just scored a 460 ford, gonna put in my 58 fairlane but I have questions..

im pretty stoked, ive had bad luck with motors with my 58 ford..
got it when i was 16 about 5 years ago almost exactly, came with a 223 inline 6, then i got a 292 off craigslist, the motor blew out completley, sat for months with no motor, then got a new 223, but couldnt get motor mount brackets! sold that motor, but tonight i got a running 460 ford for 150 bucks!!

i didnt get the ****** cuz im broke, but my birthday is next thursday (big 21!!), and its a c6 transmission.

right now i have my fordomatic ****** still from the yblock, and i have the original driveline still too.

i also am aware i need to get some special motor mounts they sell on dearborn for roughly an arm and a leg, so i can drop it into my 58..


so i need some insight from fellow hambers please!



1. if i go back to the guy and get the c6 transmission.. will i have to get a new driveline too?? or will the one that bolts up to the yblock ****** fit okay?

2. should i get new front springs for my 58, because my dad was saying this 460 is much more heavier than the 223, and 292 that were originally in my car, it already is about 2 1/2 inches off the ground as is..

3. if anyone has done this swap before, are there things i need to be aware of? im in a GREAT mood tonight which is rare, im super happy im making progress on the 58, so if anyone has any BAD news, break it to me easy lol

(4. on a side note, are their any cars out there, made in the 70s or 80s that have disc brakes that will swap right onto my 58? i dont wanna pay dearborn the amount they want for the conversion)

 

I can only answer #2 but a standard 460 with iron everything weighs just over 700lbs. I would imagine most small block v8s are in the mid 400 range.

 

You need to go over to 57fordsforever website I think. I gota say if you couldn't
get mounts to put a 223 in it you've got some problems.
You need the C6 with that engine install. Crites sells mounts and rear crossmember
you'll need. FPA sells the headers that'll work. A driveline is almost always needed
for engine swaps. Don't worry about the front springs yet. They're a big engine
so it fits pretty tight. Have fun, just do it right the first time. I hope that 460
is OK for that price. It's a lot of work to have a junk engine
A 57 Radiator in good shape will also work fine.

 

Look at Crites restoration, they sell engine swap kits for most of those years along with headers. I used Dearborns kit to put the 460 in my 59 Ranchero with the C6 and with a offset U joint every thing fit nicely. If you are not careful you will run out of room at the front of the engine. The early (69) 429 pullys and water pump are a little shorter.

 

460 is a good choice just on after market parts in case the deal was too good.... But good luck with the swap! i just picked up a running modified 400 for free! so im in the same boat i just need a good project to put it in.

 

I have a 57 ford and I used ltd rotors an disc, but if you can find a granada they will fit and some say they will drop the front end a bit. if you get the brakes from a wrecking yard get the power unit an master cyclinder with the porpotion valve also. that way if you need to get new you always have the core.

 

well the guy i bought it from had the truck sitting right beside it with the front end chopped off *the part with the engine*, and the other half all chopped up cuz he was selling it for s**** metal.
he just needed the disc brakes for his pickup, he tried selling the truck but had no luck, so took the motor out and put it up on craigslist, he said 100 bucks for the ******, but i didnt have the cash. so im hoping this weekend i can scrounge up extra cash to go back and get it.


to mike miller: im not fully sure what every car term means and what not, but what is an off set u-joint? i know the u-joints on the driveline and what they look like and how to install them and etc, but what is an off set one? i'd ask my dad but he's asleep, and i like reading and learning stuff on my own too ha.

and a rear crossmember?? i think my 58 has one.. my fordomatic ****** bolted up to something like that, i need a different one now?

 

A 390 will bolt rite up to your if u have a v-8 ****** and no motor moubt changes at all putting a 460 is a lot of wotk, motor mounts, ****** mounts, brakes drive line. Radiator, etc, think about it , it will work with alot of mods?

 

I don't have any advice but I'm subscribing because I want to see how this turns out. Sounds pretty cool! Love the low buck route even though it can be a pain at times.

 

Granada is a bolt on swap look at mine unbolt and rebolt. but they still have that dam rattle.

 

to davis: i think im willing to actually spend the time to do some of these mods, only because 1. my brakes were failing already, when i first got it even, 5 years ago! so those i have to upgrade anyway. 2. i have a buddy who owns a driveline shop, he's super nice and im almost positive he can cut me a good deal and possibly mod up something last time like he did when i swapped the 223 for a 292. 3. my radiator already had to be modified previously for the 292, i looked at some photos and it SEEMS as if the hose will fit as of now. no guarantees though.

so with all those on the checklist, the move to a 460 for that price might be worth it. only in the long run will i be able to tell.

and to Oahueli: i havent taked photos or done an update thread on the hamb for a very long time, maybe if i start now it'll motivate me more. my 58 is at my sisters house, and shes moving out prolly this fall, so i have a deadline i need to get this stuff done, i refuse to have a tow truck move it out of there!

 

The U joint has two different sizes to fit the small end on you drive shaft and a bigger one for the C6 yoke on the transmission. Be careful when selecting a ******, some of the truck C6s has a shorter tail shaft and different output shaft than the car. Measure twice and buy once. Good luck on your build this is a relatively easy swap.

 

Sounds like you're looking in the right direction. One thing for sure, after the 6 banger and y-block that big *** 460 is gonna leave a big grin on your face the first time you hammer it! What year is the engine?

 

I put a 460 in a '59 Edsel, same frame. You can use FE motor mounts with a little work that saves buying the expensive ones. Ford van exhaust manifolds will fit but they are tight on the drivers side. That saves money on headers. Use a generic C6 crossmember from Speedway or whoever. Use an early water pump and pulleys. '77 Thunderbird spindles and brakes are a direct bolt on that gives you big brakes. Theres a good start.

 

I'm sort of in the same situation with my 61 truck. It originally had a straight 6 in it with front leaf springs. Since I'm putting a big block cast iron monster in it, I am using much stronger coil springs in my new suspension setup. Course it IS a lot more work, what with motor mounts, trans mounts and everything else I will have to modify to make it all work...good luck!
By the way, the 460 is a good motor...easy to get parts for. The 430 is a pain to find performace parts for.

 

the engine is out of a 77 ford f250, i surprised my dad when i brought it home last night cuz he has a 76 ford with a 390, he looked at me with a grin on his face and said 'where on earth did you get this at? im jealous of you right now jason, i want this thing.'

im gonna put it on the engine stand friday and start cleaning her up. im gonna take it slow and steady with this, because im tired of getting all these motors and being disappointed!!

im gonna make sure i got EVERYTHING right, im gonna buy everything and mock up everything (with the crossmember, brakes, wiring, etc), before taking the motor across town and dropping it into the 58.

yeah 292 parts are SUPER hard or very expensive to come across, this 460 though shouldnt be hard, or THAT expensive i'd imagine!

 

I have a 460 in my '58 T-bird. And a C-6 trans.

I didnt do the swap, the previous owner did.

fordpowertrain.com should have some shorty headers for you.

 

If you had a 292 in your car, the 460 isn't a whole lot heavier on the springs. Did they have an FE block in the '58s? Maybe swap your Dad's motor in and give him the 460. Then everyone's happy!
RB

 

Pull the valve covers and oil pan. This will tell you a lot about your $160 engine. If it has sludge or debris under the VC's it could be a problem. See what you have in the pan by way of metal. If you have a cheap magnet you can put a string on it and float it around in the pan oil, metal will tell a sad story. Another test is timing chain slack, see how loose she is and how the teeth look. $160 for a 460 core is an excellent price, basically s****, so even if you had to refresh the old girl you still did good. When you get the trans you will want to check for sediment as well. Have fun.

 

I know the motor well. My dd is a '78 F250 with the 460. You can put a timing set on it from a late 60s early 70s 429-460 that changes the cam timing and gives it more kick. I rolled in bearings and used a 1970 429 timing set on my engine and feels like it has more power, or maybe I'm just imagining it.
In any event it looks like you have lots of support here on the HAMB so keep us posted.

 

Any updates?

 

100 bucks for a C6 is a good price and you are going to want to run one. Dump the fordomatic that were **** trannies when they were new.

Your driveshaft won't be the right length so it'll need to be modified. gte the slip yolk with the C-6 the fordomatic won't be the same. You'll probably have to use a ******* joint (an adapter U joint) to hook the drive shaft to the slip yolk. Your original rear will be stout enough for it so don't sweat it.

You'll find that there is a lot of fabrication to be done and that most of what yoiu want to do won't be cheap, but its a hot rod. hot rods are not cheap or bolt together. But look at the upside you'll get to learn a lot of new stuff.

I would do it if it were mine. The 460 is a good choice for a modern engine and your body.

 

I have a 460 in my '87 ranger. tight fit, but fun to drive. keep us posted!

 

About the brakes... everyone always says Granada, but mine (on my '58 Ranchero) are from a mid 70s LTD- maybe the spindles have different degrees of drop, not sure about that, but they all go in the same way.

Wish I had a 390/C6 in mine, the 292 seems overworked for that heavy of a car. I have a cruisomatic in mine, little better than a fordomatic..

 

If your go'n to keep the car on the slamed side,go with http://www.fordpowertrain.com/FPAindex/headers1.htm shortys.Got them on my 57 and they work out great.

 

current update: just bought the c6 transmission for 90 bucks! turned out i gave him 10 extra on accident last week and he felt bad so he gave me 10 off.

my dad checked it out today and it looks great he said.

im gonna take the pressure washer to it sometime this week, clean it up, go over everything, get a new distributor for it. then im gonna save up for the mounts from Crites. 239 i think the price was.

i was gonna ask about that driveshaft though, the guy gave me this short little 18 inch mini drive shaft it looked like. it had the yolk that slipped onto the c6 part, but i dont know how to get the right driveshaft so it fits my 58 fairlane.. should i have one made up custom

 

"should i have one made up custom" yup!

 

Unless you are really good at measuring you will have to wait until you install the new engine and trans to know exactly what your drive shaft length is going to be. the U joint I was talking about is a ****er 350, I just got done putting two of them in my 66 Galaxie project. I got lucky and my stock shaft was the correct length.

 

just what to wish you good luck

 

Dearborn Cl***ics has a kit that includes the trans crossmember and insulator for $329.