My friend has the opportunity to buy a truck with a 429 super cheap. I think its a late 70s f-800, not sure about either one, but its a big flat bed. It has a 429 big block in it with a 4 barrel. Is this motor worth building? or is a 429 from this application different than other 429s? if so, what are the differences?

I'm not really sure on the year, but I know that Ford put industiral 429/460's in the medium duty trucks. I can't remember all the differences but I do remember it was a bear of a time trying to get parts for the industiral 429/460's. Like I said I can't remember what year Ford stopped doing this, because I know my father had a couple 80's F800's and they had a typical fuel injected 460.

UTfball68 said:

I'm not really sure on the year, but I know that Ford put industiral 429/460's in the medium duty trucks. I can't remember all the differences but I do remember it was a bear of a time trying to get parts for the industiral 429/460's. Like I said I can't remember what year Ford stopped doing this, because I know my father had a couple 80's F800's and they had a typical fuel injected 460.

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Not a typical FI 460, because Ford never offered this engine in Medium Duty trucks.

370 & 429 only: 1979/91.

FT engines: 1964/78.

Gotcha Bill, I just knew my dad had a 429/460 in his flatbeds and assumed it was a 460...so then yeah it was a 429.

ok I called him, it is a 79 and it is an f-800 he's going to get the casting numbers off the block, I figure that will help.

broke as a joke said:

ok I called him, it is a 79 and it is an f-800 he's going to get the casting numbers off the block, I figure that will help.

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How will that help?

Block casting numbers cannot be decoded or cross referenced to actual Ford part numbers.

The 4th digit of the VIN is the engine code:

1979 F800: A = 370 2V / C = 429 4V.

oh, I just figured they would, he's being a sissy and doesn't want to shovel it out anyway. there is no question that its a 429, his boss said he can have it for free if he pulls it out, I was just wondering if this engine would be worth rebuilding for a light truck application or if he should just get a car/truck motor else where and start with that... sounds like even for free it may not be worth the trouble.

Rebuilding yes Selling yes, making him a ford hotrod ohh yes.

broke as a joke said:

I was just wondering if this engine would be worth rebuilding for a light truck application or if he should just get a car/truck motor else where and start with that... sounds like even for free it may not be worth the trouble.

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Yeah man, if I were him, I'd find something else.

They use a large crank snout (can be machined down) and timing cover is alot differant but will swap for a normal piece.The crank is also Steel and is good if you are going to use a large roots blower after the crank snout is machined down to the normal diamter.

alright this is the kind of info I was looking for, and it settles it, he's probably going to keep looking for something else