of a lincoln mark 4, and will be putting it in a 75 f-150. Been going through it an will be sending the heads out for a safe mind. I want to run the stock pistons cause there fine. What sould I get done to the heads for better performance. Can I plain them down, to up the compression, bigger valves??? Thanks your opinions will be greatly appreaciated.

 

First let me welcome you to FTE.
well the first thing I would do is square deck the block and bring the pistons to within .010 of the deck. this will help with compression some. yes you can mill the heads too but I tend to just mill enough to make them flat. Biggest thing you can do with any of the ford big block heads is port the exhuast side no matter what your doing with it. You can increase valve sizes to 2.19/1.71 pretty easily (I would recommend changing out the stock valves at least even if only going stock size) bowl blend both sides and work on the exhaust mainly. Personally if your looking for a low end motor I would only increase the exhaust side valve size. If your rebuilding the engine then use piston choice to increase your compression.
You could if you so choose have them machined for screw in studs and guideplates, or if your not running too radical of a cam, just buy the crane or FRPP bolt down roller rockers (both are made by crane so thats a whichever is better deal for price)
Something else since you are going into the engine anyway, probably the first thing I would suggest as would many on here is to replace the timing set with a roller timing chain or early model (pre 73) timing set for 0 degree cam timing, and set the cam timing at straight up this will greatly increase your power.
That will get you started, but for any other recommendations maybe knowing what your doing or not doing to the engine,and what you plan on doing with it would help.

 

thanks for the facts. I already have the timing gear and chain (pre 73) The motors going in a 79 f-150, I use this truck as a daily driver so I don't wanna go to crazy with performance. It's a 4x4 so don't need to be burning rubber lol. Want it to be reliable and to have the power to take it on the trail, so leaving it fairly stock should do the job. Also I already got the pro comp 6000 Hei distributor for it too

 

Welcom to FTI.
Re read what monsterbaby said, he has coverd it pretty darn good. The onley caution I will add is to be shure the machin shop that does the valve job installs hardend seats on your exaust valves. The hardning that Ford used was verrey thin. I was in the shop watching when they did my heads and you could tell when the cutter broke through the hardend material. It was onley about 2 turnes of the cutter.
I went with 1.76 exaust and 2.19 intake.
Good luck
Bill

 

How much does a valve job like that cost?

 

The seats were 6.13 ea or $49.04 for 8
Install seats 6.00 ea or $48.00 for 8
I would call several shops and see what they will charge. Try to find someone who is a Ford shop or has some experience on fords.
I wouldn’t try to run a motor on unleaded gas with out hardened seats. The shop told me they often break through the thin hardened area when doing basic valve job using a stone to re do the seats.
I am using Ferra 5000 stainless valves. They are suppose to stand up to hard usage/ high heat operation. I hope this works as I am putting this motor in a motor home.
By the way nice truck.
Bill

 

We are building a mild mud truck and am just now addressing the engine. This is a budget build. We will be running in the street class - and the mud-starved tracks of Nevada and Northern California. It has the deep-dish pistons and D3 heads. We do have a new manifold, and a 800 CFM holly carb. We intend to order the SUM K3501 cam.

We are currently porting and polishing the heads, (as suggested here) and doing a valve job ourselves. I am not sure we have the stones to do a 3 angle job, but will try.

We can get some D0 heads. I think the combustion chamber on them is around 73cc, with the D3 head having a combustion chamber of around 95cc.

We are not wanting to change the pistons, and want to run pump gas. Does anyone know what compression ratio we would have with the D0 heads and deep-dish pistons?

Would we have to change the rockers?

 

Thanks for the info WildeBill. I may look into that as we have a really dry heat here in North Dakota in the summers. Anything I can do to make my truck last longer is a good thing!

 

I started really looking at the heads and was wondering what colour if any are the valve springs on a 460. I think the heads may have been done b4. But done stock. Any thing that I can look for to see if they havn't been done b4 (not upgraded) Talked to a couple of head places and they want a lot of money to do what monster baby has suggested. ex $1200

 

*****- you would have to change rocker arms and pushrods, and assuming a 0 deck and standard head gaskets- 9.79-1 compression with the d0ve's- so youd have to run pump premium. the reason youd have to change rockers is the d0ve's have stud mount rockers, and d3ve's have pedestal mount rockers

 

My valve springs are painted green, and i've never seen any like these b4

 

I would use new springs on aneything I don't know the pedagree of.
Bill

 

good thinking gunna get em done just so I no thanks a lot guys ya'll were a big help