So I'm stuck in a dilemma. I got this 66 the other day that's got a 351w in it right now. It starts, runs, and sounds pretty good. However, it could be 100% bone stock with just the Street Dominator intake and Edelbrock carb, it might have a cam in it, it might have 150k on it and be almost dead, I don't know. Either way I want to pull the engine so I can pressure wash every last bit of the engine bay w/o worry of spraying any electronics on the motor, or if there's a slight leak, getting water into it w/o realizing it. After all that, and painting the engine bay, I don't really want to put a greasy old engine back into the truck. So I have 2 options:

First option, there's a guy about 2, 2 and a half hours up the road with a fresh rebuilt 351w bottom end. .30 over with TRW hyper flattops, H beam rods, new oil pump, fresh bearings and rings, and balanced rotating assembly. It's got a pretty big cam, solid roller .600/.600, advertised duration of 286/290, duration at 50 is 254/258. He went 7.4 with this and Pro Comp heads in an old Mustang (translates to a low 12 second motor) then pulled it to freshen it up, then got a good deal on stroker parts so he went that route. So essentially it's a fresh rebuilt hotrod bottom end for $700 that was making 450hp with lower end aluminum heads. Still will needs heads, and would have to have real pricey aftermarket ones to take advantage of that cam and not choke the motor out. Plus push rods, a high stall converter, an intake, plus a big badass carburetor and probably a slew of other small items.

Second option, a local big time Mustang enthusiast has a 460 he pulled from an early 80s extended cab F250. Fairly low miles on a rebuild with .30 over pistons (don't know if they're cast, hypers, dished or flat), a 292 Comp Cam I think he said, Ford Racing lifters, Dove C heads, and Edelbrock intake. He said he would trade straight up for my 351 since he doesn't want to pay $500 for a special bellhousing from Summit that'd allow him to use his t5 on that 460, so he wants to go Windsor and there aren't too many local guys selling running 302/351s unless they're built all to hell. Also, if I threw in the newish clutch/pressure plate from the Fox I just sold (which I got from him), he'd throw in the 460s c6 (mine has a c6 in it now on the 351) but it needs 2 of the transmission ears welded back on, since his buddy was pulling the transmission seperately and broke a couple off. But he said the transmission has low miles and has a 2500 stall converter that he'd throw in. He said I could also keep my current c6, so I could sell it for a few bucks to someone else.

All I'd need it seems is the correct perches from a mid 70s truck that had a 460, so that shouldn't be too hard to source. I'm not sure the horsepower the 460 makes compared to the 351, however I'm not the kinda guy who wants to melt the rubber off the wheels of my truck. I mainly got it because of the look of an old truck, and I want the sound and grunt of a mean v8. I had an LT1 Trans Am all stock, and I LOVED it because it had Flowmasters and loved the sound. It had enough pep for me. So if that car was plenty for me, only making the 275ish hp they make stock, then that shows you I don't need 575hp to be happy.

It seems the 460 might be a better bet since a set of $30 or $40 used perches, and no more labor than pulling the old motor, bolting the perches on, then dropping the bigger motor right in, and then installing a big block c6 in place of my small block c6, would get me back on the road. Plus this guy is only like 45 minutes to an hour away, and would more than likely deliver the 460 while helping me pull the 351. Even if it is stock other than the pistons and cam, I'm sure it makes decent horsepower, but would have near the same torque of the built 351w I was looking at.

Anyone, feel free to chime in with some helpful info or ideas.

 

If you have the windsor, rebuild it. Take it apart and clean it,
See what you have and that way you can judge what you need.
Or clean it off and stay the way it is, and save up for more.
I've gone through the motors believe me. My last 390 was a
top end rebuild and the bottom went out. And the stories on the
other motors are another story.

 

Sit on it, drive it for 6 months, I can assure you that you will want something different then.

The W is a transplant, it wasn't available in 66, another W or 302 is a bolt up, swapping in a 460 will require tranny too since they are different engine families.

Can you afford to drive a 10 mpg vehicle?


John

 

Drive what's in it or go for the 460; as others posted there's other consideration than loud noise and fuel gulping..

Mitch

 

I like 460's, in stock form run like a bat out of hell. Easy swap with 100% all Ford parts. You will need the 460 perches, block caps and a set of new motor mounts. The transmission mount should be replaced and you need the shifter lever (goes inside the trans) from a C6 out of a 460/C6 truck. Hopefully your buddy has those parts from the original truck. After that it is a bolt in deal the radiator even fits! 460's are torque monsters and in a little 66 F100 provide all the power most of us need. Fuel mileage sucks!

 

IT depends on what you plan to do with the truck but a 390 is the best

 

My vote is 460! Plenty of factory parts to make lots of cheap power, easy to work on. The only really important part is the set of 3-piece perches for a '73 - '79 truck 460.
They are important for 2 reasons:
1. They situate the engine and transmission into the correct geometry within the truck.
2. They are cross bolted to prevent ripping the engine into the hood.
One note of caution: Be prepared to pay over a C-note for those perches, though. Most people who have them know what they have, and they often go for well over $100 on E-bay.

Other than that, the rest is easy bolt on parts, or relatively minor machine shop fabrication.

Good luck!

 

I have seen john de pickers truck and it is a brute with that 460 in it, but I would go for the windsor, especially in your case.
1) you already have the Mounts/trans installed
2) Windosr parts are 1/2 the price of 460 parts.
3) you can squeak 20 mpg out of a Windsor engine. Try that with a 460

 

If you want to drive it now, stick with the windsor. 460's are bad ***, but there is always something unexpected to slow down the process when making a drastic change in the engine bay. Good luck......

 

This thread is old now, I got the 460 like 2 weeks ago. Thanks for the input though people.

 

no pics? i know these guys like pics.