Is Ford 460 a Good Engine? (Years, Value, Mpg, Weigh, Oil)
The RV is as good as its engine. That goes without saying. If you have a lesser engine in your RV the performance you get will not be as good as it could be. You want an engine that can move the weight without sacrificing economy or speed. When checking out the interior of an RV don’t forget to evaluate the motor.
Is Ford 460 a good engine? Yes, the Ford 460 was a good engine. It is not in production anymore but it had the power down low which is where you want it to be when towing or hauling a lot of weight. This motor was a workhorse with lots of power.
To learn more about this top Ford engine, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about if you are considering buying an RV with this motor inside. Power is what you need and this engine has it.
Ford 460 Engine 101
Is the Ford 460 a Good Motorhome Engine?
The consensus is that yes, this motor is a good engine and it is the type of motor you would want in any truck or RV. It has the power you want and it is a big block motor which can handle heavy loads.
Because it is a workhorse of an engine, it can handle any need you have. That would include powering the right-sized motorhome. The V8 construction made sure the horsepower was there when you stepped on the gas.
The good news is that this motor could fit on the 429 big block so you had options when installing this motor. While the two blocks had different strokes to them, they had the same 4.36-inch bores in them.
If anything happened to the block of the 460, and you couldn’t find another one, you could turn to the 429 block and still have the 460 performance. The reason for that is that it is possible to drop the 460 crank inside the 429 block.
How Much Does Ford 460 Weigh?
The estimated weight of the 460- motor is about 720 pounds which makes it a fairly heavy motor to install. Depending on the vehicle you want to put this engine in you may have to do some upgrading to the vehicle first before dropping the 460 under the hood.
The basic upgrade would be to install heavier coils in your RV or truck if you want to have the 460 powering your vehicle. If you find an F250 with a 460 already in it, those coils should be strong enough to handle the extra weight.
Do not go to leaf springs as those may not be strong enough to handle the extra load. The type of coils you would need would be either HD or leveling models. They may run you over $125 a pair but the upgrade would be worth it in the long run.
If you know what you are doing then the upgrade should not be a problem. Make sure to have the right hoist and tools so you do not tip the hoist over when lifting the motor and putting it into place.
How Many Liters is a Ford 460 Engine?
This motor is a 7.5L engine which makes it a pretty big boy to have powering your motorhome or RV. Along with that size, the engine has 6.605-inch rods which creates a 1.71:1 rod length to stroke ratio.
If you find an old 460 in dire need of repair and rebuilding, then you can expect to pay about $1500 approx. to get the job done right. That cost is just an estimate and your final expense will depend on several factors like who is doing the work, how much the parts are, the region of the nation you live in, and so on.
Also, the cost will depend on what parts you need and what type of work you need to do on it. Then if you want to make the engine larger, that is a possibility. The 4.36 bore diameter can be turned into a 4.3905 inch bore or an 0.0305 inch overbore.
The same can be done to the 429. Increasing the bore turns the 460 into a 501 engine.
How to Identify a Ford 460 Engine
There are actually several ways to identify the 460 engine. The first place to look would be the valve covers. Ford did place stickers on these telling you the motor was the 460 motor.
However, if the stickers are gone or the covers have been replaced, you should look for the tag that is attached to either the intake manifold in front of the carb or the ignition coil on the front of the engine.
Now, if the tags and the stickers are gone, you can identify the 460 by counting the valve cover bolts. Only this engine and the 429 have 7 valve cover bolts. Since those two engines are almost identical telling them apart is near impossible.
To tell the 460 from the 429 you have to locate the casting number on the crankshaft or measure the stroke. The 460 has a 3.85 stroke and the 429 has 3.59. The 429 was only made for ten years between 1968 to 78 so that should help as well.
Does Ford Still Make the 460 Engine?
No, Ford doesn't make the 460 engine anymore and it has been almost 20 years since this motor was in production. There were 2 final production runs, one was in 1992 and the other in 1994. The engine was first made in 1968 and was put in the Lincoln Mark II.
Then Ford and Lincoln used this motor in their full-sized cars until 1980 and during that year, Ford introduced the motor into its fine line of Econoline 350 series vehicles. Eventually, Ford put this motor in its F truck series and gave the engine about 225 horses.
At the end of the run, the engine was producing about 245 HP at 410 ft. lb. of torque. What ended the 460’s long run was Ford’s upgrade to the 6.8L 413 ci V10 engine which went into its Super Duty trucks.
But the 460 cannot complain as it had a 26-year run and did a fine job over that period. The engine still works well today even though it is not new.
Ford 460 Year Identification
Trying to ell engines apart can be difficult. The 460 may be a bit easier to identify as not only does it have a lot of stickers and tags attached to it, there is also the crankshaft number that identifies this motor.
Between 1968 and 78 the crankshaft number started with a 2. After 1978, the crankshaft number started with a 3. Anything later than 1978 is a 460 as Ford stopped making the 429 in 1978. However, during those 10 years, both the 429 and 460 have the same identical blocks.
What that means is that you cannot use the block casting code to tell the two engines apart. To make the job of identifying the engine easier, you need to hope that the stickers or the tags are still on the engine.
Or just simply count the valve cover bolts and if you got seven, then you either have the 429 or the 460 motors under the hood.
Ford 460 Best Year
There was no single year that stands out for the 460. Since it was used on a wide range of vehicles over its production run, performance statistics would not be consistent.
Also, every year may have seen a couple of lemons sneak by quality control and ruin the reputation of the engine. But that possibility has not harmed the reputation as it is said that this is one of the best motors you can have powering a truck, car, or motorhome.
No matter what year it was produced. When people review this motor or give their opinions on it, they do not pinpoint a specific year either. All they can say is that ‘the 460 is a solid engine’, or ‘the 460 is a workhorse’ and even ‘the 460 will last 250,000 miles without complaining'.
In other words, just about any 460 made between 1968 to 1994 will be a good motor to have under the hood. The final generic compliment was ‘the fabled 460- the best gas engine to put in a Ford truck.’
How Long Does a Ford 460 Last?
Some people have reported that they have over 200,000 miles on it and they have not done any major repair work. The same person also says that the motor should go 250,000 before you do start needing major work done on it.
The fact that the engine has lasted for over 30 years for the most part, that says a lot about its longevity. Like the Shelby engine Ford used in many of its Mustang cars, the 460 is one of the better engines it has built since it started making cars and motors.
The Shelby was built more for speed than for power hauling but the 460 can go at a fairly good clip when it needs to. How fast it will go will depend on how much weight it has to haul.
Of course, the main factor in its longevity is how well you take care of it and maintain the engine. If you do not take good care of it, do not expect to get the longevity others have reported receiving.
Ford 460 vs 7.3
Part of this competition is influenced by preference. Those who like the 460 over the 7.3 will say that the former will pull anything that the 7.3 can pull. The only drawback is that the 460 will get lower fuel mileage than the 7.3
Those who like the 7.3 say that engine has more power than the 460 and will pass the latter on the big hills with ease. Then the 7.3 has been known to go 330,000 miles without a problem.
When towing or hauling on flat highways, the 2 engines are said to be equals. It is the hills that will expose the differences between the two motors. Also, the not-so-frequent stops at the gas station will show how good the 7.3 is.
When you are traveling through mountainous terrain or a lot of hills, you may want the 7.3 under the hood doing the driving.
What is a Ford 460 Bored 30 Over?
The bore size is the size of the cylinders, not the engine (for those who do not know much about engines). When the bore is changed to .30 over, then the 460 becomes a 466.
If you go .40 over then you have a 468 (and all these numbers are cubic inches). A .60 over is a 472 and a .80 0ver is a 477. Some people may get a little technical and add a number after the decimal point so these are rounded figures. For example, the .30 over is said to be 466.6.
Sometimes people like to round up as they will say that a Chevy engine has a 4.470” and goes with the Chevy 502 but the actual bore size is 4.466. If you are not sure about the figure someone gives you and you have an owner’s manual handy, check it for the exact figure.
How Much is a Ford 460 Engine Worth?
This will depend on how you define and apply the definition of the term ‘worth’. Some people do not think in terms of dollars when they are thinking about worth. They use other criteria like performance, power, longevity, and so on to decide the worth of an engine.
Then to be realistic, the repair or rebuild cost may be greater than the actual purchase price. As late as 2003 the cost of the used 460 was between $100 and $250 and if you were lucky you could buy the whole car for that amount and score big with the engine.
You should not have to pay more than $200 for the 460 at this time. If you are paying more than $250 you are paying too much. Of course, the engine will be worth as much as you are willing to pay for it and if you get the car to go with it at $250 or less, then jump on it as that is a steal.
How to Get More Power Out of a Ford 460?
The best way to get more power out of the engine would be to bore out the cylinders a little bit more. If you can, bore those cylinders to 4.3905 turning the motor into a 501. You can also try to maximize the overbore by turning it into a 0.0305.
Or you can change the timing in the engine. Due to smog requirements, the timing on the 460 has been retarded. if you change it to a performance timing set you should get more power.
Other options would be to install a better carb. One person suggested the Edelbrock 750 cfm and install a mild RV cam. In addition, you would need to change the timing to the performance set.
Your mechanic may have more ideas on how to get more power out of your 460. They may also be able to get you the parts you need quicker than if you searched for them yourself.
How Many Miles Per Gallon Does a Ford 460 Get?
After all the good news about this motor, it is time to give a little bad news. However, when you see the mileage this engine gets, keep in mind that it was built in the 60s to 90s when mileage requirements were not that high.
Also, the engines were placed in vehicles that were never reaching the top of the mileage rating charts anyways. You can count on a good 10 miles per gallon rate, which if you have a 25 to 30-gallon fuel tank you can get 3250 to 300 miles per tank.
Your results will differ from this estimate depending on the tires you are using, the weight your vehicle is towing or hauling, and other factors. How lead-footed you are will also play a role in the total gas mileage you get with this engine.
How to Get Better Gas Mileage Ford 460
The common-sense option would be to not haul anything with the vehicle the motor is in. Even 100 pounds more in the vehicle can decrease the gas mileage you get. Then you would need to stop all unnecessary idling you do as that will consume some fuel and lower your rating.
The complicated method would be to tear the motor apart and rebuild it with different parts. Plus, you would want the compression ratio to be between 9.5 and 10.5 to 1. This may be a bit too much for most motorists who own a 460.
Another good way is to make sure all the parts are kept in top working order and replaced when they start showing signs of deterioration. Check your tire pressure to make sure they are inflated to the right psi.
Then you should slow down when coming to a line of traffic as even applying the brakes sharply can lower gas mileage. Make sure you accelerate when coming to a hill to avoid that slow down that comes when you are halfway up the incline.
What Oil for a Ford 460 Engine?
There was a time when you could get away with using diesel oil in the 460. The reason for using that oil option was the diesel oil had enough zinc in it to handle the flat tappet engine. Today’s diesel versions do not so do not use it.
That is what you want. An oil that is made for flat tappet engines and those options can be found in both regular and synthetic motor oils. Some cheap store brands are okay to use as well and if you want a number, 10W30 is good for the most part.
Some people use 10W30 synthetic Valvoline VR1 while others will use Mobil 1 15W50 because both have zinc in them. The key for older engines like the 460 is that they need zinc to work right.
Stick to the major brands for the most part to be on the safe side of things.
What Size Carb for a Ford 460?
The good news here is that you have several good choices and that is always a good thing. Holley produces 3 carbs that will work on the 460. The 4160C 750Cfm Universal Polishd, the 0-80452 600 CFM Square Four Barrel Vacuum Secondary Electric Choke Street Carburetor, and the 0-80318-1 Carburetor 4160.
We mentioned the Edelbrock earlier and it is the 9913 750 CFM Square Bore 4-Barrel Air Valve Electric Choke Remanufactured Carburetor and finally, there is the remanufactured Motorcraft 4300 Carb C8AF-B For 1968-1969 Mustang Falcon.
The key to matching the right carb to your 460 will be to match the carb to the airflow produced by the maximum amount of RPMs the engine will go. Then the carb should be built for a 7 to 7.5, 429 to 460 ci engine.
The right carb will help your fuel efficiency.
Some Final Words
The 460 engine comes with a very good reputation. It is known as a solid, workhorse of an engine that provides the power you need when you want to haul a lot of weight. The longevity of the motor means that you can buy an older model and still get the same performance.
The fact that most people speak well of it doesn't mean it is without its flaws. You may get older models that need to be rebuilt so do not pay a lot for the engine.
