460 big block swap.

89tird

89tird

Registered User
Ok so I never sold my 90 sc. Its been sitting for like 8 months. It has a near perfect exterior with zero rust and super clean interior.

So I'm pondering a big block swap, I just wanted to see if there's more info on these out here, like.

What year motor, best place to buy it? aluminum heads or iron, anybody make motor mounts?, c6 or c4 tranny?. Goal is to make 500hp.

Thanks guys.
 
really you can use any 460 engine..
the only difference in the engine is egr wwhich isn't hard to delete

also you could go with a fuel injected 460 (harder to find)

....big block can easily reach 500 horses with some port work and a cam even with factory internals and the iron heads it may be heavy but it will move i was going to do this to my mercury capri roller but got the s/c to tinker with
 
I've seen the short blocks on summit or jegs that say 88-92 short blocks. I remember seeing that power was really low after 71, don't know if these engines from summit have like 250 hp :confused:
 
from their site...

These Ford Racing 460 C.I.D. 575 HP small block Ford crate engines put down big time horsepower and torque from a small cubic inch Ford engine. They start off with a Ford Racing Boss 351 block with a 9.500 in. deck height that features a forged steel crankshaft with forged steel H-beam 6.125 in. connecting rods attached to forged pistons with floating wrist pins. At the heart of the engines is a hydraulic roller camshaft with 242 intake/248 exhaust Duration at .050 in. with .594 int./.618 exh. valve lift.

its kind of sad, you can easily spend that much money building a 3.8 motor with less power :(
 
I had a 77 460. Iron heads D7VE not the best ones. The D0VE 1970 heads are the best iron heads.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd look on car-part.com and search for an F250 or F350 fuel injected 460, get the longblock and accessories (at least water pump and alternator and bracket. Get PS pump if you can, or you can figure out how to run the SC pump, or go manual steering rack.

Get a matching trans with OD if it will fit in the car I don't know but OD would be nice especially if you run a 3.73, 4.10, or higher rear gear. Otherwise get a C6 they are strong, put a shift kit in it and a big trans cooler. Get a higher stall converter too.

As for motor mounts, I'm not sure off the top of my head but you will probably need to torch or grind off the V6 lower mounts and weld in some new mounts maybe from a truck. Custom radiator, find out your hose diameter and get one that fits with the right size hose necks.

You could use the truck computer to run the fuel injection and probably be able to tune it since its most like EEC of some sort. Guages may or may not work but you could always make a gauge panel to fit in the dash and just put in Autometer gauges.

If you go older engine and use a carb I think the Weiand Stealth 8012 ($199 @summit) will let you run a stock hood with a small air cleaner. I would put a cobra r cowl on it though and run a taller manifold and bigger filter.

Prostreet Rich is the man who's brain you need to pick for this swap.
 
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Thanks for the help so far guys. I had forgotten how helpful this forum was. I want to go carb just for the simplicity of it. I have a 82 c10 with a 383 stroker and man its awesome not having to deal with a bunch of sensors and all that crap.

I've seen a few used engines for sale on Craigslist locally but don't know if its worth it, compared to buying a new short block online for less than $2000. Then buying used iron heads and have them machined. I'm planning on ripping the 3.8 and aod from the bird first and then buying the big block. At least I have a garage now :D
 
At one time the dove (c) heads were about the third best head for the 385 series engine. the only real advantage to them are that they have a slite bump in compression and are set up for screw in rocker arms.
 
Sounds like you have a budget. so sure that motor would work, what hp did they advertise?
 
I've got a bunch of 460 stuff laying around. I might have a set of heads and an intake, an alternator and bracket, and some exhaust manifolds and down pipes without cats. I've got a crank, rods and pistons, I think a distributor. Gotta go through the basement and garage.

I was going to do this swap back about 10 years ago. I got the engine and tore it down. Had a friend take the block to his recommended machine shop somewhere down in Indiana. I changed jobs, lost touch with him, forgot the name of the machine shop, and then joined the military and moved away. I had my block getting cleaned, aligned, cam bearings replaced, freeze plugs replaced, decking the block, and boring the cylinders .030".

I wish I had that engine. I might just find another block and do this still one of these days. The only downside I can see is gas ain't getting cheaper and this thing would be a gas hog.

I was going to set mine up to be a street legal drag car. It was going to have a full interior but get a cage and racing seats. I'd leave the rear seat in it as its not that heavy and I would want to be able to give rides in it and put my son in the back.

I want to do a cowl hood, lowered suspension, mustang hub swab, weld pro-star 15x3's and 15x8's w/ a 10.5 rear slick for the track and some bigger wider wheels and tires for street use. I'd stick a fuel cell in the trunk but one big enough to drive the car around like a 15 gallon. I'd run an electric water pump, might go to manual steering rack. Cowl hood, MSD ignition and distributor. C6 with a shift kit, 3000 stall, 4.10 rear, 200 shot of nitrous w/ a plate under the carb. Would be looking to make about 400-500 hp from the engine plus the nitrous.

It would be a fun car to cruise to car shows in and make a few passes at the track. Probably keep a rear pumpkin w/ 2.73's in case I ever wanted to take it on power tour.

Basically picture Micah's car w/ a big block and a cage. I think that'd be sweet.

I would use the edelbrock aluminum heads on my engine.

Damn it... now I'm drooling again. You're gonna make me build one of these things once I get a garage and not my apartments little 1 car garage.
 
I doubt that particular model makes 500 hp. or if it did the internals would prolly not be up to the task. But it would roll your bird.
 
Scott, you should build yours now and document everything that way I could just copy you, like with the headgasket write up ;).

Marine engine should be all the same right?
 
Oh ya i forgot some marine engines turn the wrong way. so be sure what you buy. My father had a 460 in a boat. it had been worked on and wouldnt idle below 1250 rpm. it was a blast, 10 gallons of gas an hour if you were playing. he sold it to a kid who promptly started jumping wakes and over reved it and windowed the block. yup it lasted two weekend lol.
 
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