I would like to start a project in a couple of months. I'm looking at buying a 76 Ford F-250 highboy 4x4, with a 360/C6.

I plan on buying a good used 460 from one of the local auto wreckers, and using that block as a platform for my build. Are there years where the 460 was better than others? What year range should I be shooting for?

When I buy the engine I will be tearing it down, then sending it off to the Local performance engine builders to have them Hot tank and strip the block, then have it Magnafluxed, Bored +.30 over and honed (unless further boring is needed,) line bored, decked, and whatever else is needed to straighten this block out.

After all that is done, I would like to buy a balanced stroker kit to put me in the 521-545 cubic inch range. (Crank, Rods, Pistons.)

I would keep the heads if everything checked out okay, and have the heads rebuilt and ported with stainless steel valves, 5 angle valve job, performance springs, cromo locks and retainers ect...

After all that is done and assembled, I would upgrade the full valve train (cam, lifters, push rods, rocker arms.) I'm still unsure of what exactly I'm going to be using though. I will also be using a gear drive instead of a timing chain.

Those are the gut's of my motor, I'm looking for suggestions, opinions and recommended parts that could be used in this build.

I will probably add more to this build for more info. Maybe once I have all the specs someone can get this going on a desktop dyno so I can see some performance numbers

Thanks for looking

 

One year is as good as another for the most part, as you are going to be re-engineering it for the most part. Stock heads? Maybe, maybe not.

Check these serving suggestions out, and check the BB 385 forums for more:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/2...-new-here.html

Posted in the above as well:

460ford.com :: View topic - 460 Horsepower Chart

Scroll down and it gives info for various HP builds of the beast. You'll see the basic trend in the formula.

 

the stock heads are going to be the achilles heel of this motor. the two most common heads, The early closed chamber heads (C8VE, C9Ve or DOVE casting numbers) or the latter more common D3VE heads, flow about the same and offer about as much hp potential as each other. the early heads have smaller combustion chambers (around 75 - 78 cc) compared to 95cc for the D3 heads. but with proper porting worka nd larger valves installed, they can produce pretty decent hp numbers.

but that being said, by the time you invest in the machine work and upgraded parts (valves, springs, convert to adjustable rockers, porting work, etc) the aftermarket heads are looking pretty affordable. and since you are thinking of a 545, the aftermarket heads offer a lot more potential than the stock heads. even better than the cobra jet heads (which are fairly hard to come by and expensive in decent workable condition).

some decent heads are the TFS street heads and the P51's. and of course there are lots of other aftermarket heads to choose from from chinese copies of the street heads (ProComps) all the way to all out monster motor racing heads that will flow more than the hoover dam.

with what you are doing and building, i would seriously consider investing in a decent set of heads instead of into the stockers. way more potential and growth with not much more money invested.

as far as blocks go, for strokers, most people recommend the D9TE truck block due to its longer cylinder walls as a good starting point. all trucks built after 79 used this block. but any 460 block is a good block that can take a lot of hp with little to no modifications.

rgds
Mike