Thread: which 460 motor is it

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hi

where do i find the id marks to tell age of motor and what version it is, i know its a 460 and out of an econoline van , dont know how old , marks on head are D8VE-ASA or D3VE-ASA


not sure which , any help would be good

speedy

Either 78 or 73. As an example, DOVE means 1970. The D is the 7, and the O is for the zero. Since yours reads D8 or D3, it is either 78 or 73. For eighties Fords, the numbers start with E.

Hope this helps.

http://www.reincarnation-automotive....s-1-index.html

Originally posted by Don Hulgas
Either 78 or 73. As an example, DOVE means 1970. The D is the 7, and the O is for the zero. Since yours reads D8 or D3, it is either 78 or 73. For eighties Fords, the numbers start with E.

Hope this helps.

This is partially incorrect. Just because a motor has a D3VE-A2A (or any other code) does not mean that's the year that the engine was manufactured. In fact, D3VE heads can very well have been on a factory assembled 1984 engine. The codes to which Don is referring are not date codes; they are engineering revision codes.

What is the year of the van which the motor came out? If you wish to know the year of the engine and there are no longer any ID tags on the outside of the engine, then look in the lifter valley. There, you will find a casting date code for the cylinder block, and it will be something like "4D27" (number/letter/number). Tell me what that is and I'll tell you when your block/engine was originally manufactured. Also, on the side of the block and behind the starter is the block's engineering revision, which reads vertically. This will likely be either "D1VE-6015-A2B" or "D9TE-AB." That engineering revision along with the date code in the lifter valley will allow us to pinpoint your motor's build year.

Cylinder head date codes are in the valve train area and look just like the date code in the block's lifter valley. In this case, we already know that your heads are a 1973 revision casting that was found on 1973-1984+ engines and has a 97cc combustion chamber.

Paul

Hi

Taken off inlet manifold and cover below
number on block is 9A24

Hope this is the one you need

cheers

Craig

Since your heads are D3VE-A2A's and your block casting date is 9A24, your motor is likely a 1979 production year engine. This assumes that the engine has never been apart since factory (no head swap, etc). To verify your engine year, you can do the following:

• The block's engineering code is casted on the outside of the block on the cylinder bank and reads vertically. It is located next to where you'd mount your starter motor. You block's casting number (Engineering Rev) should be D9TE-AB.
• Also, the 1979-up engines are externally balanced, so directly behind the crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer should be a pendulum "hatchet weight" (looks like a small crank counterweight) that is part of this externaly balance design.
• If your block's casting number is different and/or your motor is internally balanced (no hatchet weight on crank) then your motor is not likely original, but an earlier engine to which somebody swapped in D3VE heads.

Paul

Yeh
on side of block where you said is D9TE-AB


so what year is motor ?

Craig

Based on the casting date in the lifter valley and the other info you have provided, I'd say 90% chance that your engine is a 1979 production year 460. It uses an externally balanced roatating assembly and has about 7.8:1 compression ratio.

Very slight chance it may be a 1980 production year; there really is no difference between the two.

Paul

cheers for that now looking on scott johnstones web site about reworking the heads instead of replacing them

thanks for your help

Craig