Aftermarket 460 Block – WARNING: This part is designed and intended for competition or off-highway use only. It should not be installed on a vehicle that is driven on public roads and highways. Installation of this part on a vehicle driven on public roads and highways is likely to violate US and Canadian laws and regulations related to motor vehicle emissions.
Ford Performance has taken its Boss Block to the max with the largest small block Windsor crate engine ever – the Z460. With 575 horsepower and 575 Lb. Ft. of torque, the Z460 packs a pump gas-powered punch that works well on the street and on the track.
Aftermarket 460 Block
The foundation of the Z460 is the legendary Ford Performance Boss block topped with high port/high flow Z-Heads. Premium components from the best aftermarket companies are used throughout the engine, such as a SCAT® forged steel crankshaft, SCAT® forged H-beam connecting rods, forged Mahle® pistons and Clevite® bearings. And every Ford Performance Z460 engine is hand assembled in the USA with performance clearances.
Ford Aftermarket Engine Blocks
INSTALLATION MARKS: Some or all of the following items may need to be changed from the original engine or modified for proper installation:
Depending on your application, a different timing cover, water pump, performance oil pan and pickup may be required. The engine has a performance rear oil pan and pickup, standard rotary timing cover, standard rotary water pump and non-EFI valve covers. Timing cover will work with most standard rotary water pumps Fuel pump eccentricM-6287-B302 installed, allows use of mechanical fuel pump Valve covers should fit most non-EFI applications. Optional valve covers sold separately. Damper M-6316-D302 may require a spacer for pulley alignment. Flywheel not included, use correct neutral balance flywheel Intake manifold not included Includes intake gaskets and pilot bearing Firing order 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 (5.0L HO and 351W firing order) Steel distributor kit required Exhaust port raised 5/8” can require custom headers Shipping weight approx. 570 lbs Built with currently available parts. Image and specifications may vary. Tuning tips for engine installation can be found HERE When 532 ci, 786 hp and 9-second e.t. is into a full-weight street car just won’t cut it anymore, there’s only one sensible solution. Extra cubes? Too boring. More cam and rpm? Too incremental. A 600hp hit of nitrous? Too easy. At this level, any ambition to double or triple horsepower requires transcending the barriers of natural aspiration in favor of forced induction. That’s exactly why we decided to hang a pair of 88mm turbochargers from our trusty big-block Ford. With the preliminary turbo build complete, it’s time to build the bulletproof short block that will hold it all together, and Ford Racing’s A460 block is the perfect tool to wrap it in. The goal is to make 1,500 hp and run 7.90s in the quarter mile on a low-boost, pump-throttle tune with enough psi left in the tank to crank it up to over 2,000 hp on the VP Fuels Q16.
Back in the June ’09 issue, we enlisted the School of Automotive Machinists (www.SAMRacing.com) to build a 532ci big-block Ford for our ’93 Mustang project car. Based on a factory 460 block, the combo produced 786 hp thanks to a set of Kaase P51 cylinder heads, an Edelbrock Victor intake manifold, a Holley 1, 150 cfm Dominator carb and a big COMP solid-roller camshaft. After reaching our goal of consistently running high 9-second quarter-miles at over 140 mph, the car began to feel far too slow. In fact, it felt sluggish after about half a dozen passes, and seeing the occasional small-block car neck and neck with us didn’t do much for the ego. As luck would have it, we’d cross paths with a local Outlaw 10.5 racer who wanted to unload Garrett GT47 88mm turbos for the latest and greatest huffers on the market. We had to buy them, and even though it’s been several years since we retired the Fox Mustang from PHR’s project car lineup, we’ve been working behind the scenes to put positive manifold pressure on it all along.
Understandably, cranking out thousands of horsepower may seem cuckoo, but our horsepower target is actually pretty pedestrian in the world of twin-turbo big-blocks. Massive cubic inches and cylinder head airflow provide the capacity and unobstructed airflow necessary to produce incredible horsepower at relatively low boost pressure. In the line of Outlaw 10.5 drag racing, twin-turbo big-blocks measuring 540 to 565 ci easily make 2,900 hp at 30 psi of boost. In fact, in their former lives our used turbos powered both a third-gen Camaro and a Chevy II to 6.60s in the quarter mile. For the sake of comparison, a slim four-banger can barely reach 550 hp at a similar level of boost. Frankly, we don’t have enough roll cages or enough driver skill to max out the 88mm turbos, so our plan is to limit the boost to a more manageable 15-20 psi, which should be enough to hit our power.
Edelbrock 2166pk: Big Block Ford 429/460 Performer Power Package
To simplify the turbo big-block build, we will carry over as many parts from our old 532 as possible. Displacement will remain in the 532 to 547ci range, and while we considered keeping the production block, it just didn’t make sense after doing the math. Unlike its small-block Windsor relative, the factory 429/460 block is solid hardware. Reigning Engine Masters champion Jon Kaase tells us he’s been running a production block-based 521ci test mule for years that still holds up after thousands of pulls at 900 hp. In boosted applications, factory 460 blocks have been known to survive 1,500-plus horsepower when upgraded with four-bolt headers and filled with Hard Blok. Still, these upgrades can cost upwards of $1,000, and at the end of the day, you’re still stuck with a production block that’s prone to bending and eating up master stock.
By spending money on hardware rather than labor costs, aftermarket blocks like Ford Racing’s A460 offer a lot more bang for the buck with features that an upgraded production block simply can’t match. Not only is the Ford Racing block cast from a more durable iron alloy, it also boasts nodular four-bolt main caps, a priority main oil system, stronger main bands and oil pan rails, and casting reinforcements. Particularly important in a boosted application is the A460 block’s solid tire surface and 18-bolt cylinder head configuration, which significantly increases cylinder sealing under boost. Raw strength aside, the Ford Racing block’s Siamese bores can accommodate up to a 4600-inch bore diameter. Matched with a maximum stroke capacity of 4,500 inches, the A460 block can be built as large as 598 ci.
Over the next few months, we’ll be outlining the build of our turbo big-block Ford in several installments as the crew at the School of Automotive Machinists work their magic again. Follow along as we tackle the short block build, head assembly, fuel system setup, turbo setup and dyno testing. In the meantime, here’s a side-by-side comparison of the Ford Racing A460 block with a production 460 block. The differences are staggering to say the least, and it certainly makes us glad we decided to do it right the first time!
1. Ford Racing’s A460 block provides just the beefcake we need to make over 2000hp. It comes rough drilled to either 4,340 or 4,490 inches, and thanks to Siamese drills, can accommodate up to 4,600-inch maximum bore. While some production blocks can handle up to 4,500 inch bore (0.140 over), most are limited to a maximum bore diameter of 4,440 inch (0.080 over).
The Ultimate Ford Big Block Induction Guide
2. One of the most noticeable additions to the Ford Racing block (top) is its two additional head bolts at the top and bottom of each cylinder, which are not found on the production block (bottom). While not absolutely necessary in a naturally aspirated application, having 18 bolts anchoring each cylinder head instead of just 10 increases the clamping load and provides added insurance against blown head gaskets in a forced induction combo.
3. An unexpected but very welcome feature of the Ford Racing block (top) is its solid tire design. The large water jacket openings in a production 460 block (bottom) can make the tire surface prone to distortion under high boost conditions. On the other hand, Ford Racing has press-fit steel inserts in the water jacket openings to significantly increase the stiffness of the tire’s surface. Even with aftermarket blocks, this is not a common feature.
4. To the naked eye, the lift valley of the Ford Racing block looks very much like a production block, but the casting material is much thicker. This binds each bank of cylinders more rigidly together.
5. A series of recesses and recesses run along the factory block (bottom). On the Ford Racing unit, all the divots are filled in to increase strength. In addition, reinforcing ribs run front to back, and the engine mounting bosses are also reinforced. The Ford Racing block also includes threaded core plugs, which make it much easier to drain coolant from the block for service.
Ford 460 Engine
6. The outer bolts of the Ford Racing block four-bolt main caps (top)