The engine I'm in the process of rebuilding seems to have parts from just about every damn 429 & 460 ever built. So far I've found Thunderjet intake manifold, Boss429 rods, a 460 crank, truck heads, some cam that gives it an idle like a Top Fueller & dished pistons from some 460 not to mention what appears to be a Cobrajet block. (I also have a 429CJ, but thats a different project entirely)


Local shop says throw a set of EFi pistons in as the dish in the pistons is smaller resulting in more compression. However, I've also heard that because of internal/external balancing I should put late model parts in an early engine.. any ideas?
I was going for a set of flat top pistons but the local engine shop is trying to talk me out of that for some reason.

Not sure I want to take ANY more advice from this shop because what started out as a *worse case* valve job quoted at $250 is now damn near $750 & I'm a bit pissed to say the least. (admittedly part of that was $90 to get rid of the smog bumps, but even that grew to $120 & the doofus FORGOT to do it the first time he put the heads back together..) The guy talked me into some Iconel (ex) valves at $20+ each & now I find I could have had SS Milodon or Manley valves for a LOT less..
They WERE going to do the engine from drain plug to air filter but I've decided that the less this shop has to do with the engine the better so for now they only get the heads & I'll find someone else to do the short block stuff..

ARRRGGHHHH!!!!!

 

I'm not a fan of random mix and matching engine parts as it gets too confusing very quickly and therefore easily to make mistakes. The shop might be trying to pursuade you not to use flat-tops because of the possible compression ratio. (What size chambers do you have in those heads?)Check www.kb-silvolite.com for their piston selection.

 

hey man, just wanted to throw out some food for thought.....you said you had a fairly big cam goin into this thing, so you'll need to suit your motor around it. first off, big cams tend to like big compression. also, they like to have springs that can handle lift. you my wanna consider goin with a slightly smaller cam in it to make it streetable. i think it is prudent to err on the small side if anything. i have a cam out of the ford motorsport catalog, it has 216/220 degrees duration at .050 and it idles solid, has a nice lope to it, and it has awesome low end power, with great midrange too. make sure you be honest with yourself on how it will be driven....if it'll be a weekend brawler, go with the big cam, and flat tops. good luck and i hope this makes sense....its bout 330 in the mornin


mike

 

It already has the *lopey* cam. Won't know exactly what it is until I pull it out. Wife complained about the idle because when it was sitting in the driveway it would resonant the entire house & rattle all the plates, pots & pans in the kitchen cupboards.
Seemed to have enough bottom end before it blew up tho, used to light up the tires puling away from the lights. This lead to some mean tricks on Vette owners, used to chirp the tires next to em at the lights, Cops would think it was the Vette & pull em over, totally ignoring the Dually LOL!!
Only downside was doing a complete 360 in the middle of a Torrance intersection one day as I turned left..