460 question?
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
It's impossible to pin down the year and size of an engine by a casting number...unless it's one where the casting number refers to only one engine type & size.
There aren't too many Ford engines that are one type & size only. The SOHC 427 is the only one I can think of off hand.
D1VE-6015-AB, AB1 & AB2 are the bare block casting numbers that cover 1971 thru midyear 1979 for 429 & 460's.
D9TE-6015-AB is the bare block casting number that covers 460 engines used from midyear 1979 thru (at least) 1986.
This casting number was also used for 370 & 429 engines used in big trucks (for example, F600's) beginning in 1979.
I have no refs for 1968/70 or 1987 thru 1996.
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New User
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hey so i found two numbers. this one came from the block (d9te-ab) and this one from the head (d3ve-a2a) so my block number does mach numberdummys. so does this mean im somewhere between a 79 to a 86 and is there any way i can narrow it down to a closer year. thanks, tyger.
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Joined: May 2005
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From: Graves County, KY
With that info no, all you know is that it was made between 79 and 86. Is there an emissions sticker on the valve cover? Look all around it for part numbers. If you find one that says something like E2XX-XXX then you know that part was last revised in 82, so it can't be older than that. Might also look on the EGR and the carb they got updated frequently.
Hotshot
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From: iowa
D9TE-6015-AB is the bare block casting number that covers 460 engines used from midyear 1979 thru (at least) 1986.
This casting number was also used for 370 & 429 engines used in big trucks (for example, F600's) beginning in 1979.
I have no refs for 1968/70 or 1987 thru 1996.
This casting number was also used for 370 & 429 engines used in big trucks (for example, F600's) beginning in 1979.
I have no refs for 1968/70 or 1987 thru 1996.
Bill I don't know if your book shows the casting or not but the 429 used the D9TE-AB casting the 370 used the D9TE-BB casting number
As to the original question. The two casting numbers you posted means it could be anywhere from 79 thru 86 (and possibly a little later if it was a motor home engine, or a industrial engine that was carbed after 87) The D3VE head castings were used from 73 on for carbed engines although there are some with either NO casting number or a E5TE or E6 casting number which are virtually identical.
Now the thing is the engine years you have as a possibility are for all intents and purposes the same engine (will be some minor differnces on external things like possibly carbs and emissions devices but the base engines are identical) so is there really any reason you NEED to narrow it down further?
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From: Graves County, KY
You could also get an aftermarket ignition like an MSD or something.
Looks like '83
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From: iowa
If you have D2OE not a thing in the world wrong with them and in fact they are just barely behind teh CJ/SCJ heads for performance potential BUT if you have the D2VE heads those are the one year only open chamber low compression heads that are seriously prone to detonation (you would have ot run premium even with 9:1 compression) and are basically best used as boat anchors or door stops.
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From: Cow Town, CA
If you have D2OE not a thing in the world wrong with them and in fact they are just barely behind teh CJ/SCJ heads for performance potential BUT if you have the D2VE heads those are the one year only open chamber low compression heads that are seriously prone to detonation (you would have ot run premium even with 9:1 compression) and are basically best used as boat anchors or door stops.