Please help me ID my 460 engine

No way to tell really what specific year it is unless it has the factory tag on the valve cover. If you look at the casting number on the block by the starter you can tell which castings you have which is all you really need to know anyhow. The heads are the other important part and those will be up on the outer edge of the cylinder head near where it meets the block. You cannot actually tell a 429 from a 460 though without looking at the numbers on the crankshaft.

Somewhere on this site there is a chart with all of the different cylinder head casting numbers, but just post up what you've got and I will tell you what it is.

The numbers will be something like D3VE-A2A, where the D means the decade and the 3 represents the year in that decade, in this case 1973. This does not mean you have a 1973 engine block/heads, but that the part was a 1973 casting design.

So, go take a look and tell us whatcha got!

The cylinder head casting numbers are located on the outside of the head, along the valve cover mounting rail and between the 3rd and 4th exhaust ports. The are visible simply by raising the hood and looking at the engine. You should be able to find a cast-in alphanumeric number, possibly one of the following:

• C8VE-E
• C9VE-A
• D0VE-C
• D2VE-AA
• D3VE-A2A

Or, it may appear similar to one of the above numbers but a little different.

The block casting number is located on the ouside of the engine, at the rear of the cylinder bank, behind the starter motor and reads vertically. There, you should be able to find a cast-in alphanumeric number, possibly one of the following:

• C8VE-B
• C9VE-B
• D0VE-A
• D1VE-A2B
• D9TE-AB

Or, it may appear similar to one of the above numbers but a little different.

Paul

mudbogtom said:

Aren't some of the later versions of the D3VE heads marked under the manifold where it would be difficult to see the casting numbers while installed?

Tom

Click to expand...

In the later D3VE heads, yes.

In the very late D3VE heads, the number may be cast on the underside of the head. Look at the picture below/casting number is on the intake flange (underside) between the pushrod holes in the head:



This is the typical casting number location on 1985 D3VE-A2A's and 1986 E6TE-DA's.

Thanks, Tom,

Paul