what's a high nickel content 460 block and would it really be any better in street driven truck?

 

the only real true hi nickel 460 blocks are going to be aftermarket only. none of the factory blocks offered over the years were any more hi nickel than the others.


that being said, the early block, marked DOVE (and maybe the C8 and C( version) were suppose to have beefier main webs and pan rails than the later D1VE blocks and slightly higher nickel content, so from a perfomance point they are slightly better in that you can add 4 bolt mains to them easier. any of the factory blocks are pretty beefy and can easily handle up to 600- 700hp with no worries.

the perfered block if you are going to stroke is the D9TE truck block found in 79 and newer trucks as they had slightly longer cylinder walls than the earlier blocks.
so as far a street engine goes, any 460 block is going to be accepatable. not until you start getting into the 900 and up hp range do you have to start worrying.

rgds
Mike

 

only the DOVE and a very few of the D1VE blocks had the thicker main webbing, but one of the things to note is that most of the aftermarket 4 bolt main kits are actually ment to be used on the thin main castings believe it or not.
As to the "high nickle" content and the some years like C8VE can be bored more thats urban legend and just simply not true. The DOVE and earlier blocks are not any better in nickel content or cylinder wall thickness as found out a couple years ago when we had a block summit and sonic tested, weighed and checked 36 blocks in 1 day.
I run a factory 2 bolt main, D9TE truck block that is not converted to 4 bolt, still running the factory iron caps although I am running ARP bolts and a main girdle from canton at over 900hp, spinning it 8000rpm for the past 3 yrs running. So compare that to what you want to do and figure out if you REALLY NEED 4 bolt mains.
I am going aftermarket block on the next engine but also looking for 4 digit HP levels NA so big difference. But personally I feel that the 4 bolt main conversions or worrying about nickel content is a waste of time and money 100% of the time. Basically if you NEED to run 4 bolt block due to hp or blowers etc and don't happen to have a factory unit, then by the time you buy the caps and bolts and pay to have the registers machined, have them drilled and taped and have the block and caps align bored and honed as well as all the rest your going to do your pushing what it would cost to just buy an aftermarket block that is going to already have the 4 bolt, is going to have thicker cylinder walls (all of them will go out o 4.5" bore without worries at all) have provisions in most cases for 18 bolt heads (if the reason you need 4 bolt is lots of nitrous or a blower this is a nice feature) is a stronger iron to begin with and MOST importantly has a revised and much much superiour oiling system (aftermarket blocks are like the Boss 9 and are priority main oiling instead of oiling the lifter galleries first) So 100% of the time yiour money ahead to buy aftermarket right from the git go and save the hassel if you NEED that type of block.