I'm getting ready to start work on my 460, and am looking for tips on good combinations for a stout, street performance motor as durable and dependable as possible....nothing too wild or expensive....no aftermarket aluminum heads or massive stroker rotating assemblies....more like factory muscle with some added steroids for fun. The engine is a '71 model, I think they were rated at around 365 HP and gobs-o'-torque.....it's virgin as far as I can tell. The car is a '64 Galaxie 500 2-door ("fastback") and the trans is a C-6 (unless someone wants to make me a killer deal on a Toploader!) I like to try and do something different or unusual with the intakes on my cars for a little "wow" factor when I open the hood.....for a small block '67 Chevy Camaro, I went with a dual 4 cross-ram, on my Challenger's 440, I topped it off with a Six-Pack setup.....for this 460, I bought a Blue Thunder low-rise dual-quad manifold and a pair of Holly 4160 465 cfm carbs. I'd probably have preferred a couple of Edelbrock or Carter carbs, but the Holly's were a bargain and came as a matched set already used on a dual quad setup. To top it off, I'm going to use either a Crites Thunderbolt air bonnet, or a Cobra style dual 4 air cleaner....either one, will probably install the T-Bolt style cold air induction to go with it. Anyways, if someone here has or knows of a good performance and reliability combo (cams, compression, exhaust, stall, gearing, etc.) or a source, let me know what's worked for you or someone you know running a "385" series engine. .
flat top pistons DOVE heads fully ported with 2.25 and 1.76 valves after market rods comp cam http://www.summitracing.com/search/?keyword=34-652-5&dds=1 victor intake 1050cfm domanator carb that will make close to 600HP the 460 likes rpm and carb this engine in a fox mustang will go low 10s brad
460ford.com and try these http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/Knownenginecombinationswithdynoorrackprovenperformance.html I run a dished piston, small hyd cam and run 7.30's (1/8) 460's are so easy to make run fast....
You need to watch your compression with flat tops pistons. I'm running a similiar combo. DOVE heads and flat tops will put you around 11.5:1 compression. With the dished pistons, the compression is more pump gas friendly...somewhere around 10:1. 460's from 1968-1970 had around 10.5:1 compression with dished pistons. 71 and later had a taller deck height which helped lower compression.
This is an excellent cam for what you're looking to go with your car. It sounds great and performs great. http://www.compcams.com/Cam_Specs/CamDetails.aspx?csid=1021&sb=2 Don't mess with the 5/16" pushrods...I've seen them bend with cams that are over .550 lift...I've seen it happen. The cam I suggested recomends a 4000 stall convertor....gearing for a street car...3.50-4.11 depending on what size tire you plan on running....remember 460's make a lot of torque and don't require the gearing a small block does....My friends 460 powered car runs 10.00's with 3.70 gears and a glide, and sees regular street duty. It also runs the cam and convertor combo I suggested. Hope this helps some...good luck! Bryan
Gotta love big blocks. It doesn't take much to take advantage of those cubes and all that torque. The 440 I built for my Challenger back in high school was like that. All I did was basically rebuild the bottom end stock 440 Magnum with quality parts, added a high volume oil pump, a 270 Isky cam, Accel super coil, 1,200 cfm of Six-Pack (500 cfm center carb w/ 350 cfm outboards), stuck a shift-kit in the 727 automatic, and except for a set of SoCal Speed shop traction bars, I left the posi 3:23 8-3/4" rear as it was. The car was wicked fast, and I made out like a bandit at the street races, beating alot of cars built WAY more radical. But the car was dependable and docile enough my mom could borrow it for a trip to the grocery store, and it would cruise all day and night with no overheating, temper tantrums or breakdowns. The Six-Pack had a "progressive" linkage setup.....around town, or cruising at freeway speeds, it'd just run off the center 500 carb, as you put your foot into it, it'd simultaneously open up the two outer 350's and all hell would break loose!....I used to love to open up all three carbs on the onramps getting on the freeway, feeling all the torque and power, get up to speed, then let off back to just the the center carb to maintain my cruizing speed and get 20 mpg highway! ....and whether racing or cruising.....always ran regular 87 octane gas..... and never had any detonation or pinging. I hope to have as good luck with the 460 power and dependability-wise (I'm not concerned with gas milage) I think the thing I'll really have to consider in building the 460 is the size and weight of the car....Galaxie's are monsters, so mild or a little wild, I'll have to figure that into the combo. That 429/460.com site is informative and helpful, and so are alot of all your tips and links, Thanks. Still open to more opinions, suggestions. .
