1990 460 strght up timing?

New here, but I'm impressed. Quality discussion and info.

I brought the cleanest 1990 f-350 4x4 Lariat home tonight that south Texas had to offer. I told my wife I was just test driving it. I'll think of something to tell here in the a.m. when she hasn't woken up yet.

In all my earlier 77-79 460 trucks I installed an early model straight up timing gear. Is this still a good idea with the later model fuel injected motors? Computers? Pros and cons?

The truck has 100K, no smoke or blowby, auto trans w/od, 200 amp alternator, and what sure feels like 4.10 gears.

Thanks for any info, sources etc

John D. De Paolo

just wondering why you would want to change the timing gear, if that one drives fine then why doesn it need a new one (if it aint broke dont fix it haha) but if you do wanna change it i dont think it should hurt anything, i would say it would be an ok idea. just put it on the regular settings (some have advance and retard marks) just put it on the regular marks and it should work fine, what kind of timing set are you lanning on getting

The late model smog motor timing setup was introduced post 1971 (I think71/72) to meet new pollution standards. The easiest way was to detune with a + or - timing set up. Therefore the easiest way to make a BB breath is with the pre- 70 setup. That is my understanding and it has borne itself out in the Dr. Jeckyl, Mr. Hyde change in performance in my 351m and two 460's. After that, a nice of Dove heads, headers, rv cam and it will keep pullin' long after your hands start to sweat.

4.10 gears help too. I don't even want to think of what highway gears would be like. For me 4.10's act like a foot governor

I'm concerned with what that change, to straight up 0 degrees will do to all the computer stuff(can it adjust?) injectors(which I know little about) etc. etc.

I'm sure somebody has done it, somewhere. Its an old, old therom of 460dom

yah i really have no idea about computers, but i know what you are talking about a little more now. i advanced the cam timing on my FE and it gained some low end power, i only have 3.00 rear and i could notice it, i wish i had the money to buy a 4.10 for my car haha. do you have the money to rip all that computer stuff off and put a 4bbl intake on it, you can get them pretty cheap for that motor. that would get rid of all the computer issues. are the later model 460 blocks the same as the older ones? i dont think i have ever seen one.

That's a fuel injected engine, right??? I've done the straight up gears on many a 460, not sure what it would do to with a computer controlled EFI engine, or if the computer would even know you did it.

i'd leave the timing alone. the computer is set up to work in a certain specifications, and if you get out of that specifications, then the computer don't know what to do. if you need a little more power then add an msd box or something similar. **)

The best thing for that truck is a duall exaust and leave the rest alone.If it has the factory exaust on it still.I have a 89 and from 2 foot away you cant even hear the biggest engine ford made running,The muffler /exaust is very restrictive.Then if you want to get real tricky you can cut the air horns out of the intake hoses.If that is still stock the engine is breathing out of 2 quater size holes:LOL: .You will loose a little low end from these mods,but it will not stop pulling at 3800 rpm after that.There is a plastic piece in the middle of the intake hoses ,look at both sides of that to see the air horns.
Ohh and to answer your question the fuel injected motors are straight up timing starting 86-87. It started in 71-72 and went till the fuel injection.

thank you shawnlee. That sounds like a pretty reasonable (inexpensive) place to start.

the gear will work just fine, your cam has a magnetic trigger, so your computer wont even notice the difference of the gear.... i dont know the EFI 460s too well so i'm not sure if the magnet/magnets are on the gear or the cam.. that you would have to find out first, if its on the cam then you're good to go

Well, assuming shaawnlee is correct, Ford went back to straight up timing in 85-86, so as interesting as the question seemed, it has become moot.

Personally I miss the days the computer consisted of a box on the fire wall and you carried an extra just in case. Almost a computerless electronic ignition. I guess that's why I'm trying to relive my childhood with a 77 4x4 crewcab/429 project in the garage.

Thanks for all your input

John

i prefer cars with no computer at all.... even though they have come a long way.... with OBDII at least theres some sort of standard..... they're getting better and better at the car actually being able to diagnose the problem for you.... soon you wont have to even look at a freeze frame to compare with the DTC to figure out exactly whats going on....

I am not 100 percent positive on the straight cam position ,..but I am sure it would not hurt to put a new timing chain on at 100,000 miles and use one that allowed you to advance/retard the cam.I have almost 250,000 miles on mine in stock form and it turns about 3200 rpm at 65 with the c-6 transmission,they are really good trucks.

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Originally Posted by johnnyd

I brought the cleanest 1990 f-350 4x4 Lariat home tonight that south Texas had to offer.

In all my earlier 77-79 460 trucks I installed an early model straight up timing gear. Is this still a good idea with the later model fuel injected motors? Computers? Pros and cons?

The truck has 100K, no smoke or blowby, auto trans w/od, 200 amp alternator, and what sure feels like 4.10 gears.

Thanks for any info, sources etc

John D. De Paolo

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JohnnyD,

The 1990 460FI motor already comes from the factory with a roller timing chain that is installed straight up and not retarded like the late model carbed engines. The OBD1 computer takes care of the emmissions.

In regards to changing it anyway, what you need to do is check for timing chain stretch. Remove the distributor cap and watch the rotor while turning the crank pulley. Once the rotor turns, stop turning the crank pulley and try going the other way...and see how far the crankshaft may be turned before the distributor rotor also turns. More than 3-degrees of crank rotation and it's time to change the timing chain. IF you cannot see the rotor turning (because the distributor is at the back of the engine) then have a friend watch and tell you when it turns. Then, mark the location of the crank and turn it the other way until your buddy tells you again that the dizzy is turning.

But I doubt your timing chain needs changing; a friend of mine has a 1991 F250 and his waterpump went out at 444,000 miles. Since he was already changing the waterpump, he decided to pull the front cover and do the timing chain at the same time. What he found was that the oem chain was still perfectly tight. Last I heard, he has 500,000 miles on the truck.

Paul