'68 460 C8VE heads

[SixManCab]

I was poking around in a local junkyard and came across a 460 with C8VC heads. I unbolted the VC's and the heads look real clean--no sludge, carbon, etc. They have the non-adjustable rockers. I have a '73 460 bored .060" over, deck shaved .060", with '73 heads. Will the '68 heads bolt up to my block? Could I use the '73's adjustable rockers? Are these heads desirable--like the DOVE heads? Would it be worth it for increase in performance?

[BobbyFord]

Virtually no difference between C8, C9 or D0VE heads. All have around 75cc chambers. They can be set up for adjustable rockers. When properly ported and with the right components, can support up to 700 HP. I'd grab 'em if the price was right. They will bolt on to any 429/460 block.

[FORD428CJ]

I agree with Bobby on that. Out in the N.W. you can find them for $100 a set! Good heads......JMHO

[MotorDog]

C8 Heads have a 73.5 cc chamber. This allows for an 11.3 to 1 compression ratio with flat top pistons in a 429 engine. With a stock deck height in a 1968, 1969, or 1970 Block, using a 460 crank and flat top 460 Pistons, you would have a 10.7 to 1 compression ratio. The 1971 block has a slightly higher deck height, and would only have 10.5 to one compression ratio. Given you have "shaved" the deck of your block, (undoubtedly to raise compression with the '73 heads), .060, you could have a compression ratio by using the C8 heads that would "ping" on any gasoline you are able to buy. Octane booster would probably be a "MUST" and that could get expensive. Also, the resultant compression ratio might be way more than you would like to have to handle maintenance wise and practical drivability. Give this some careful consideration. If you are unfamiliar with how to figure all this, go to a good Machine Shop and have them work it out for you,......then decide if you want to do the C8's. I would be very careful especially because of the shaved deck height. Also, you might have to shave the heads .010 to "straighten" them up after a valve job which could be another problem. A total of .070 might be getting into the 12 or 13 to 1 compression ratio area.........

[SixManCab]

Thanks for the input. I did infact shave .060 off the '73 block to up the compression--when I used the '73 heads. I believe the machine shop shaved the heads .005(?) as well to true them up. I had that work done about ten years ago and drove the truck with that engine for a couple of years. I've had the engine out, just sitting ever since. I'd like to put it in my crewcab at somepoint, and when I came across those C8VE heads, I thought it might be a good time for a performance upgrade. I'm not sure what compression my 460 currently has, but I don't think it's too high--It didn't ping on 92 octane--any lower though and it did.

I think I'll grab those heads if I can. Maybe getting the whole engine would be a better (and safer) way to go.

Thanks for the help!

[MotorDog]

If you can get the Block then you can be sure you won't be ending up running your compression up so high as to make it become a drivability issue. Course, for an all out racer you might want that high of a compression ratio. I am running 10.7 to 1 in mine and I can run it fine on 92 Octane at 10 degrees BTC idling at about 825-850 rpm. No problems with detonation. That's the nice part of a Ford. The "Quench Chambers" in these heads allow for more compression before you get detonation allowing you to run a little higher than, say, a chevy......... (Oh, oh, I've done it now!)....Sorry about that!

[SixManCab]

Well, I guess it wasn't meant to be... I finally got back to the junkyard (two weeks later) and the heads were gone. I did grab the exhaust manifolds, but I was kind of bummed Oh well, not that I really needed them. It just goes to show if you see something--grab it while you can. I'm sure they went to a "good home".