Started pulling apart my 460 today and was surprised to find one of the center main cap bolts had a threaded stud on the bolt head. Nothing is attached to it. Can't find any reference about this in the manuals, anyone know if this is a stock bolt and what it's function is? Thanks P.S. I have run the engine on a couple of shake down trips, seemed to run fine but I wasn't looking for any problems so may have missed something.
Usually it is for a oil pump pickup support. It may be unused if you have a front sump,or vice versa.
Ford uses that to hold the oil pump pickup on a long sump,like where the pick up is at the other end of the motor from the pump
Thanks for the help, I've got a rear sump, pan is shallow, pick-up comes directly off the pump. assume this means I don't need to worry about it?
The engine must have been swapped from a van or 4x4 into your front sump application. As long as its not touching your pan it should be fine. Bill
Thanks for the comments, I have no idea what this came out of because I bought it at a swap meet and it appears to be in pretty good shape.
If it was from a truck, it should have the good con rods (football shape heads) that are stronger than the car rods. You can make tons of power with one of these!! Bill
If you are planning on big HP get rid of the junk stock rods.I have destroyed every type of stock 460 rod.The cap has no strength and well not stay round.I tried to save money by useing stock rods,could have bought aftermarket and been money ahead!!!! I was running 13 to 1 pistons,ported CJ heads,big flat tappet cam,2-780s on a tunnel ram in a jet-drive boat that never went over 6200 RPM.Never had any crank or bearing issues,just junk rods. ROY.
The stock ones have their limits for sure!! BUT the truck ones are better. I should have said you can make a ton of power with a 460, I didn't mean the rods....sorry for the mis-lead. But they can take a pretty serious street engine. Check out 460ford.com and 429-460.com for loads of info. Bill
Thanks again for the comments but I've put this engine in a 34 Ford pick-up that is going to be used for fun. I've been asked several times why a 460 and the answer was a simple "I'm cheap and so was the engine"!
I stated this in a different thread, but I bought a car and the window sticker said: 460 experimental engine, 1150 thermo quad, etc. I run that engine hard and had only one mishap, when the valve spring seals hardened and cracked and was sucked into the oil pump breaking the distributor gear and hex shaft, because the oil pickup did'nt have a screen on it. I did change the seals when I first noticed a few were broken, but didn't take the pan off to get them out, thinking there was a screen on the pickup.
I tried the truck rods,CJ rods,stock rods,polished and shot peened truck rods,ALWAYS knocked the cap out of round.If you look at a cap you will see they have NO beef,no ribs,NATTA! 385 series Ford engines can make huge power and will live,if you use good parts.I know of guys with crate 514" engines running 4-5 or more seasons with no issues. ROY.
Check out 460ford.com and 429-460.com for loads of info. Bill[/QUOTE] There are a few of us HAMBers over there ! Both sites are great ! 460Ford is great for all around 385 help but the 429-460 is a more racing site but both are great and full of some great knowledge ! I have learned a lot from the short time I have been there . The guys will be glad to help you with anything you want to know or have a problem . See you there ! RetroJim
Your right Roy, for any serious build the cost of good rods is almost the same as rebuilding stock rods using ARP bolts. The stockers can last well on the streets if that's what you have, but if your building one, go with new rods. As with most stuff it depends on the application. Bill
There are a few of us HAMBers over there ! Both sites are great ! 460Ford is great for all around 385 help but the 429-460 is a more racing site but both are great and full of some great knowledge ! I have learned a lot from the short time I have been there . The guys will be glad to help you with anything you want to know or have a problem . See you there ! RetroJim[/QUOTE] Yep I have noticed quite a few familiar names here!! It kinda sucked when the the big split happend but what are ya gonna do?? Bill
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