Project 460 into a 72 F-250

[BobbyFord]

If they are D3 heads then you're looking at 8.0-8.5:1 compression, depending on pistons.

[elgemcdlf]

Are the heads D3VE casting?
Also, I'm pretty sure that a 77 F150 came stock with a front sump oil pan.

I am not positive on the pan but when I went to shopping for mine everyone I talked to said all trucks came with rear sump pans. Now I am all curious.

[BobbyFord]

Are the heads D3VE casting?
Also, I'm pretty sure that a 77 F150 came stock with a front sump oil pan.

I am not positive on the pan but when I went to shopping for mine everyone I talked to said all trucks came with rear sump pans. Now I am all curious.

I believe it's the 4WD trucks that had the rear sump pan.

[elgemcdlf]

Ok I did some looking around and came across an article on Blue Oval. It states that rear sump was on all trucks '80 & up. So I withdraw my comment about being a car engine. It may very well be a truck engine as the article states Car & early truck 2WD pans are front sump. Sorry for any confusion.

[Kurt Combs]

No problem Elgemcdlf, it was going into the 72 one way or the other. Didn't matter what it originated in.

[elgemcdlf]

No problem Elgemcdlf, it was going into the 72 one way or the other. Didn't matter what it originated in.

I know where you are at. When I bought my '70 my original plan was for a 460 regardless of what it took to do it. If all goes well mine will breath fire by Friday. Weather has been nice and I am really wanting to put a couple miles on it.

[Kurt Combs]

Heads are D3, so that mystery is solved. I just realized that I bolted the right engine perch on in the wrong location, so there goes an hour doing rework. Such is life. Managed to clean up a few parts that go on the intake manifold tonight so I made a little progress. Hope I can get out to the shop tomorrow for a few more minutes to decrease the work this weekend.

[basketcase0302]

Keep plugging away at it Kurt-it'll get there.
Hey...what the gas price a gallon out there, (this week)?!

[Kurt Combs]

Around here gas is just $420 a gallon.

[Kurt Combs]

Well, I destroyed the pump in the tranny and the torque converter by not getting the converter installed correctly. That was last weekend. This week I went back to the transmission shop and dropped off the damaged parts. The owner of the shop felt bad for not instructing me better on the torque converter installation process and says he is going to come to my house to help me connect the engine and transmission when it is repaired. This won't be the first time he has come to my shop to make sure I was doing things right. (I love living in a small town) He is going through the transmission, replacing the case, beefing it up with a shift kit for towing, and installing heavy duty parts. I am also going to take the flex plate to him to make sure I didn't bend it in the process of bolting up the transmission. This whole swap is getting more expensive than I planned, but that isn't a big surprise.

I have wanted to change the power steering gearbox, but wasn't sure I wanted to deal with it while doing the engine and transmission swap considering how many things I was already changing. Plus the local shop said they could change it in one hour. I decided to go ahead and change it this week while waiting to get my transmission back. So last night I pulled the gearbox and today the local shop pulled the pit man arm off for me, free of charge. The gearbox I ordered at O'Reilly's came in from one of their stores that is 100 miles away (no shipping charge). Tomorrow I will install the gearbox and clean up my shop, clean all parts that will be going back on the truck and make a final shopping list for fluids and hoses. I'm forced to take it easy this weekend, but that is okay.

[BobbyFord]

Glad you have a shop that is understanding and willing to go the extra mile. We all have setbacks, yours is a learning process, just like everyone else's is. Hang in there

[basketcase0302]

he is going to come to my house to help me connect the engine and transmission when it is repaired.

You just don't find folks like this anymore Kurt, good for you!

[Kurt Combs]

Well the tranny guy was leaving his shop tonight for a five day fishing trip, so I just got detailed instructions on how to install the tranny. I am happy to say it is bolt to the 460 and I will be dropping it in soon! Might be Saturday before I can actually lower it in, but I will be ready. The trick to not doing hundreds of dollars worth of damage is sort of simple. He showed me how to put the torque converter on the tranny and how far in it should be. For me it is one knuckle depth. I measured this by sticking my finger tip against the converter and eye balling across the surface that mates to the engine. This is a highly scientific measuring method that seems to work. You then take a sort of large combination wrench and run a bolt through the closed end with the open end pressing against the recess on the torque converter (I should have taken a picture of this). I used a large washer on the bolt and this then keeps the converter from slipping out while you position it. I got both the engine and tranny on about the same plane, or angle,and pushed them together. I had to do a couple of attempts which required turning the torque converter slightly so the bolts would align with the flex plate. Then I bolted the tranny to the engine using really short wrenches so I wouldn't apply too much torque. Then I checked to make certain that the torque convert bolts/studs were easy to move in their hole in the flex plate, this assures you that you haven't let the converter slip out. The thing that I must always remember when doing this procedure is that the converter bolts must be loose during tightening of the bell housing to the engine. With the bell housing tight I could still move the torque converter studs in their holes in the flex plate, then I bolted them together.

Procedure for adding fluid to the tranny is interesting. He says to add five quarts of fluid before start up. Then starting adding fluid as fast as you can until you get the 12th quart in. At this point I am to check the level and top it off. This is going to be at the same time I am putting out a fire in the carb and trying to adjust the timing and watching for a low power steering reservoir (new steering box too). Let the fun begin.

[Kurt Combs]

I managed to get the engine and tranny in the 72 this evening and started connecting a few things. The most significant was the exhaust system from the 77 donor vehicle is now in the 72. I had to cut the tailpipe off as it hit a shock absorber and the frame because it came from a longer and wider vehicle. The hanger and muffler would fit better if the muffler could be spun 180 degrees and if the exhaust pipes were a few inches shorter, but it will work the way it is. I will need a custom bent tailpipe, but I have a decent system to get to the shop with. Here are some pictures of the exhaust system installed. I'll be back at it, hooking things up tomorrow.

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2012-04-06 21.18.51.jpg

That's it for tonight.

[Kurt Combs]

Well, today I managed to hook up everything except the drive shaft, I left if off just in case I didn't get the shifter linkage adjusted correctly, didn't want to start it in drive. Cranked it over a couple of times and it started right up. It still has an exhaust leak, but man that 460 sure seems like it has a lot of torque, step on the peddle and they whole cab twists. I am wondering if the PO might have put an RV cam in this thing, it seems to idle like it has a mild cam, but I am not sure. Hopefully I will have a few hours to work on it tomorrow evening so I can adjust a few things and maybe install the drive shaft. It would be great to have a chance to take it for a short drive.