best engine(460) canidate for swap
My 71 stang is looking to get a 460buildup/swap started soon, even though my newly rebuilt 302 has less than 5 hours of run time on it. I was looking online for an engine to start the buildup. I found someone selling a 460 out of a 1976 mercury. It has 90k miles and ran fine when he took it out. He wants 75$ just to get rid of it! I want to jump on this deal real bad. I would like to know, whats the best place to get a 460 from? What year? Does emissions have anything different that can stun my rebuild? Were all the 460's generally the same with no factors( design changes)that could change performance/reliabiliy? I intend to put new heads/cam/intake etc on it so a good amount will be replaced. Im just looking to start a good project engine and this seems to be a good canidate. -Jon
That will work just fine. A peformance rebuild with forged pistons, new timing chain and cam, and the aluminum heads will really wake up that smog engine. The heads of that vintage arent that great, but you plan to replace them anyway. There is nothing quite like the power of 468ci under the foot..
Oh and sorry, I've been super busy lately..
Oh and sorry, I've been super busy lately..
I don't know all the specs off the top of my head but the later model 460's had large combustion chambers a taller deck height and dished pistons to get the compresion ratio down around 8.25:1
Aftermarket aluminum heads, although expensive would save weight and help get compression ratio up. The drawback to that is they are huge ports and valves which are great for making high RPM horsepower but will hurt the bottom end. A stock set of heads will not make much power over about 5500 RPM but unless you are going drag racing that's not an issue. The 76 460 for $75 is a pretty good deal. You could build a real streetable torque monster with that and a rebuild kit from PAW that has forged flat top or domed pistons. The 76 heads will run unleaded fuel and if you stay around 9:1 or so you won't need super high octane fuel.
Good luck, I think you'll love the torque. I know my 70 429 is really powerful and it's very mild with 10:1 and an SCJ cam profile.
Craig
Aftermarket aluminum heads, although expensive would save weight and help get compression ratio up. The drawback to that is they are huge ports and valves which are great for making high RPM horsepower but will hurt the bottom end. A stock set of heads will not make much power over about 5500 RPM but unless you are going drag racing that's not an issue. The 76 460 for $75 is a pretty good deal. You could build a real streetable torque monster with that and a rebuild kit from PAW that has forged flat top or domed pistons. The 76 heads will run unleaded fuel and if you stay around 9:1 or so you won't need super high octane fuel.
Good luck, I think you'll love the torque. I know my 70 429 is really powerful and it's very mild with 10:1 and an SCJ cam profile.
Craig
The 302 has less than 20 miles on the performance parts now, and only 3000 miles since the .030 bore over and new pistons/rings/machining. Once i get the 460 in, the 302 will be for sale, i dotn know if ill get much, but it runs good now so i will use the 302 till i get the 460 done. Im looking at 460 "power packages" from edelbrock, for a 460 the package ( RPM) costs roughly 2k$ ontop of my 600$ rebuild cost, Sooo... thats 2600 roughly for a 500 HP 460. The edelbrock shows 512 HP and 537 tq from their package on a 460, does that sound right? Would i be better off going with another custom setup? or a package like this( the edelbrock RPM) -Jon
We have been having the big port on a 450+ci engine debate for a while on the Pontiac forums, yet over 400ci engines can utilize the airflow much better than a 300-350 ci engine. As long as you dont use the heads designed for 514 ci engines, the aluminum CJ heads and most others willmake plenty of power in a useable range. These are not small blocks and the stock heads are quite a restriction, a 460ci engine can make 500ftlbs of torque under 3000 rpm with a 300-320cfm head. As long as the velocity doesnt drop off, the large ports will not kill the bottom end power.
i was thinking about dropping a 460 in my 66 but i don't know what i'd do with all the horsepower. I have a friend that has a cleveland i gave him years ago that i know he isn't using, so maybe down the road a 351c will go in, but i always wanted a 460. i love displacement.
you are gunna wanna ditch alot of stiff on that block and keep the crank and rods thats a bout it and when you build it up there are a few things to take into consideration a you need a 69 timing set not any other year you need D0VE heads unless you go after market and third be prepared to pass everthing but a gas station


