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Ford 460

glynglyn Member Posts: 5,698 ✭✭
edited September 2006 in General Discussion
I have a 1994 RV with a ford 460 engine,done about 110000 miles.Went to start it yesterday.Left it running for a while left my son with it while I ran an errand,while I was away he said it literaly reved up on its own he had to turn it off thought it was going to blow up.Any of you mechanics out there got any ideas.Does an engine this old have a computer.

Comments

  • glynglyn Member Posts: 5,698 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have just been offered a ford RV,1984 very nice condition with 57000 documented miles on it.My question is not about the RV which is immaculate but the engine.What is the Ford 460 like what do I need to look for.It sounds great just need some hints on it.Thanks fellas.
  • hughbetchahughbetcha Member Posts: 7,801 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My dad had a 460 in his F-350. Lots of power, I even think the 460 has heavy duty rods and pistons. My dads truck had two gas tanks and needed them both. Got about 8 miles a gallon, or less.
  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's a big block. A whole lotta power and torque. A 460 especially one in an RV is built for pulling, towing, and hauling. That's exactly what it will do. With regular maintenance you can expect it to last a long time. As Hugh said, the internals, from the valves, to the connecting rods are beefed up to handle anything you give it.
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
  • 11BravoCrunchie11BravoCrunchie Member Posts: 33,423 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Bullet proof engine. If I had the space, I'd buy a 460 crate engine, build it up, and put it in my truck. FYI, it's not garage space that I don't have enough of...it's engine compartment space.
  • TrinityScrimshawTrinityScrimshaw Member Posts: 9,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What you will need is a lot of money to buy the gas it is going to consume.[;)]

    Trinity +++
  • hissinggoosehissinggoose Member Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Massive gas guzzler, to say the least. Only issue you should have with that one is rear main seal leakage, and that's really not that big a problem. Extremely durable engine in my experience.
  • jthoresenjthoresen Member Posts: 445 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    245 HP and 390ft/lbs, very thirsty. A diesel upgrade may be the way to go.
  • pickenuppickenup Member Posts: 22,844 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have 2 with over 150,000 miles on each.
    No major problems so far, but may be looking at a top end job on one of them.
    8 miles to the gallon, but they "work" when I need them to.
  • Red223Red223 Member Posts: 7,946
    edited November -1
    Are you going to pull the motor from the RV for a project?
  • glynglyn Member Posts: 5,698 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nope Red Im gonna use the RV.
  • wundudneewundudnee Member Posts: 6,108 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have two, 11 mpg on the fuel injected and 10 on the carbureted, thats on the highway, empty. Pulling or on a motor home 7-8 mpg. With 57,000 miles on it, that motor is just broken in. It should go around the world a few times, with many fuel stops along the way. They are a dependable power house engine that will climb a tree, if it can get the traction.


    Oh yeah, did I mention the fuel economy isn't to great?
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  • Ray BRay B Member Posts: 11,822
    edited November -1
    I have an F-350 Hi-boy with a 460 auto & 4wd. The gearing is fairly low- as I recall it's a 4.11 rearend, but it's offset by 37" diameter tires. It gets about 10mpg avg. which is lower than others that I know of, because it's carb'd. My dad had a 27' Class C motorhome with a 460 fuel-injected, and it got about the same- which was amazing considering the weight of the motorhome.

    anymore, the auto makers seem to be going to diesels as their power motor for trucks, with smaller displacement V-8s & 10s for the sporty trucks. I am familiar with how a gas motor works and when it won't run, I can figure out why it won't, and can fix it- diesels are another story.

    So I have no intentions of separating myself from the 460, except for my class A motor home that runs very well, getting 6-7mpg from the Dodge 440-3.
  • dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by glyn
    What is the Ford 460 like what do I need to look for.It sounds great just need some hints on it.Thanks fellas.


    The old Ford big block truck engine. Powerful and almost bullet proof!
  • TexasVetTexasVet Member Posts: 2,847 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've had 460 engines since the early 70's. My first one was in a '71 Lincoln Mark III, factory stock with 365 HP. Would out run a lot of things, but not a gas station. Since then, I've had ten 460's, and currently have 2 pro streeter roundbody Falcons with high performance 460 engines.

    For low RPM uses, you won't find a better motor.

    For higher RPM uses (over 5000 rpm) they need some bottom end work; a girdle or conversion to 4 bolt mains, better rods, pistons and rings; a high lift cam & roller rockers.
    The stock heads will really wake up when ported, especially on the exhaust side. There are also sources for HP aluminum heads that are already CNC ported.

    The performance industry finally woke up and you can now buy a lot of race parts for the 460.

    Here's a website that has a lot of high performance info for 460's:
    http://www.460ford.com/
  • UNIVERSITY50UNIVERSITY50 Member Posts: 1,705 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If it is in a E350 cut away you have to watch for the exhaust manifold cracking. Very common problem with the 460 stuffed in a van body. They also had a overheat problem on the RV due to the air flow around the engine and the rad. due to certain RV body design that restricted air flow. These will also be electric fuel pump in tank with relays, these were major problem in the 80's for Ford. we also had brake rotor problems because some RV manuf. have the vehicle load at max GVW before the owner ever put there stuff in, causing max braking at all times that heated & cracked the rotor. They now make heavy duty/racing/off road rotors and pads but they cost 3 time that of the OEM. Still a way better vehicle then the Chevy/GMC unit of that time.
  • cpermdcpermd Member Posts: 5,273 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    1989 29 foot Georgie Boy
    Injected 460
    7 MPG at 50 MPH
    5.5 MPG at 70 MPH
  • MrOrangeMrOrange Member Posts: 3,012
    edited November -1
    Another note about RVs in general: Overheating is the number one killer of RV engines, and it's not from towing your off shore racer up Pike's Peak, it's 'cause the things sit 50 weeks out of the year and the coolant breaks down.

    I always change all fluids anytime I buy anything used because you seldom know the history, but with an RV especially, even a couple year old one, get the cooling system flushed out first thing. I'd spring for top-of-line oil coolers for the tranny and engine as well.

    PICS!!
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