Hello All...

I have purchased a 1988 F-250 with a 460 with a C-6 tranny. It needs a rebuild or a new motor. My question is how far can you go to build more horsepower with the Ford EEV-IV fuel injection system? I bought this truck to pull a trailer on the highway and I think the stock 230 HP with 390 Lb/Ft of torque is a little weak for this large of a motor. I currently have a 1971 460 block (D1VE) with a set of 1973 heads (D3VE). I'm fairly sure the block is the same and will bolt right in. I get a little fuzzy on the heads though... I know they are larger 2.09 intake valves with a smaller 92CC combustion chamber. I would like to use these heads and go with a larger towing type cam simply to make it breath better and make more HP. I do plan on putting on a set of headers and making sure the oxygen sensor goes back in correctly for an accurate reading. Does anybody out there know of a good compression ratio and cam set up that I can use without freaking this thing out (I'dl like to make about 400hp)? Do you know if I can even use this block and set of heads with the EEC-IV? Anyway maybe this will be the start of a good thread. If anybody has any good thoughts or input please let me know. This will probably lead to a few more questions...

I do have some good experience with motors but only hot rods. This stock type motor stuff is a bit new to me. The fuel injection doesn't scare me and I would like to reuse it only becuase it runs the motor fine now and that is just less money to spend in the long run. I'm not opposed to putting in bigger fuel injectors if necessary or putting on a larger throttle body but that is about all I would care to do (short of buying a Holly 850 double pumper and putting electrical tape over all the lights that light up on the dashboard).

Below is a link to my more serious1974 F-100 521 cid race truck. This is what I pull with my new truck that is in need of a motor. Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks everybody!!

www.MrScharfenberger.com/F100

 

The older heads and newer EFI manifold are not compatable as far as I know.. the ports won't line up. You can put a cam in the motor and get much more than the stock power out of it, but cam selection is critical, and you cannot build a motor that flows more air than the stock injectors can handle, or about 350hp. I general the cam must have at least 114 LSA and no more than 216 deg duration at 50 thou on the intake side, though some 112 LSA cams are known to work if advertised duration is short.. like in the 250 deg range. There are other threads on this type thing on the big block page..

 

I'm getting ready to rework my 92 460, here's what I'm planning. Mill the stock heads for a bit more compression (don't know how much yet, but I'm thinking in the 8.5 to 9.0 range), Thorley headers, 3 1/2" single exhaust, Lunati 61600 or Crane 353904 cam and a HV oil pump. I figure if the Banks kit can get 90 hp over the stock 230 hp with just headers, exhaust and an airbox cover, then I should get at least 100 hp with my plan. That would have me at 330+ hp and I'll spend less than a Banks kit.

I'll be watching your progress, good luck to you.

 

Any idea if there are pistons out there that will bump the compression up a bit? I am going to have to get it bored out anyway so would like to bump the compression up to 9 or 9.5 to 1. I just don't know much about these stock motors. And are you sure about the HV oil pump? I know the stock 460 bottom ends have a weak main oiling system. But I've always heard that you will just fill up the valve covers with a HV oil pump. But maybe that is on a 460 that is built to turn 7000 rpm as well.

 

I haven't looked onto pistons, I'm working on a pretty fresh engine. I'd start by talking to your machine shop, and looking at

Summit Racing - High Performance Car and Truck Parts | 800-230-3030

to compare prices. You have a ton of options to get whatever compression you want if you're getting new pistons.

I had not heard of problems with HV oil pumps, but I'll be asking around for sure. On a small block Chevy I had years back the lifters were just starting to tick a bit at 70k so I grabbed a HV pump, got another 95k out of that motor before I sold the thing running perfectly. So I automatically wanted the HV pump while I had the 460 open. Thanks for the heads-up.