Ford 429/460 Engines: How to Rebuild: How to Rebuild

INTRODUCTION

To describe me as a lifelong car guy would not be much of a stretch, as I can trace my interest in things automotive back to the tender age of 10. And while my ever-growing passion was not particularly understood or encouraged at home, it wasn’t stifled either. I credit my copious reading habit with the formation of a basic understanding of how the internal combustion engine functions and my strong interest in performance modifications. I devoured every car magazine I could get my hands on. And somehow during this formative time in my life I decided that I was a Ford man, despite an overwhelming percentage of my contemporaries preferring Chevrolet.

My early interest led to some hands-on mechanical experience when I began handing wrenches to a teenaged neighbor when I was 12. He had a real hot rod of the time—an Oldsmobile Rocket V-8-powered 1933 Ford coupe. I was hooked. This led to my rescuing an early Holley 2-barrel carburetor from the trash behind my local Ford dealership. After repeatedly dissecting this simple method of fuel delivery, I formed a basic understanding of its function and eventually got to where I could tear it down and reassemble it in my sleep.

As time went on, older guys in the neighborhood enlisted my assistance with their cars, which led to my participation in numerous street races and my decision to pursue a career in the automotive trades. The vocational technical training I received in high school allowed me to learn the trade that would provide a living, while a part-time job in a speed shop further fueled my passion for performance. After working in the service and parts departments at a local dealership, I eventually chose a different career path, but I exercised my passion for cars as a parttime drag racer and shade-tree mechanic for the next four decades.

Along the way, I gained valuable experience by rebuilding engines myself and watching professional engine builders. This book will cover a stock engine rebuild with simple performance- and reliability-enhancing modifications noted. Keep in mind that there are very distinct differences between a stock rebuild and a race-prepared engine, and while this book will help you enter the slightly modified engine arena, I leave the full-race engines to the pros.

CHAPTER 1

DETERMINING THE NEED TO REBUILD YOUR ENGINE

There are a number of factors involved in deciding if your engine needs a rebuild. This chapter covers the symptoms associated with a worn-out engine and the simple diagnostics involved in making an informed decision as to whether your engine needs to be rebuilt.

High Mileage

While engines with 100,000 or more miles will certainly benefit from a rebuild, many high-mileage engines that have had regular oil changes while being kept in good tune may be less in need of rebuilding than a low-mileage engine that hasn’t been properly maintained. Mileage alone isn’t a determining factor in the need for a rebuild; maintenance history is just as important.

Excessive Oil Consumption

As a general rule, if your engine uses a quart of oil for every 1,000 miles or less, it is consuming an excessive amount. Take note that I’m referring to an engine that uses oil, as opposed to burning it. You should devote the time to determine the cause for excessive oil consumption before assuming that your engine is burning it. Check carefully for external oil leaks, as a leaking rear main seal, intake manifold gasket, or valve cover gasket that leaves a few drops of oil on your driveway can contribute greatly to overall oil consumption since the leak will be constant when the engine is running.

Internal oil loss may be the result of worn or cracked valvestem seals or guides, problems that are correctible without completely rebuilding the engine. All engines have clearance between the stems of the valves and their guides for lubrication, and over time, the clearance increases, allowing oil to pass down the valve stem into the combustion chamber. Likewise, the rubber seals on the valve stems may become brittle and crack, allowing an excessive amount of oil to flow past the valve guides. Valve stem seals are replaceable without removing the cylinder heads from the engine and may greatly reduce internal oil consumption. A common indicator that an engine is suffering from a problem with valve seals is a puff of blue smoke from the exhaust upon engine startup that dissipates within a short time.

Some years back, I encountered a 351W Ford engine that was using oil at a prodigious rate and smoking heavily from its exhaust, giving the appearance of a terminal engine problem yet not making any unusual noises. The culprit in this case turned out to be a cracked fuel pump diaphragm that was allowing motor oil into the fuel.

Drop in Oil Pressure

Sadly, at some point, someone in the automotive industry got the foolish idea that real oil pressure gauges were unnecessary, thus beginning the era of the idiot light. I have heard more than once: How can I be three quarts low on oil—the light never came on? As it turns out, the average person went blissfully through life secure in the thought that if there were any problem relating to engine lubrication, the magic light would come to the rescue, while the rest of us installed aftermarket gauges in our cars at a furious pace. And since I am covering vehicles equipped with Ford’s Lima series engine, I can’t think of one that rolled off the assembly line sporting an oil pressure gauge as standard equipment. This tells me that in most cases a drop in engine oil pressure will go unnoticed until something catastrophic occurs and the oil light glows brightly from the dash.

Lima Series History

Ford’s 385-series engines, also known as Lima engines because they originated from the Lima, Ohio, engine plant, were first introduced in 1968. They were developed to replace the aging MEL (Mercury, Edsel, Lincoln) series, which consisted of the 383, 410 (E475), 430, and 462. The newly designed, thin-wall cast cylinder block departed from the deep-skirted Y design of the MEL and FE engines that preceded it. A 4.36-inch bore and 3.59-inch stroke provided 429 ci, while a second virtually identical Lincoln version featured a 3.85-inch stroke for 460 ci. Both versions utilized a two-bolt main block, cast crankshaft, forged-steel connecting rods, cast-aluminum pistons, and a hydraulic lifter camshaft.

Perhaps the Lima’s greatest departure from previous Ford engines was its cylinder head design, described as Poly angle, canted valve, quench-chamber cylinder heads. These heads feature huge, round intake ports feeding 2.08-inch intake valves, while gasses are expelled through 1.66-inch exhaust valves. In typical Ford fashion, the exhaust ports, while large, are less efficient than the intakes. This is likely unavoidable when engineering such a large engine to fit the engine bays of a number of various models in the Ford-Lincoln-Mercury line. The first 429 ci developed 360 hp at 4,600 rpm and 480 ft-lbs of torque at 2,800 rpm. The 460 ci pumped out 365 hp at 4,600 rpm with 500 ft-lbs of torque at 2,800 rpm.

The most obvious outward difference between the 429 Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet engines is the carburetor. The Cobra Jet mounts a 715-cfm Rochester 4-barrel (left), while the Super Cobra Jet features a 780-cfm Holley (right). (Photo Courtesy Lee Lundberg)

While the 460 ci remained virtually unchanged for 1970 and continued to power a wide range of models, the 429 ci took a big step up with a performance version designed to fill the shoes of Ford’s early FE series big-block high-performance engines. The high-performance version of the 429 ci would inherit the storied name Cobra Jet, and for 1970, was forced to share this most famous of all Ford performance monikers with the last of the hot FE engines, the 428 Cobra Jet. And like the 428 ci before it, the new 429 ci was available in Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet versions.

The Cobra Jet engine featured a cylinder block with either two- or four-bolt main bearing caps according to production date (all 1971 Cobra Jet blocks are said to have four-bolt caps), cast crankshaft, forged-steel connecting rods featuring 3/8 bolts with spot faced seats, 11.3:1 compression, cast-aluminum pistons, 2.25-inch intake and 1.72-inch exhaust valves, a hydraulic lifter camshaft, 1.73:1 non-adjustable sled-type fulcrum rocker arms with screw-in studs, and pushrod guide plates. Up top, a cast-iron intake manifold mounted a spreadbore 715-cfm Rochester 4-barrel carburetor. This combination provided a rated 370 hp with 450 ft-lbs of torque.

A 429 ci that has come to be known as the Super Cobra Jet is at the top of the performance ladder for 1970. Interestingly, a prospective buyer couldn’t just walk into a Ford dealer and order up a car equipped with the Super Cobra Jet 429, since there was no delineation between the two versions of the engine other than an option block for Drag Pack, which listed either a 3.91 or 4.30:1 rear axle ratio. When either of these optional ratios was selected, the buyer also got a 429 cylinder block with four-bolt main bearing caps, forged-aluminum pistons (compression ratio remained the same at 11.3:1), a mechanical camshaft with adjustable rocker arms, an oil cooler, and a cast-iron intake mounting a 780-cfm Holley 4-barrel carburetor. Rated horsepower for the Super Cobra Jet jumped up a conservative 5 hp to 375, while torque remained the same at 450 ft-lbs.

Sadly, the performance era for the 385-series engines, at least from the factory, was short lived. The 429-ci engine lasted until 1973, and by the time of its demise, the mighty motor that once proudly bore the name Cobra Jet had shrunk to a shadow of its former self. Thanks to a reduction in compression ratio to 8:1, smaller valves, larger combustion chambers, anemic camshafts, and all the other trappings of a smog motor, the last 429 ci was rated at just 198 hp at 4,400 rpm with 320 ft-lbs of torque coming in at 2,800 rpm.

The 460 would soldier on as a luxury barge and truck engine until 1997, though the last version showing even a hint of grunt was the 1973 Police Interceptor. It used an 8.8:1 compression ratio to help deliver a rated 269 hp at 4,600 rpm with 388 ft-lbs of torque at 2,800 rpm—not even close to the 365 hp and 500 stump pulling ft-lbs of torque made just four years prior.

Thankfully, the tremendous strength, torque, and horsepower potential of the Lima series engines was immediately recognized by the aftermarket performance parts industry, and eventually Ford Racing Performance Parts as well. This resulted in the development of a myriad of performance parts that has resulted in the long-lived popularity of the 429- and 460-ci engines in numerous motorsports venues from street performance to all-out drag racing.

While very similar in appearance and identical in function, there are minor differences between the ram air shaker assemblies on the 429 Cobra Jet (left) and Super Cobra Jet (right) equipped cars, which the trained eye can quickly identify. (Photo Courtesy Lee Lundberg)

Safety First

Safety first: here, now, and always. Anytime you are working around a running engine, there is danger created by moving parts and if you are absorbed in the task of diagnosing a problem or tuning the engine, it is easy to become distracted and get hurt. Prior to starting the engine, perform a walk-around as the pilot of an airplane does before takeoff. This will alert you to anything that may accidentally come in contact with the moving parts of your engine, particularly the fan, belts, and related accessories. Pay particular attention to your clothing. Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothes or jewelry that might become entangled in moving parts and result in injury. Protect your eyes against flying debris by wearing safety glasses or goggles. Do not start the engine until you are satisfied that it is safe to do so and remain vigilant and aware at all times once the engine is running. It is always a good idea to set the parking brake and chock the wheels of a car that will have its engine running while no one is behind the wheel.

Note: As you read on, you’ll learn the engine we are rebuilding for this book came out of a limited-production 1970 Torino. These particular cars received modifications for use as pace cars in the NASCAR racing series, one of which was the installation of a mechanical oil pressure gauge.

Usually the first sign of a loss in oil pressure in cars equipped with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) light will be the ominous tapping of hydraulic valve lifters as they begin to collapse. Even if you don’t want to invest in a full-time, dedicated mechanical or electrical oil-pressure gauge, there is an alternative available for diagnostic purposes. For many years I have kept an inexpensive aftermarket mechanical oil pressure gauge and an assortment of adapter fittings in my toolbox for just such occasions. If I encounter an idiot-light-equipped car, I merely remove the oil pressure switch from the engine (on Lima series engines this switch is located on top of the block just behind the intake manifold) and use my adapters to tap in the mechanical gauge and take oil pressure readings.

Oil pressure readings should be taken with the engine cold and then again at normal operating temperature, at idle and off-idle conditions. Pressure readings of higher than 20 psi at idle with the engine at normal operating temperature are usually considered adequate, and you should note an immediate increase in the pressure reading without fluctuation as engine RPM is increased.

If your engine has low oil pressure, the causes may run the gamut from dirty oil with decreased viscosity to a clogged filter or passage in the engine’s lubrication system, to something more critical such as excessive main or rod bearing wear. Even though the rotors in an oil pump can be subject to wear or failure, I have found that the oil pump is very seldom at fault when an engine has lost oil pressure. Of course, I still make it a habit to swap out the oil pump for a high-volume pump any time I rebuild an engine.

Decrease in Performance

Just because fuel economy and engine performance have decreased does not necessarily mean your engine has worn out and is in need of a rebuild. There are various causes for loss of power and fuel economy, some of which do not directly relate to the condition of the engine. A clogged or restricted exhaust system could be the cause. Ascertain if the exhaust manifold heat riser is stuck in the closed position, there is a collapsed or kinked pipe in the system, or the catalytic converter is faulty. Something as simple as a dirty fuel filter, carburetor, or fuel injector will restrict flow to the engine, resulting in changes to the air/fuel mixture, which will cause a loss of power and fuel mileage. Slippage due to a worn-out clutch or faulty automatic transmission are also potential causes for a decrease in power and mileage.

The engine’s ignition system is often the culprit behind decreased performance and fuel mileage. If your engine is equipped with a points-style ignition system, breaker point gap, a faulty condenser, faulty spark plug wires, or a dirty or cracked rotor or distributor cap, symptoms would indicate a severe problem when one does not exist. An electronic- ignition-equipped engine can suffer similar maladies with the exception of problems with points or condenser.

A stretched timing chain and worn timing gears will cause a change in the valve timing of the engine and affect its performance even to the point that the engine will no longer run. Burned valves or a buildup of carbon deposits in the combustion chamber, weak valve springs, or excessive wear to camshaft lobes will also adversely affect engine performance. Engines equipped with solid valve lifters will react to changes of thousandths of an inch in adjustment by losing power and in extreme cases may suffer damage to related valve-train parts. A blown head gasket is a common engine problem that will manifest itself through an immediate loss of power.