factory used stainless valves on the exhaust side, or at least the head is. I can't remember if that particular head had a 2 piece valve or not.

 

Better let someone else answer the valve material thing, looks like MB already has. I havnt looked at the later heads, but maybe while you have them off and have done some grinding on the exaust, take a look at the intake port just under the seat. See if there is a pronounced casting line there it necks down the throat of the port. I used to clean up that (smooth) transition--no sharp lines. Not related to fords, but I have done several sets of SB chebby marine heads, just for clean up, not to attempt porting. Both times, I picked up quite a few RPM's at WOT, even on a low duration torque engine. Might be worth a try, didnt hurt anything and was CHEEP! (dont we like that )

 

2 piece valves ??, not quite sure if they are or not, then again might could be, I just dont know.
I know on the end of the stem you can see the metal looks different, maybe about 3/32 or 1/8" thick right on the tip, & is the only part of the valve a magnet will stick to.
Machine shop fixing the heads, said he was sure the valves were not sodium filled that could stand the high exhaust heat. Much trouble I have had with them, who knows if that is right.
If these valves are stainless & not damaged any after the trouble I've had with the heads, wouldnt it make sence to make the valve seats out of stainless as well, or am I thinking wrong.

I'm feeling pretty sure, this time, the heads have stellite seats installed because a magnet wont stick to them.

Want to give you guys a little tip I found out.

Dealing with these head problems & feeling like I was getting the run around & lied to as well, I did me some in depth checking on a bunch of stuff.
The company suppling the seats, (SBI), they must have some labeling & packaging problems.
How I found out.
Shop I was using for the repairs, out of 3 boxes of valve seats they had just ordered, part number SB1750-2N, stellite seat for 460 Ford heads, 6 seats out of one box were stellite & the other 2 were nickle base because a magnet would stick to them. All 8 seats from that box had the same part number on them, so somebodys screwing up.
Has been two shops involved with the head repairs, because the first shop broke the cutter tool that cuts into the heads for the seat replacement & sent the heads over to the other shop for sake of time.
This was the second go around on repairing the heads.
Second shop invloved, in checking their seats they had on hand, same thing, right part number but only 4 were stellite out of 8 in one box.
Somethings up at SBI, somebodys dropping the ball not doing their job.

Any you guys run a repair shop, probably be best to get a magnet & check them before you press them seats in.
Doing a job you only need a nickle base seat, I guess any seat would be ok, but you doing a propane engine, or one will have high exhaust heat, better check them or you'll get bit & end up doing the job over again.
Neil

 

Well guys, got the 460 completely back together Thursday & cranked up that evening.
Few minor set backs Friday on first trial run, new fan belts sqeeling & oil filter & cooler line adapter plate, that big bolt holding it to the block got loose some how & that bad boy blew out 4 qts of oil in less than a 1/4 mile.
Fixed that friday evening & was good to go.
You know, I had forgot all about how it was, laying under a engine to fix something & oil & rain dripping down in my face. Just been so long since I done anything like that I had clean forgot.

Today, Saturday, took it out for its first run, around 90 miles round trip with the trailer loaded & I got to say I was right pleased.
Looks like the larger lift cam, advancing the new timming set 4* & the carving I did in the exhaust ports on those heads made quite a bit of difference in the performance. Not a ground shaking big difference, but you can at least feel it.

Next on the list Monday, price dual exhaust system, get the ball rolling to get that installed.
I'm still undecided about headers, just dont know if I'm ready to deal with those or not. I know they would make a power difference, but remember many horror storys from years ago.
I'm not jumping up & down about the engines performance difference, but mighty pleased with how its performing.
Neil

 

C-L--been meaning to "axe" you if you had any problems with the OEM sled rockers. When I did the crane 260 RV cam in my 76 460 (125K) I checked lifter preload (new cam and lifters) which was O.K. and first cranked it with the OEM pedestals and sled rockers. What a mess that was. I had to keep the rpm up for cam break-in and it was "raising he**". It was that the sled rockers had actually developed a wear pattern for the OEM cam lift, but the RV cams extra lift caused the "sleds" to make racket when they went past the worn ridge on the rockers. Since I was on cam break-in and didnt want to shut it down early, I had to listen to the noise for ~30 min. Thats what caused me to put the comp roller tips on. The comps were actually for my brothers 400, which he never put on----thank goodness they were on the shelf. I just wonder if yours did the same---obviously not!

 

No, I didnt notice anything like that.
I tell you though, once those heads were on & everything bolted up, almost every one of the exhaust rockers were loose. I didnt run a feeler gauge between the stem to see how much clearance each had, but was thinking god this thing is going to raise kane to start with.
Looking at the lifters, I could see on the cylinders that were tdc, the lifter cups were up to the wire retainers but the rocker was still loose.
#3 cylinder exhaust rocket was the worst.

I had a cheap set of long reach steel T handle metric socket tools, one being an 8mm 6 point & I cut the T off & then mounted it in a 3/8s drill, made the most perfect oil pump block primer I could of thought of.

Dont know if me priming the block with oil till it ran off the rocker tips had anything to do with it or not, but didnt a single one of those rockers ever make a rattle noise.
Sure fooled me, cause I was just about to pull the heads off & take them back to the shop that repaired them, boy was I pi$$^&, after all I had to deal with them to begin with & now the set height was to low on the stems, MAN!!!.

While I was primming the block with oil, never even thought about what it would take to turn the pump. That 3/8s drill was grunting & like real quick it started smoking. Took several times before oil came out to every rocker.
Course though, ol oil was kinda cold & thick, 20/50 with a bottle of Lucas & that Crane break in oil.
That little ol tention pin holding the distributor gear to the shaft is realy catching it when you start them up cold with the thick oil, never crossed my mind before, it will now though.
Neil

 

Ya think the initial clearance was from the lifter not being filled with oil? I learned quickly (after smoking one 3/8 drill) to us a 1/2 in drill . I saw somewhere to use a lighter oil for break-in, although that makes me a little nervous for the cam. Long as you keep the inital run just enough rpm to keep oil up in the lobes, the bearings should be O.K. with light oil. Long as you have no lifters ticking you arent too loose.

Maybe at some point, after everything is seated you may feel like checking lifter preload----maybe you already have. Its not exactly fun or clean especially if you have to hang a belly over the radiator

 

Yeah, it was some thick oil.
All the rocker arms were clean so no oil was between the arm & fulcrum at that time.
I guess it could be the oil filled the lifter completely taking out the rocker play, but it sure looked like the lifter cups were all up far as they could go aginst the wire clip.

I might be a little better off when checking them than most others, this 460 is in a motorhome & all I do is pull the cover, lay a piece of thin plywood down over top of the floor lip sticking up & then lay down on my chest. Still gets to my neck though.
Get some age on you & them ol rider boys get in your joints & things you had no problem with years ago is a hand full now. Caint do what I youst to could. When I was a young buck, could set a car up on blocks & pull a turbo 350 out bear handed, slide out from under on my back with the tranie on my gut. I was TUFF back then, ol hill folk dont have much money & got to what ever to get by. Been many times I shimed up a starter bushing with a piece of tin can.
Neil

 

10-fur!! Ever jam an empty coffee can down over the air cleaner stud, pour gas in it and drive while playing with the throttle to match the rate of drip of the can? If the chickens laid good that week, you could afford to buy a fuel pump!!
Now dont flag me on that one----its true!! Oh boy!! I can see a BS thread coming

 

Caint say is I ever done that, but I can understand having to do it. Like I say, man got to do what he got to do to git by.

yeah, I can see them high rollers laughing rite now bout all that.

Crank the 460 up earlier today, first time since Saturday night, no noises at all. Ol thang when it idles slow around 750,,800 rpm, got a little lope to it.

What I need to set the idle at ???, 800,,,1000rpm.
Neil

 

Unplug the Idle Air Control (IAC), idle should be mechanically set to 500RPM. This keeps the throttle plates from closing completely and sticking in the bore. The computer will take care of the rest when you reconnect the IAC.

Richard
RLS7201

 

This is an 87 model, house.
500 rpm idle, sounds kinda low but I'll try it.
Neil

 

Oops sorry Neil, some how I was under the impression that you had a fuel injected engine. 500 rpm will be too low.

Richard
RLS7201

 

Dont like the thoughts of all the computer stuff, but beleave I would have been lot better of if it had been injected.
Neil