Hey all, been searching Pirate for a long time now, but haven't posted much at all. Great to see a Mud section, as mud racing and bogging has a huge following across the country!

Onto my current dilemma. I have a 78 Bronco used primarily for mud, 1 tons, 5.13's, locked f/r, dual-triangulated 4-link f/r, full cage, full hydro, etc..., and a 351M. I recently scored 2 460's (1 is a 1983, and the other is a 1985, both w/ 4x4 truck pans) for $350. One is already 0.040" overbore, and has had the cranked turned 0.010" under. The short block is complete, but I intend to tear it down just to ensure what I have. It already has oversize pistons in it (look to be cast aluminum), and a mild Lunati Voodoo cam (not sure off the top of my head on exact cam specs, but I have the cam card if needed). The other engine is setting as a short block as well, but has had no machine work done to it. I have all hardware necessary to build both engines complete in stock form, including stock heads

Here is my question. I would like to build the 0.040" engine for now to put into the truck, but would like to keep the build mild. I plan to build the other engine later this year or next spring, and this one will be serious (stroker, aluminum heads, etc...). However, I don't want to throw the 0.040" engine together and be seriously disappointed with power after having spent money on it. I know that setting the engine up with headers, aluminum intake, and setting the cam timing straight up (factory is retarded) will net me some gains, but I am concerned about the heads, as that is where these engines are really restricted.

I have spent a lot of time searching on 460ford.com, and haven't been able to find what I was looking for. Most "budget" builds on there hardly change any hardware, and are going into heavy boat-cars with 3.50:1 gearing. This is quite a bit different than the gearing we run, as well as the atmosphere in which our engines work.

I don't want to put money into iron heads, as I know that I will go to a more serious set of heads for the future stroker engine. After all, with the rate of machine shop work nowadays, you might as well wait and buy aftermarket heads.

I am willing to buy the obvious things (al. intake, timing set,headers, roller rockers (if possible), and new cam if necessary).

If there is anyone who has rebuilt a 460 using stock heads, were you pleased with the "bang for the buck" horsepower, or did you feel it would have been beneficial to wait and get a good set of heads for your engine.

Any and all input is appreciated, and if you have any kind of dyno numbers or engine build-up info, please post it!

Thank you
Adam

Factory iron heads will support plenty in done rite, A set of CJ's # DOOE-R, Will easily support 600 HP with just a little rubbing as will a set of DOVE's with some larger valves and some porting. You need to decide what you want from the engine before we can really help you. First order of buisness is to find out what pistons are in that .040 engine. Even the (junk smogger D3's) will support 600 HP with larger valves and the right person porting them, You just need the piston's to help get you there but they are not cheap as they have to be custom made for the application. Don't ask:smokin:

IDIeselman, thanks for the reply. I suppose I did leave some of the necessary information out. I think getting 400hp out of the "mild" 460 would suffice, and I would be fine with a redline of 6000rpm, with a good powerband (cam/manifold application) of 1500-5500 rpm. I plan to tear the short block apart this weekend to see what the pistons are exactly. I can see that they look to be cast aluminum, and that they have valve relief cuts, but that is all I can tell without removing them and checking part numbers.

Also, as far as heads, for some reason I haven't been able to locate any of the idenfitying numbers on them. The way I understood, the D3VE, DOVE, etc..., should be located right above the exhaust ports, but I have 4 heads, and haven't seen it? Maybe I am completely missing something there.

My end goal is to build a 550-600 hp reliable N/A engine for the truck, but I figured that could come from the spare 460 I also have.

Bottom line is, the truck is currently underpowered. It probably makes 250hp with the 351M that is in there (the engine is not stock, but I am a realist). Amazingly enough, the truck does fairly well for what it is, but I would like more horsepower. I figured that instead of putting nitrous on the 351M, I should just put together the 0.040" 460 for a mild build, which would hopefully net me the same end result on hp, plus higher torque.

I eventually want a high hp motor, but for now, a reliable and strong running mild 460 is what I am looking for (400 hp, 5500 peak power).

Any additional input is greatly appreciated.

Also, IDI, I see that you have built a 514 for your truck (great looking truck by the way!). Would you be willing to post engine build specs? I want to throw the mild 460 into the truck, but am now wondering if I should save my money, run this summer on the 351M, and build the engine I really want (stroker, big hp, etc) for the spring of 2010.

Thanks
Adam

if that 351m is stock it doesn't matter if you do anything to that 460 you will be amazed, I replace my stock 351m with a stock 460 from a 76 van, I set the timing straight up and the diffference is crazy

Put the .040 over 460 in with parts you own (assuming the pistons aren't total garbage like 'Hy-Duty' or something).

While you assemble a 505 or 514. The kits to do that are way cheap these days.

Cut your redline to 5000 and you won't have to do much to the engine at all.

Just one man's opinion.

Adam if you have some later model heads the #'s are on the bottom intake side. As for the 400HP goal Here's a list of one of my early builds 423HP/476TQ. 78 block 78 D3 smogger heads with just the thermo bump removed in the exhaust port, KB hypers 9.7 CR .040 over=468CID, Lunati cam#61602 219/227-540/552 112 LSA, This is about MAX lift with the factory valvetrain without machining the heads to prevent coil bind and smashing the valve seals. Edelbrock performer(not RPM) 1" jomar cloverleaf spacer, 750 holley,1 7/8 long tube headers. You may have everything you need to get there already. If not shoot me a PM as everything I listed besides the heads but including the crank and rods (standard) are in my attic and only have 9 passes on them. My current build is the same 78 high deck block, Scat stroker crank/H beam rods, Trick flow track heat single plane intake, 850 quick fuel, solid flat tappet cam-239/244@.050-615/619,107* seperation. I'm still running the D3's just because everyone thinks the won't make power:laughing:. I have installed 2.250 intake and 1.725 exhaust valves with alot of porting, I had to have a set of diamond pistons custom made to get the compression up to 12-1 because of the big combustion chamber of the D3's. And don't worry about winding 5500 RPm's as in stock form these engines easily handle that and plenty more.

Lots of great opinions and info, thanks guys! IDI, the "mild" build you listed is exactly what I was looking for, as you didn't seem to do much at all to the heads (I already planned to remove the thermactor bump and gasket match these heads if I used them). Now, as far as your terminology of factory valvetrain, did you run completely stock valvetrain, or did you change anything to net these numbers? It looks like, from your post, that you later installed larger valves to the same heads that were on your previous build. Did you also use stock pushrods and rockers?

If this is the case, it looks like I have pretty much everything I have to make this a cheap and valued engine swap!

Now, not to take this thread to a different tangent, but what gearing are some of you mud guys running? The main reason I want to change to the 460 is for gained power and torque. The 351M does okay for most everything I am doing (0.040" over, stock heads, mild cam, Edelbrock intake, headers, ignition, etc...), but the engine does get bogged down when the truck gets in a deep hole.

I am currently running a C-6 with a with an extremely mild torque converter, 205 case, and 5.13's, locked f/r, and cut 44" TSL's. IDI, as you have a 78 Bronco/Truck, I am going to assume that you have a 205 case as well. With the "mild" engine you used to run, what torque converter stall speed did you match up to that Lunati Cam?

Guys, once again, thanks for all of your input, and any other info is greatly appreciated!

Adam

You read well pilgrim:D The 61602 is the biggest cam I could run (reliably) and still use the stock rockers/pushrods, When I went with the stroker I used the harland sharp pedestal mount adjustable roller rockers (nice set-up)

With the 468 build I ran 3.50 gears,35/16-15 boggers and a 10" Art Carr 2200 stall, 2nd gear @ 5700 is where it usually ran.

If you want to re cam your 351 while your build is under way, The trick is getting a camshaft with a bunch of torque but, have enough duration and overlap to avoid detonation while under a heavy load.

ELGIN has a good one which works #E-1155-P ; Single pattern - 284° off the seat - 208°@.050" - .484" valve lift - 111° seperation; 107° intake centerline.

www.elginind.com

id just run what you have with a alluminum intake, headers, a cam with something around .500 lift, and some aftermarket valve springs, a msd box and a fresh carb. it will be something to play with and will tote the tires fine with 5.13's

You could rebuild that 351M into a 400 pretty cheap thats what i just did with mine and it runs great I'm real happy with it. Save the money for motor mounts etc and put towards parts for the 400.

Guys, thanks for all the replies. Wyazel1, I have run a 400 in the truck before, as it was the engine previous to the 351M that is in the truck now. When the truck was on 38's, both of those engines did fine. However, after reading IDIeselman info on his hp and torque numbers with pretty much stock smogger heads, I have decided to go with the 460.

With the numbers listed, I may very well end up satisfied with the engine for quite some time.

I am going to a stock car/drag car swap meet this weekend hunting for parts (al. intake, etc...), and am going to tear down the 0.040" 460 this Sunday for inspection. Then, I plan to start buying necessary hardware in March.

I hope to have the engine in the truck in April, as my friend and I start putting on our bogs this summer starting in May (www.earthresin4x4.com)!

Thanks for the help guys!

Adam, When you pull it down post the part #'s
Heads
block
rods
pistons
crank. If I can't tell you what they all are, I can find out. It sure makes the decision of where to go alot easier if you know where you are starting.

IDI, will do. Planning to tear the pistons/rods out of it this weekend.

Also, on a side note, what is everyone doing for headers? I need to run fenderwell exit due to my front 4-link. I was looking at L&L, but they are only using 1 3/4" primaries, and I would like to buy one set of headers (plenty for this engine, but still big enough for the possible future stroker). I have seen people post that they run Hedmans, but I have only found chassis exit for my application. I thought about zoomies, but I don't kow if I would like that too much.

Thanks for the info guys.
Adam

Been keeping an eye on this thread, as I will soon be building an engine for my 86 F250 tow rig. It currently has a stock '86 460 with a spun rod bearing. It was decked out with two smog pumps and miles of hoses and I guess is a low compression smog motor. I also have a 79 460 that needs an overhaul as well. It had almost no smog equipment, but a different crank that doesn't use the separate external balance weight on front of the crank.
Would the '79 460 be the better motor to build?
Will the accesories from the 86 bolt to the 78?
What should I watch out for?
I've posted this in the tow rigs and trailer section but it seemed no one knew anything about the ford big blocks there. Been a chevy man for 20 years and just don't know shit about fords....

Been keeping an eye on this thread, as I will soon be building an engine for my 86 F250 tow rig. It currently has a stock '86 460 with a spun rod bearing. It was decked out with two smog pumps and miles of hoses and I guess is a low compression smog motor. I also have a 79 460 that needs an overhaul as well. It had almost no smog equipment, but a different crank that doesn't use the separate external balance weight on front of the crank.
Would the '79 460 be the better motor to build?
Will the accesories from the 86 bolt to the 78?
What should I watch out for?
I've posted this in the tow rigs and trailer section but it seemed no one knew anything about the ford big blocks there. Been a chevy man for 20 years and just don't know shit about fords....

I would build the block with the least mileage, personally.
Accesories should bolt right up with little conflict if any.

If you want more info either go to
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/index.php
or
http://nwuonline.com/Forum/
Look for the appropriate engine forums. There are a lot of extremely knowledgable 460 enthusiasts.
You could also pm "proeliator" and "STGFordCrazy04" right here in pirate. Both are very knowledgable and know others who are even more knowledgable.

Even though the 79 doesn't have as much emisisons crap on it, they're both low compression smog engines, stock to stock, the 86 at 245hp is the higher output of the two.
Although, you say the earlier engine is an internally balanced unit? A 79 engine should be external like the 86, 78 and older are internal.
That said, it may have been re-built at some point, the cranks are interchangeable, so long as you keep the bobweight and flywheel/flexplate with it.
If the truck is a manual, use the external balance crank, then your flywheel will work with no changes(Ford never built an internal balanced 460 with a manual.) Someone else I'm sure will be able to chime in on wether or not just having it rebalanced would make it work with the earlier crank, I seem to remember something about using a 390 one.

what up Adam. I heard you ran into some slop during teardown.

Yeah, the 0.040" 460 didn't turn out as expected upon teardown, but that is what I should expect I guess. The Lunati camshaft and lifters appear to be junk. The lifters had grind marks on the bottom like someone took a grinding wheel to the bottom of them. This also flatlobed some of the lobes on the cam. I think the damage to the cam could have also been due to the bottom end issues I found. The crank appears to have been turned down during the machining process when the last person rebuilt it. However, the previous builder thought it would be awesome to use standard size bearings. Every journal, main and rod, looks to be completely trashed on the crankshaft.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I pulled 1 rod cap and all of the main caps off of my other 460, and that crank looks great. The bearings even say Ford on the back, so this may possibly be a completely stock bottom end! Also, it looks like the pistons out of the 0.040" 460 are still okay.

I measured the cylinder bores, rod bearing bore i.d., and main bearing bore i.d., and the block measures within spec. of what it should.

So, the plan goes as this. I am going to pull the crank out of the other block and take it and the rods to a local machine shop to get measured. If everything checks okay, I am going to put that crank into the 0.040" block (after it is thoroughly cleaned) and build up from there.

I have been talking to a local mud racer, and have possibly got a set of DOVE's lined up with Harland Sharp roller rockers. He is a pretty serious racer, and this stuff isn't too much use to him. I am going to talk to him today and get a price for what all he has. Still trying to decide how much I want to spend on this engine when I know I am going to build a stroker down the road.

Those of you with mild built 460's, what changes have you made from stock, and what do you feel made the most improvements. I am going to do a baseline build of the following:

1)0.040" block and pistons (can't find info on the pistons, so I am not sure yet of comp.)
2)mild cam (I am thinking about one of the cam kits from Summit, which comes with camshaft, lifters, timing chain, valve seals, springs, keepers, etc...)
3)either Weiand Stealth intake or Edelbrock Performer RPM (I run a Predator carb, and have been told it seems to work best when on the Stealth)
4)HEI Distributor
5)Thinking Schoenfeld truck-pull headers (good flow, and you don't have to worry about them getting underwater, plus I am currently hitting the tires against my fenderwell exits)
6)If money allows, I am going to go with the DOVE heads and Harland Sharps

I think this would come together and be a pretty strong engine. However, I am curious as to just how much difference the DOVE's would make versus my smogger heads.

By the way, I was asked by IDIeselman a while back for a list of what hardware I have, and it is as follows:
1)External balanced truck blocks (the ones that are potentially better for strokers as to their longer cylinders)
2)Truck rods
3)Smogger heads

This info goes for both engines I have.

Any info is appreciated.
Adam

For a while i ran a mid 70s truck 460 that was internally balanced. It was 30 over with stock cast pistons, truck rods and i think it was a 3y crank? Ran a comp 270 cam at the time. Had a slightly rough idle, pulled good to over 5000 rpm. Ran eddie performer intake, eddie 750 carb, stock ignition and headman headders. Ran stock d3 heads with completely stock valve train. Ran 3.50 gears and 38s. I ran a 4 speed manual so 2nd gear at about 6200Rs or so was the sweet spot. Engine would float about 6500. least you got the truck rods and not the car rods.

All in all mine wasnt much over stock and it was a monster, coming from a 302..lol

Not many trucks in town were faster than mine either. I think youll be way happy.

I think I will be happy with the basics for the first engine (straight up cam timing, new cam, might rework heads, intake, predator carb, HEI distributor, headers). I have pretty much the same modifications on the 351M that is in the truck now. It is definitely not a powerhouse, but it used to get the job done just fine on 38's and 3.50 gears. The truck now has 5.13's, but the 44's are too much for the little engine.

The way I figure it, I am going to do pretty much the same modifications to an engine that has 110 more cubes. Can't be going backward at least!

I am going to yank the crankshaft out of my other 460 this weekend. After that, I am going to measure everything, and get going on a rebuild. I am also hoping to dial in exactly what camshaft, torque converter, etc..., that I plan to order by the end of the weekend. I will be sure to post up my thoughts here to get some feedback.

Thanks for all the info guys. I think this is going to turn out fine no matter what I do.

Plus, by saving money on this engine build, I am probably going to score a pair of 18.4x16.1 Goodyears for the rear of the truck for $300. They are brand new! I figure with the difference in savings on the engine, I can buy those and two more wheels, and throw them on the back!

Thanks for all the help guys. I will post up my engine hardware plans this weekend after I evaluate the other crankshaft/block.

Adam

Adam, Like you said you should be happy with it but, Without knowing what pistons you have compression wise it's going to be hard to get a cam you will be happy with, There is a number on them somewhere ,Post it and we can tell you what they are. At the least set the rotating ASSY in with no rings for ease of the job and measure how far down in the cylinder the pistons are at TDC, You then can have the block zero decked (cheap torque and HP with little cost) to obtain at or near 0.040 quench with the D3 heads, This will also give you a little better comp .

Factory iron heads will support plenty in done rite

Therein lies the problem; it sounds like the op doesn't want to spend any time/money on his stock heads.

460 are amazing engines, what they lack from the factory is the ability to breath. This means a different intake, different carb, different exhaust, a proper cam to motivate the valves; and of course some time spent in the heads to bring them to life.

Earth, the problem with keeping your stock heads with a relatively stock build is twofold; low compression and flow rates. You can get earlier stock heads that will bring your compression back into the respectable 9.5:1 territory, but even then they need to be ported. You can do this yourself on the cheap. I'd suggest a $20 lifetime subscription to this site: http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/

Scott is the king of bbf iron head performance and has step by step instructions on how to work your heads yourself.

Pro, you are right about part of my dilemma with stock heads. First of all, the heads I have are relatively useless (smogger heads). So, I pretty much narrow my options down to finding OEM heads or going aftermarket. As I have stated, I am not going to go crazy with this engine, as I plan to build a stroker in the future.

I spoke with a mudracer locally that had a set of DOVE's w/o valve or springs. With those and a used set of Harland Sharps, he was asking $650. I just don't see that as worth the money for an imcomplete set of heads that will need machine work, as well as springs, valves, guide plates, etc. By the time the machining work and assembly is done, I wouldn't be that far from buying aluminum heads.

I also am not sure I can justify spending $2000 on heads right now, which is pretty close to bare minimum on aftermarket heads like Edelbrock, Trick Flow, and others.

I definitely recognize that the heads should be addressed, but haven't come with a good answer.

I have looked at the link you posted, and need to call him. I have read several of his posts on 460ford.com, and he seems to be a great business owner. Plus, anyone that is willing to share tips and tricks on how to port your own heads is a good guy in my book.

I guess to sum it up, I recognize that heads are extremely vital to the build (probably the most important place to spend money). However, I don't want to invest a fortune into this engine and only get mediocre power.

I would much rather get this engine to run reliably with decent power, and then build a horse!

Pro, like stated earlier, I am going to contact Scott at Reincarnation about heads.

I thought I had read one of your posts saying that your heads came from him. If you don't mind me asking, how much did your heads cost? In all honesty, our trucks are pretty similar, aside from which Interco tire we use (mine are 44 in. cut TSL's), and my truck is 4-link all the way around.

Without the spray, is your engine what you were looking for, and what recommendations do you have? I am willing to put good money into an engine, but it needs to be put in the right places.

The more I just talk about it before building it, the more money I save before building. The more money saved, the more I can spend! If this goes on much longer, I may end up buying aluminum heads anyway! Haha!

Thanks for the input, and any info is appreciated.

Adam

I can totally understand the need to do a build on the cheap, as well as not wanting to drop bank on heads at this point. Honestly, I'd say your best bet would be to find some Dove heads which you should be able to find dirt cheap, and then port them yourselves. Glad to hear you'll contact Scott, its well worth it.

I don't recall what I payed Scott. This was many years ago before he was the big name he is now, but it wasn't much. To be honest, Doves aren't that hard to come by and the porting isn't that hard to do if you are patient; especially with the great guide Scott put together on his site.

Honestly, my motor was done on the cheap but it still makes people shit their pants. You asked me if it was what "I'm looking for", and to be honest no. But to be honest, I'll never be happy. Every motor I build is bigger and badder but I'm never satisfied. I'm just not sure if thats a good or bad thing ;)

Adam, Keep checking the auction block @ 460ford.com, A set of redone doves went for $300 2 weeks ago, I'm sure you know the C8,C9ve's are the same as the dove's. If you are a patient man you'll find a set.

Thanks for the replies guys. I am going to communicate with Scott possibly tomorrow, and I was already looking at carbide burring tools for working with steel. I am not against working on the heads myself. I am also going to make a run to one of my co-worker's houses this weekend. He and his dad are big time into mustangs, and have all kinds of Ford engine hardware sitting around. They have big block heads, but they mostly build small blocks, so I am hoping to score a set cheap.

As far as satisfaction with the engine Pro, I know what you are saying. However, I am trying to approach this intelligently. I have a pretty good "acquaintence" that attends the mudbogs I help put on. He is probably running roughly the same horsepower you are naturally aspirated out of a stroked chevy big block, 44's, yada yada. I have watched him drop driveshafts countless times due to undersized u-joints, and have also watched him break a few Dana 60 front stubs. My point is this: I just got done investing all kinds of money into the axles, and would like to see the truck hold together. I think that, once I find a better set of heads, a "mild" build of 450-500 hp should be plenty strong, without having to sweat over the strength on the rest of the drivetrain.

After all, if I need more horsepower, there's always that friendly little blue bottle!

Guys, thanks for all the help. I have looked at Pirate for a long time, but never really posted. Obviously my post count is low, but it is nice to be a Pirate "newb" and not be treated like one! All the information is greatly appreciated.

As I stated, I am going to hopefully have a finalized line on engine hardware this weekend. I will be sure to post up the potential build. Be sure to tell me what you think.

Thanks
Adam

Guys, thanks for all the help. I have looked at Pirate for a long time, but never really posted. Obviously my post count is low, but it is nice to be a Pirate "newb" and not be treated like one! All the information is greatly appreciated.


Glad to help. We all had a low post count at one point, it doesn't really matter. What makes a newb a newb isn't his post count; but typically his stupidity and shitty attitude. Take the edison kid, for example ;) In other words, keep doing what your doing, have fun, and keep us posted.

Alright guys, so I made it to my coworker's house and found a few things of slight interest. First of all, he had a set of aftermarket .030" TRW dome-tops on DOOE rods with ARP bolts. The wrist pins moved freely, and everything looked pretty good. Also, he had an Offenhauser Port-o-sonic single plane intake that looked pretty good.

The thing that peaked my interest the most though was a set of C8Ve heads. There was an exhaust valve hung open on one head, but a little WD40 and a slight tap of the hammer relieved it. These heads apparently have roughly 75cc chambers on them (according to 460ford.com). Also, they had what looked to be 7/16" rocker studs. He also had hardened pushrods and new rocker studs.

I am going to find out what he wants for the heads, pushrods, and rocker studs (he had guide plates too).

Overall, I am thinking of going with these heads and using stock pistons. I know that I won't get the best engine overall, but remember this engine is on a budget. I think I can get these heads, freshen them up, and throw them on. It will increase compression ratio and head flow.

And maybe, when it comes time for a stroker, I could throw my stock compression pistons and stock crank/rods away, use these apparently decent heads, and make more of a killer motor!

As always, input is appreciated.

If anyone has experience or opinions on these heads, please be sure to post up!

Thanks
Adam

Well, I talked to the guy on price and this is what I have so far. Let's hear opinions on whether this is a good deal or not.

1) C8VE heads (need completely torn down and rebuilt)
2) guideplates (brand new)
3) ARP rocker studs (new in container)
4) roller rockers (not sure of brand, but he said he had them, and they are supposedly new)
5) new comp cam (didn't see this either, but he said it is new in the box, with cam card, and believes the lift is roughly .580" on the intake)
6) gear drive timing set (brand new)
7) Offenhauser Port-o-sonic single plane intake (been used, but it looks like it is brand new)

Also, he may have brand new in-the-box lifters and springs to match the new Comp cam.

He said for all of this, he would take $650.

Obviously, I will need to get new valve seals, and he wasn't positive that he had new springs for the cam. The heads need to be torn down and redone.

I think it is a pretty solid deal. This guy and his family seem to be extremely meticulous and are definitely Ford car guys (I counted 15 mustangs of different genres), and seem to love Ford horsepower (on just one bench, there were 3 different sets of aluminum 351C heads!).

What say you PBB, good deal or no?

If everything is on the up and up, all I can think of for remaining cost is honing/possibly boring the original block, polishing the crankshaft, bearings, rings, gaskets, water pump, alternator, and a set of headers!

Let me know what you think!

Adam

Sounds like a deal to me, The intake is not the best option but, On a budget it'll do. Leave the gear drive or sell it, A good double roller chain is plenty without the headache.

IDI, what intake would you recommend? Lots of people recommend running a single-plane with a Predator carb. Since I already have that carb, and have had good luck with it, I would like to continue running it.

The guy at work is bringing the cam card tomorrow, so I will have more details, but here is the planned build list:

1) Stock 460 truck block
2) Stock 460 rods/pistons
3) C8VE heads (new springs, probably new valves, seals, not planning on porting for now)
4) roller rockers, hardened pushrods, guideplates
5) Comp Cam (getting specifics tomorrow, but has roughly .580 intake lift)
6) Offenhauser Port-O-Sonic single plane intake
7) Predator carburetor
8) HEI distributor
10) Headers (2" primary, and still trying to figure out what configuration I want to run)


So, with that in mind, what are your opinions, and what could I roughly expect for horsepower?

I am planning on running the stock pistons and not porting the heads. There are a few reasons for that, right or wrong. As I have said several times, I am planning to build a stroker in the future. I would rather not invest money into pistons I may not be using later on. That is possibly going to change if I find out I can't reuse them, but I am at least gaining roughly 1 point of compression by going to the C8VE heads. I also included that I am not planning on porting the heads. Because these are more of a rare head than my junk smogger heads, I don't feel like that would be the best set of heads to "try my luck" on. And since this is a budget build, I don't know how much it would cost to have someone else do it.

As said, both of these issues are subject to change, as I know I could net higher numbers if I switched pistons and ported the heads.

So, like I said, tell me what you think, and if you have hp numbers (or rough guesses), throw em on here! I am interested to see what kind of hp I can build on what seems to be fairly low budget! I am figuring the engine will be roughly 420-440 hp with the lower compression pistons and unported heads, and 450-500 hp with higher compression pistons and ported heads.

Also, IDI, what would you recommend as far as a converter. Once I have the exact cam card, I will better know where I need to be. But, I am figuring somewhere in the neighborhood of a 2500 stall should be in order.

All of the info has been great guys. I think this is getting ready to take shape finally!

Thanks
Adam

http://www.compcams.com/CAMQUEST/ A free download and a fun little toy. With your combo I would run a performer with a 1" cloverleaf or a (I can't believe I'm saying this) Stealth, If you must run a open plenum to use the predator, Buy the trick flow track heat, It is a tall, single plane, air gap type intake with the smaller runners for the "production size" ports; (unlike the Victor).
It will work much better than the Port-o and work great on the future build. Post the cam
specs when you get them.

http://bfevansraceparts.com/TFS53400111.aspx It is not budget friendly but, You will be buying for the future.

Sounds like a decent deal, and for your combo run a Weiand Stealth intake. No ifs, ands, or buts, that would be your best choice.

Well I got the cam card, and it reads like it should work pretty well for my setup, unless I am completely lost.

It is as follows:

duration @ 0.050": intake-234, exhaust-244
valve lift: intake-.563", exhaust-.588"
lobe centerline: intake-107, exhaust- 117

This is a Comp cam, I am pretty sure it is from the Xtreme energy line, and it is hydraulic flat tappet.

I was planning on picking up the Offenhauser, but from what both of you guys are saying, I am probably going to let them keep it. I haven't read or seen anyone using one of these intakes, and I can always pick the right one up later.

As I said before, I would love to hear what you guys think as far as rough guesses on horsepower, and what torque converter would be recommended. I am still thinking that roughly a 2500 stall would work out pretty well with that cam.

Thanks
Adam

Any more updates on the build up? I will be tweaking my spare 460 soon as well...

I agree with the above, dump the offy, and run a stealth

I'd also dump the predator for a 750 holley, and the HEI for plain old duraspark...

I agree with the above, dump the offy, and run a stealth

I'd also dump the predator for a 750 holley, and the HEI for plain old duraspark...

X2

Another good option on intake is the Edelbrock Performer RPM. Get a recurved duraspark dizzy from Scotty J. at reincarnation-automotive or pay the 30 dollar fee and it has instructions on how to do it yourself. Get a cheap MSD 6 box and run that with it, you won't be disappointed.

I would also like to add that the D3VE heads are not junk so if you find a good set don't fear running those with some flat top pistons.

If you want some numbers and pics showing a good cheapo port job on D0VE heads with stock valves look here: http://www.460ford.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143753