Any 429/460 gurus?

W

willowbilly3

Well-known member
I have a couple big blocks I might play with, both decent running engines. Budget stuff, not full on rebuilds. #1 is a 71 Merc 429 2 bbl. with D0VE heads. The other is about a 1990 F250 4x4 with a ZF. I'd like to slide the big block and ZF into my 59 F250 4x4. Efi engines have no carb heat provision in the heads as I understand, and wouldn't want to just use the adapters to put a carb intake on. What would I get for static compression with the dove heads on the efi 460 bottom? If I wanted to just use the 429 as is, would it even run on pump gas? I understand the cr is around 10.5:1. Which pushrods would I use?
Also what will be the best bet for an intake? Keep the 2 bbl.? Edelbrock performer and ?? carb? I don't mind giving up a little hp for fuel economy and the stock 450(ish) ft/lbs of torque is more than plenty. I'm partly doing this to get the 5 speed and have the 59 so I can drive it down the highway with the 4.56 gears. And because the 292 is tired. And because most of this stuff is nearly free and I don't have a lot of money.
Option C, leave the 429 alone and find a set of D3VE heads to use on the efi engine? thanks
 
The 429 will probably ping quite a bit and has quite a few years on it to just bolt in and drive. The truck 460 might be a better choice as the compression is better geared for pulling loads. I'd just try a adapter for a carb and see how it runs. Might be a can of worms trying to get a ZF in a 59. They use a hydraulic clutch pedal don't they? The flywheel balance weight changed in about 78 so you can't use that flywheel on the 429 engine. The Ford truck guys are always putting 460's in place of the 351M/400 since they have the same bellhousing bolt pattern and it seems that a large percentage of them have clutch/flywheel and starter engagement problems. I chalk it up to mismatching parts. If your truck engine is all complete from 1 truck I would just try to install it as an assembly.
 
My hotrod runs an efi intake I bolted carbs to. In all but the hottest summer days, it takes a good 15-20 minutes of driving to get warmed up enough to not need a little choke at the lights. I don't want that on my truck. I've read what I can find and there are a dizzying number of piston dish, piston heights and combustion chambers. I understand a lot of it but I guess I was looking for a person who runs them to say, this will work, this won't.
 
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