engine swap
#1
09-22-2007, 10:14 AM
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#2
09-22-2007, 11:03 AM
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#3
09-22-2007, 11:31 AM
In short: you can't.
It's an older-technology engine; it has a MUCH lower power-to-weight ratio; your trans won't bolt up to it; it PROBABLY won't fit into your engine bay; even if it does, you'll have hell finding/building engine mounts; your temperature gauge won't work with any sensor that fits the older block; it's not that great of an engine to begin with...
So, while ANYTHING is possible, it would be a really bad swap & a huge waste of time.
It's an older-technology engine; it has a MUCH lower power-to-weight ratio; your trans won't bolt up to it; it PROBABLY won't fit into your engine bay; even if it does, you'll have hell finding/building engine mounts; your temperature gauge won't work with any sensor that fits the older block; it's not that great of an engine to begin with...
So, while ANYTHING is possible, it would be a really bad swap & a huge waste of time.
#4
09-22-2007, 12:02 PM
#5
09-22-2007, 05:53 PM
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Steve, I don't know your background, but you talk like a man who never owned a big block Ford! I've owned 429's and 460's, and they are bullet proof street machines with plenty of aftermarket performance parts still available! The potential of the 231 (4.6L) in my F150 is a little wimpy, by comparison.
Don't get me wrong! The power to weight of about any OHC engine will be better than a comparable cubed pushrod engine right out of the crate, but there never was and never will be a replacement for total cubic inches. The 460 is almost exactly twice the cubes of the 231 and is capable of 3 to 4 times the power, if your budget is unlimited. 450-600 hp "street engines" weren't uncommon in my day, and 800-1,000 hp or more RAT engines were pretty popular with the drag strip crowd. Show me THAT in a 4.6L or 5.4L engine. Once fully pumped up, power to weight isn't a real issue with a 429/460, believe me. The 429 will fit in the engine bay of a modern F150, so the 460 should also (not much more deck height) and there are still plenty of C-6 transmissions to harness the power to the rear end. Yes, you will have to fabricate mounts (cut from an old Ford pickup crossmember will work nicely), linkages, and sensors, but these are the sorts of things we old timers did as a matter of fact in most engine swaps 30 or 40 years ago. That's what makes swaps interesting and fun, is meeting the reengineering challenge, and doing it right.
No, it definately won't be as easy as bolting-on power to your existing engine, but if you're gonna swap for more power, then get all the power you can afford. Used 460's are cheap to buy and overhual, and you'll have something pretty unique once completed. You need to visit some of the other web sites, before you come down too hard on the 460's potential in a modern F150!
I didn't touch on legalities! It may very well be illegal to "degrade" the technology of your modern vehicle, but then, most performance "upgrades" aren't really legal either!
Don't get me wrong! The power to weight of about any OHC engine will be better than a comparable cubed pushrod engine right out of the crate, but there never was and never will be a replacement for total cubic inches. The 460 is almost exactly twice the cubes of the 231 and is capable of 3 to 4 times the power, if your budget is unlimited. 450-600 hp "street engines" weren't uncommon in my day, and 800-1,000 hp or more RAT engines were pretty popular with the drag strip crowd. Show me THAT in a 4.6L or 5.4L engine. Once fully pumped up, power to weight isn't a real issue with a 429/460, believe me. The 429 will fit in the engine bay of a modern F150, so the 460 should also (not much more deck height) and there are still plenty of C-6 transmissions to harness the power to the rear end. Yes, you will have to fabricate mounts (cut from an old Ford pickup crossmember will work nicely), linkages, and sensors, but these are the sorts of things we old timers did as a matter of fact in most engine swaps 30 or 40 years ago. That's what makes swaps interesting and fun, is meeting the reengineering challenge, and doing it right.
No, it definately won't be as easy as bolting-on power to your existing engine, but if you're gonna swap for more power, then get all the power you can afford. Used 460's are cheap to buy and overhual, and you'll have something pretty unique once completed. You need to visit some of the other web sites, before you come down too hard on the 460's potential in a modern F150!
I didn't touch on legalities! It may very well be illegal to "degrade" the technology of your modern vehicle, but then, most performance "upgrades" aren't really legal either!
Last edited by area904; 09-22-2007 at 06:01 PM.
#7
09-23-2007, 11:26 AM
No, I don't own a BB, but I've worked on them. The 7.5L (460 EFI) is known for lots of problems, and the 460 (carb) is a gas-guzzler. If you're going to blow it, you'll spend more on the blower & the gas for a year than the truck is worth.
Yes, you can get that kind of power out of a modular - there's a website somewhere (I lost the link) showing a 1,000hp NA 4.6L. IIRC, it's streetable.
Yes, you can get that kind of power out of a modular - there's a website somewhere (I lost the link) showing a 1,000hp NA 4.6L. IIRC, it's streetable.