Help with 460 build.

Ok, I bought a 460 for $500 from a junkyard and it ran when I got it. I have taken it all apart and my plans are to put it in my 1979 Ford 4x4. I would like to get 400+Hp/500+Torque with the engine. I plan to use this truck as a daily driver and occasional bog.
It is a Lincoln 460
1971 Block, 1973 Heads, and 1975 Intake.

Well since I have torn it apart, I have found out it has been bored .30 over and had dished pistons.
I have taken it to a machine shop for them to hot tank it, do a valve job, polish the crank, head job, and I think something else..but the total came out to $257+ for the work.
They told me the cylinders looked good and has little wear and my chambers are 92-97cc's.
I told them I plan to get new pistons and I am aiming for a 9:5:1 compression ratio. A buddy of mine told me to get dome pistons.

I plan to get parts from Summit Racing with the Bill Me Later option but my budget is to $2,500. I don't know what parts to get and am open up to advice.

A good port job on those heads should be your first step. Go to reincarnation.com and pay the fee, and learn how to do it yourself, or just send them to Scotty and have him do it. For your 400hp goal, you won't need a really large cam, just something with moderate lift and duration like the Lunati Voodoo 61602 would do the job well. An aluminum intake such as the Performer and a good carb of at least 750cfm-850cfm. As far as pistons, a flat top would be fine, or even a -12cc dish, flat tops and a zero deck is about 10:1 C/R. Get the pistons and rods assembled, then take them to a good machine shop and have the block decked to get the pistons flush with the deck. This helps to alleviate detonation. Hope this helps. Lots of good vendors here that would be willing to help you out with your purchases if you would like.

I am going to use this truck for a daily driver and an occasional bog. I'm going to run on pump gas.

Well I called the machine shop guys and asked what pistons would I need.
He said-
Pistons- 30 over (30 thousandths)
Rods- 20/20

I asked if the block needed to be decked or whatever and he said it is ok the way it is basically.

I am just going to go with flat top pistonsBut what pistons will work for 30 over? These?Keith Black/KB Pistons KB137-030 - Keith Black Hypereutectic Pistons - Overview - SummitRacing.com
What about rods? COULD THEY JUST USE MY OLD RODS?

He said they are going to put new cam bearings in and they will be done with it within the next couple of days.

Decking the block is advisable to get proper quench which will help to prevent detonation. If it is going to be a daily driver/competition vehicle, I'd go with about a 9:1 or so C/R to be able to run on crappy pump gas, the extra C/R from the flat tops will be more like 10:1 and pump premium will be necessary. Detonation will occur and the pistons will be ruined. A properly set up distributor for proper advance is going to be critical here also. I don't personally like the hyper pistons, a forged piston is ideal, but not always in the budget. A good cast piston will be fine as long as you don't get crazy with the rpm's. As far as rods, if you don't want to spend the money on a set of Eagle I beams, a good reconditioned rod would be fine, but by the time you get them reconned and install a good set of ARP rod bolts, you'll be close to the same money.

Check on everything you're going to need to make it fit. 79 4wd didn't come with a 460 so you have to buy or make motor mounts, cheapest set of headers I could find was $500.00. I made my mounts and headers( hood exits). It's not just a bolt in!! Someone jump in, but I don't think a car pan will fit, I used one out of a van! Good Luck!!

Nope a car pan will not work, a van or 4X4 pan only.

Take an old fools advice and leave those hyper pistons at Summit. They are trash!!! GO FORGED!!!!

Anyone link me to some good forged pistons on Summit?

Thanks

I'd buy from Lem at BF Evans, good prices and service.

Thing is, is that I don't have money yet, so that's why I am going with Summit due to the Bill Me Later option

I might do business with Evans soon.

Please understand, I know what you are going thru. We've all suffered thru "First Engine Indecision Syndrome". I think that in the long run, you will do yourself a great disservice by giving in to the desire to hold the parts in your hands NOW. You've got good basic parts, block, crank, heads to work with but without a well thought out plan you may windup spending much more to correct hasty purchases/expenditures.
As has been stated above, 9:1/ 9.5:1 is a good start, for compression, with iron heads and pump gas. You might want to visit www.probeindustries.com and check their pistons to find a set that will give you your desired compression ratio. Be sure to read the footnotes. They are available from B.F.Evans and others on this site with some of the best prices around.
IF you have the tools and feel you have the ability to port your own heads, by ALL means subscribe to THE MAD PORTER'S website to benefit from his knowledge. You can spend some time doing the heads while you save up for the pistons. NOTE!!! the valve job must be done AFTER any port/chamber work.
Your stock rods are fine for the street but MAY be marginal for bogging. It depends A LOT on piston weight and RPM's. If you have any doubts, in this area, strongly consider an upgrade. Your crank, which if I read right, is 20/20 will be fine if the bearing surfaces are good.
Take your time and spend your money wisely OR....rush into things and spend a lot more.

Dr. there is a lot of wisdom in the above post. Chuck has been around for quite awhile and has probably forgot more than most of us know about these engines. Don't be hasty with this, it ends up costing more in the long run. Good pistons are a foundation to build off of, and need to be well thought out. I used a set of hypers in a 472 and had a slight amount of detonation and completely destroyed one piston and probably hurt the rest in the set. High C/R isn't necessary for the goals you set out. I would think you could easily get there with less than 9:1 C/R. A proper cam is more of a gain than C/R. The biggest thing is that it is a whole combination, not just one little piece of a puzzle that makes or breaks it.

Found out that my heads are no good said the Machine Shop guy. Plus a sleeve in my engine may not hold and may fall in my block. What should I do?

Blocks and heads are cheap in my neighborhood, so I'd get diffferent ones to start with. I went through about 4 blocks before I settled on the one I finally used in my build. D3 heads are plentifull and only about $50 or so for a bare casting. Some of the major parts houses sell reman heads reasonably, don't know what they would charge if you don't have an acceptable core casting to turn in though. Put up a wanted ad in the For Sale section also, someone may have a good set laying around that you could purchase reasonably as well.

schmitty wrote:Blocks and heads are cheap in my neighborhood, so I'd get diffferent ones to start with. I went through about 4 blocks before I settled on the one I finally used in my build. D3 heads are plentifull and only about $50 or so for a bare casting. Some of the major parts houses sell reman heads reasonably, don't know what they would charge if you don't have an acceptable core casting to turn in though. Put up a wanted ad in the For Sale section also, someone may have a good set laying around that you could purchase reasonably as well.

I'm leaning towards D0VE heads now.

Dr.Ford wrote:

schmitty wrote:Blocks and heads are cheap in my neighborhood, so I'd get diffferent ones to start with. I went through about 4 blocks before I settled on the one I finally used in my build. D3 heads are plentifull and only about $50 or so for a bare casting. Some of the major parts houses sell reman heads reasonably, don't know what they would charge if you don't have an acceptable core casting to turn in though. Put up a wanted ad in the For Sale section also, someone may have a good set laying around that you could purchase reasonably as well.

I'm leaning towards D0VE heads now.

Talk to Lem, I think he has a deal going if you buy heads, block ect...... he gives you a break!! I think, call him

Dr.Ford wrote:I'm leaning towards D0VE heads now.

There is no gain to be had over the D3's. On a pump gas build, the D3's larger combustion chamber has a lot of merits to keep the C/R usable. They are a cheaper casting to buy also.

against my better judgement i'm going to reply, as you've not listened to a single piece of advice. (from me anyway on the other site)
D0VE's will gain you NOTHING!
Chances of finding D0VE's cheaper than D3's equivilent shape are slim. Only thing that will be differnet will be your pistons, IE, a Dish Top. D3's are Cheap, Plentiful, and will offer you for all intents and purposes the same performance, since i know you cant afford to to a whole bunch of head work.
Youre getting into a project you cant afford.
Put an intake and carb and cam in the M, and drive it.

Build the 460 when you have a full time job, and are done school.

edit: schmitty beat me to it.

I'm taking yalls advice. I was thinking about it while ago. D3s were better then the D0VE at those points.

dirtbogger wrote:Talk to Lem, I think he has a deal going if you buy heads, block ect...... he gives you a break!! I think, call him

Man, Lem gives even more of a break than his already smoking prices.

People telling me to trash this block....and ditch this project and fix up a shortblock....



HA...WTF EVER!

460 ALL THE WAY BABY

Found out there is a sleeve in one of my cylinders and the machine guys said it looks like a crappy job. I told them to take it out and see what damage has occured and to call me back. They said they will order another sleeve and put it in for $100.

People said to scrap this engine now but I heard sleeves can stay in there forever (if the job is done right).

Anyone of yall have sleeves in an engine of yers?

What should I do?

Frank Merkel has 8 of them in one of his engines and it goes in the 7s in 1/4

res0rli9 wrote:Frank Merkel has 8 of them in one of his engines and it goes in the 7s in 1/4

Well people are telling me not to resleeve it and just punt that block and get another one.


I think I've found a 460 for $400. Just needs cams and stuff. Guy my brother used to work with.

They still pop up at my local pull a part now and then. If your just looking for a block it might be the cheapest way. I have seen sleeves work fine in the past but I would only run one if I couldn't find another good block.