Ford 385 Family Engine 370 429 and 460

[all american boy]

Thank you Rotor wrench

Machine shop guy down the street worked for Carrol Shelby at the El Segundo

shop. Machined the front end parts that had to be made.

El Segundo shop was right after the Venice garage where the first couple

were made. He does the cutting on our race car frames now.

The race car frames we build are '4 tube'. They can have the second tube

'low' like a Dragmaster rail. Top tube can be 6-8" above the bottom tube.

Or the top tube can be 'high' like a Midget or Sprint Car. About 18" above

the bottom tube.

If you build it 'low' engine accessability comes out about the same as a T

roadster. High and it is still pretty damn good.

[LOWRIDER]

I have a 430 w/automatic trans you can have. Saved it from the crusher. Just stop by & pick it up.

[all american boy]

Thank you Lowrider!

Let me follow up with you about that in a bit.

Have to run out and do something right now.

We are on the 10 around Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs in California.

[all american boy]

How much did the 460 castings change during the production run?

How about the cranks and rods?

[rotorwrench]

Most changes on the 460 were with cylinder heads. Some are better than others and some are to be avoided altogether. There is a lot of info out there for folks that want to go the performance route. The early ones likely had higher compression pistons but that was due to the smog changes made after 1971.

[all american boy]

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Thank you Rotorwrench!

Okay. So any 460 is 'usable'.

Got the part about the heads might be low performance.

If I get one it's going to the machine shop PDQ.

How did the 302/5.0 change?

Can you still put on a 'point' type distributor on even the last one?

Will a carb manifold fit on all of them?

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by all american boy

How much did the 460 castings change during the production run?

How about the cranks and rods?

If you use a 460, make sure to use an early timing chain set (like '68 or'69). Somewhere in early or mid-'70's Ford retarded the cam timing (8 degrees, I think) by moving the keyway in the lower sprocket.

[all american boy]

Thanks 40 Deluxe!

That is a pretty good tip.

That would be job #1 when you're putting engine back together.

Isky cam won't be much good running retarded.

Looking at 302/5.0 too.

Whatever I run across first. That's the engine for me!

Not much of a shopper.

[willowbilly3]

There is a little more interchangeability on the 302. Specifically on heads and intakes. On an efi 460, a carb intake doesn't bolt up. They make spacers and even an adapter to bolt a carb right to the efi intake but there will still be no carb heat, if that's an issue. Neither efi block will have a place for a mechanical fuel pump. A points distributor can be used on the 5.0 but be aware of getting a distributor gear that is compatible with the cam or you could eat the gear off the cam.
I've been trying to figure out the best heads to swap onto my 429 because it has over 10 to one compression. It is a dizzying swirl of information on heads out there for the 385 series. I still don't know what would be best for me. Probably the D3VE if I could find them but getting all the right valve train components that play well together is another issue

[all american boy]

Thank you Willowbilly!

Looks like we found an engine!

Like the 292 but a big block with tranny so we're moving up in the world!

Good info on the 303/5.0 and the 460.

Well we're not looking anymore so this thread is solved.

Thank all of you for contributing!

[willowbilly3]

What is a "big block" 292?
Good info here on Y block heads. I'mm looking for a set of 113 heads to have all the basic pieces to build an engine.

http://www.ford-y-block.com/cylinderheadchart.htm

[all american boy]

Thank you Willowbilly!

'Like the 292 but a big block'

Old big block not a 385 Family one.

It's just fine with me.

It's available so we're all done looking.

[40 Deluxe]

Got any pictures/drawings of this project? Sounds interesting!

[all american boy]

Thank you 40 Deluxe!

Not yet.

Here's the Super Seven link.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven

Just Americanize it. Make it strong enough for small blocks and big blocks.

Maybe put a rounded tail on it.

Think that is an English thing having that tray or open box in back.

[all american boy]

Okay. Maybe this is a better way of explaining it.

Like an Excalibur. Just the early Excalibur not the later ones.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur_(automobile)

Except Excalibur has a ladder frame.

Good idea to build a 'high rail' tube frame. Like a sprint car.

Get some rigidity going there.

[lannysv]

I have found a 385 Series 370 bored to 429 that I am considering to transplant into my 1956 F-500 flatbed hauler. Looking for constructive comments before I pull the trigger, i.e. interchange and availability of parts between the 370, 429, and 460 (or other families), transmissions, pluses and minuses for this engine series, or any red flags that I should be aware of.

[KULTULZ]

THIS may help - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...85-series.html

[lannysv]

Kultulz, thanks for your reply. I was a bit cocerned about the 370 block in the first place and the FTE page sort of cleared my concerns. I found a really nice 390 GT engine for my swap instead.