My 460 is in a 1960 F100. I get 11 mpg towing a heavily loaded car hauler and 17 mpg with no trailer. This has stayed the same since I begin driving it in 2001
Junkyard 460 pulled from a low-mileage RV. Freshen it up, slap a Summit turbo on it and enjoy 600-lb-ft of cheap towing pleasure.
I made an attempt to get it but was traded for the small block. A shame. I had it bored .030 and installed new Egge pistons, lifters, head work, etc. A factory 365hp/525ft.lbs. Torque. Fun to drive, smooth idle, reliable.
Hand me down stories are always in question, but if the story is correct, its a pretty determined effort to hurt an old rebuilt motor in 6,000 miles. If the miles are correct, then if it has had the proper storage during its "vacation" would be the next part of the story. The bore inspection camera could go a long way toward answer both questions. At the very least, before I installed it into anything, I would want to pull it apart, and do a physical inspection, probably give everything a fresh lube job and fresh seals and gaskets. With that in mind, a true Ford guy might even be game to pull the heads so both of you can do a real inspection on the cylinders before (the pre arranged) money was exchanged. Pulling the oil pan would be another huge plus, the bore inspection would tell if the mileage and storage was good, a visual inside of the oil pan should show any major issues pretty quickly. If he inherited the motor, he likely has nothing in it. Knowing its visual condition could put you both at ease. He will feel better about his reputation not being damaged because of being accused of selling you a junk motor and you can at least see what you are buying. Might be worth a bit extra non-refundable money (enough to pay for the gasket set) to get that tear down inspection. We didn't much hear about bad lifters until recent years (unless it was a SBC). The older "new" lifters were either bad quickly, or lasted until something in the valve train screwed up. Unless the specs on the cam are way out of line for what you need, you shouldn't need new lifters.
302 300 HP long block for $4400 at summit https://www.summitracing.com/search...d-302-300-hp-stage-2-long-block-crate-engines Or the 460 for $2500 if it’s in good shape. Dan
Friend of my brother's has a bored and stroked 500 Caddy. It's a 526 now. Massive torque, excellent hp. Not cheap. If staying Ford in a Ford. I'd internal inspect the 460a and probably go that way. E4OD and go.
292 Chevy still on the stand. The 302 SBF was in my 67 f100. The 352 that was in the 67 was much better. Lot more torque and better MPG. Should have built it instead of the 302 swap.
I’ve got a 87 E350 based 26’ class C motor home. 460 with a C6, unknown rear ratio. I have pulled cars on a 16’ trailer behind it, around 8-10 mpg pulling, around 10-12 mpg by itself. Has a 600 cfm Summit carb, their copy of the old Ford carb, with a single 3” exhaust. I’m planning on junking the motor home before long, the wood is rotten. Probably going to stick the 460 in a F100 I have. It will more than likely just be a fun truck, but may also get used for towing as well.
One engine that has not been mentioned here is the 400 Ford. I had one in an F-250 4x4 with an NP-435 and 4.10 gears. Even with the 33x12.50-16.5 tires it was the best trailer towing engine I had until I bought my Ram Cummins. I put headers and 2-1/4” dual exhaust on it and a 500 Holley.
I agree, Ford missed the boat with that one also. I put it right there with the Triton V-10 motor. What was Ford thinking?
I had a 1987 Ford 1 ton work van I drove for over 15 years. 351 C6 4:10 gears.Was a great combination and did the job well .... got 8mpg uphill, downhill or through the hill ... literally made no difference it got 8mpg in town or on the freeway. I cursed that van and it's gas mileage often .... wished I had a Chebby .... In 15 years I replaced the stock 4bbl with a Holley 500, did brakes, heater core ... regular maintenance and it took me to work everyday for over 15 years til I retired and sold it .... now I has a chebby that gets 16mpg.
That’s a case where the straight up timing gears / chain swap would have cured a lot of ills. Add an aluminum intake, small four barrel, and maybe even a set of closed chamber early 351 c heads….. Problem is that by the time you do all that, you’re in 460 territory cost wise, and still short 60 cu in.
I see this approach a lot, where someone says they're building this or that, and by the time they get done, they've thrown away everything from the core engine except the block and timing chain cover! And they act all proud like they rejuvinated this old engine.
I understand the 400 Ford isn’t for everyone, but mine had good axle gears and a 4 speed transmission. I’ve had 5.3 Chevrolets, 2.7 Eco Boost Fords, and a 5.7 Hemi Dodge, and the only gas engine I’ve had that was close in towing to the 400 Ford was my Hemi Dodge. I would give the 400 a couple extra points over the Hemi just because it had a four speed and 4.10 gears. The F-250 and the Hemi had the same tire height. Of course the Dodge was all around a much better truck.
FE’s are cool engines. I have had a few 390’s and a 428 years ago that was actually in a 56 F100 now that I think about it. Anyway, I like your choice especially considering the direction it seemed you might head with some of this discussion.
There should be ample cores around for a build. If it was my build I’d more than likely be looking at a run of the mill 390 block with a Scat 445 cid stroker. A mild hydraulic roller, rpm intake, 750 Holley… Look forward to seeing it under way!
Good call. I've done 8 FE motors into 53-56 F-100's over the years. It's mega easy. I never cut the stock Trans mount crossmember out. It's an extremely important item in more than one way. I use a 65-66 Galaxie trans crossmembers. They bolt in. And I like to use a 57-58 Car front motor mount crossmember. They are a little hard to come by today but I just happen to have one more tucked away. (I'll probably never get to use it) I also have a nice running 390. Too bad you're so far away.
You know what FE stands for right? F%#king Expensive! LOL But seriously, any good stock FE will do the job well. 390's were pretty common. 352's are cheap because nobody thinks they are worth a damn. Forged pistons don't seem to exist for the 352FE.
Warm-up a 300-six with an RV cam, headers and small 4-bbl. If you need more beans, hang a turbo on it! 3.90 gears with a GV overdrive...
Well, I'm late to the party. FE is not fuel mileage friendly but is a hell of a good base, but parts are expensive as all Ford stuff is these days. 390 is the only way to go for what you are looking for here I think, the 360 is a bit anemic for towing. That platform has some good choices for combos for sure. Th 460 is the top choice in my book. I've personally had a few, got 20 mpg and would pull a house. They like to breathe, decent cam, and a Edelbrock Performer intake and rock out. Look at the D3VE and D0VE heads, they have big runners, and almost as good as the CJ heads. The late model truck motors came backed with OD trans. But for dependability and simplicity, C6 is the way to go for Autos. I would suggest a Gear Vendors to get the best of both worlds. My suggestion for anything you build, before deciding on a Roller lifter conversion, it takes alot of oil changes to cover 1k in parts difference. Regarding Oil, I have been using Mobil 1 Euro car in my flat tappet 318 with great success. The FE or a BBF would be perfect under the hood. And think about it this way, the insurance savings DD the 56 will be a huge cost savings to the monthly budget. A nice brain nugget though. A high torque Stroked out 302 to 333 or 347 can be built for the same money or less and opens things up for parts availability.
The Jalopy Journal
