When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi, ok I'm a little off today and need some help.
It's been a long time since I've dealt with big block Ford applications. I have 460 heads, casting # D3VE-A2A. I know these are out of a 79 truck, but I don't know and haven't found the specs for the heads or the engine. ( compression, hp, head runner size etc.) I didn't think it would be that hard to the find specs. To what extreme can I work the heads, or should I go with after markets? Are there any good books on the subject?
Thanks for your help.
Those heads are the average run of the mill 460 heads. Nothing special when stock. You can wake them up quite a bit with some port work. MPG heads in Colorado does CNC machining on Ford big block cast iron heads. He can get some pretty impressive numbers out of those old heads, especially when used with his port plates. Aftermarkets are good, especially Edelbrock and Blue Thunder. Ford Racing's Cobra Jet heads aren't bad either. However, none of those heads can be obtained for the relatively small amount of money it would take to totally work your heads over. You should be able to get the heads cut out for larger CJ valves, new valves, springs, retainers, and the port work for around $1000 or less. That's going to be a savings of about $700 over aftermarket heads.
Bigsnag's right about using those heads. For a truck application, lower rpm torque band with apropriate cam specs, when done right they actually perform better than aftermarket heads with big intake runners and ports designed for high rpm applications. The smaller intake runners/ports actually develop better fuel/air mixture velocity from off-idle through the lower rpm range.
On that subject, I've heard from a couple of sources I respect that there's no reason to go to 2.24" intake valves in the earlier heads. 2.19" will do the job. I haven't seen any flow figures, (I'd appreciate any references to early head flow numbers)but they say there's virtually no difference in lower rpm/high torque applications.
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Slideshow: The VelociRaptor Expedition gains a lift, upgraded suspension, Brembo brakes, and trail-ready equipment while retaining the stock 440-horsepower EcoBoost V6.