We need a new carb for my Dad's 460 F150 (1978). I already have the adapter plate for an aftermarket 4 barrel but need help picking something out. It is bone stock and is just used for truck like things. I am thinking (from a small amount of internet research) that a 600-650 should be plenty. I am looking through THESE and having a hard time telling what I should order. Cheaper is better, but I do want something that will work well this the truck.
Also, I saw that the 460 has a huge retard in timing and if I order a 71 timing set (I guess from a 429) that it will set it back to zero. Is this true?
THESE are my new go-to carburetor for the street. They just flat work.
The 625 CFM model should be fine for a street-driven mostly-stock 460. Unless he's routinely shifting at 5,000 RPM.
You are correct, a pre-smog timing set is needed to bring the timing back to "straight up". A 71 set should work. You can buy them for about $40. We've run them in our LeMons car and they really wake the old smoggers up. Best bang for the buck you can do.
The smog heads have EGR and a small port in the back of the heads. Remove the EGR plumbing and stick a freeze plug in the hole in the heads. It's Dorman P/N 555-120.
When you want to go more exotic, read my build HERE. Most of the 460 tricks I've learned over the years are detailed.
I looked through your thread after you diswaded me from the 400 in my Ranchero. Do you think that the Street Demon is likely to be a mostly drop on solution? I am only at 800ft elevation. You are my new favorite hero for providing a part # with the freeze plug suggestion!!
In reply to singleslammer:
Awe. blush You're welcome. I get so frustrated asking for information on the internet and getting a bunch of people saying to just do "x-y-z" without any specifics. Not helpful. It took me an hour or so of searching to figure out what the right freeze plug was for the engine. So now it took you 9 minutes. 
Pay it forward.
BTW, Summit Racing has these plugs listed for $4.95. Unmentioned in their listing is that is for a box of 10. So I now have an extra 8 of them. If you need two, I'll toss them in an envelope and mail them to you. PM me your address.
I bought a 625 Street Demon with the phenolic center piece for a 383 Chrysler. It bolted on, hooked up easily, and the car started, ran, and drove with only a small adjustment to the idle screw. It was terrific- far superior to the Edelbrock 625s I've used in the past.
A few months later, my wife's Camaro was running poorly. I swapped the Edelbrock on it for the Demon that was on the 383 and it worked great on the 350 in her Camaro, too.
I bought the carb from a fellow GRMer who runs a speed shop near me. His email is Sales@robsrodshop.com. He'll ship, too, and generally matches Summit's prices.
Robbie
UltraDork
12/9/16 11:42 a.m.
800+ CFM double pumper.
Its what roadkill would do.
Just put one of these on top of the engine.
Or, for more performance:
Yes. A bone stock 460 needs at least 1050 CFM worth of carburetor!
One of these days, I really need to get my grandfather's 79 F-150 / 460 back on the road, before it rusts into a pile.
I'm a big fan of a good old fashioned Holley 600 or 650. Mechanical secondaries for manual, vacuum secondaries for automatic.
Qjet is by far my favorite carb, but adapting one to a squarebore intake ruins it.
But you are thinking correctly with size. You don't need any more than 600.
In reply to curtis73:
That's why I like the Demon. It takes some of the Qjet's (and thermoquad) ideas and improves upon them. And it mounts to a squarebore manifold.
volvoclearinghouse wrote:
Just put one of these on top of the engine.
Or, for more performance:
If the women don't find ya handsome, they'll sure find ya handy...
https://www.youtube.com/embed/G7nRRykiOGc
keep your stick on the ice
The Holley Street Demon 625 gets here Tuesday. It will probably be a week or more before I can get it installed. If all goes well, my Galaxie is likely getting one next fall.
In reply to EvanR:
I am going to chalk that up to you being awake in the middle of the night on Sunday...
The Demon came a day early. It is installed on the truck now!
Pulled the old carb and installed the new one in about 2 hours. Not too bad for someone that has basically never worked with car carbs before.
No tuning done and the choke is still not wired in but it runs and idles out of the box. Full throttle needs attention but I can actually drive it now without it dying at stop lights. So happy.
Ford put quadrajets on a few big blocks on the 70's. I forget what the application was, but it was a better idea than that spreadbore Motorcraft carb that they usually used..
I suggest you do the same.
Edit: teh googles tells me it was the 429 Cobrajets in 70 and 71 that got the best carburetor ever invented..
