If we're excluding crate engines, the biggest of the bunch is the Cadillac 500.
Close second: Cadillac 472
Gotcha again, the big block Ford Super Duty 534 (8.8L) was the biggest from the factory (excluding crate motors) and was produced in large vehicles (like dump trucks etc)for a long time, from 1958-1981 and would eat a lot of diesels on the road for breakfast, and for a gas engine would likely compare to some of the smaller diesels of today (such as the 5.9L Cummins). These engines in the Marine version called the Seamaster were also offered with a factory twin turbo setup on top of the 500+ lb-ft of torque they were already producing. The 401, 477, and 534 big blocks were actually produced in the Plant 2 that produced 351 Cleveland engines. These engines were large, heavy, low speed, high torque motors. Most were installed in large industrial vehicles. All that torque was produced just off idle, similar the same way diesel engines lay down power.
Also, there was the Ford GAA Engine, 1,100ci, the original big block that powered Sherman Tanks (and was produced for 10+ years) that put down an astounding 1,050 lb-ft in torque and 500hp, and with a few simple mods (such as installing and MSD ignition system, and triple 4 barrel carbs and a tune up) will put down 1500+. Also the technology was seriously advanced as it was a full HEMI engine (yes before Chrysler made it popular), dual overhead cam, 32 valve, 4 valves per cylinder, aluminum block and heads, heads that flow rediculously well with valves and ports that would make any performance engine cry, dual carbs that sucked in 960+ cfm, dual magnetos, etc etc. Oh, and it's about the same size as a 460 and can be installed in just about any vehicle that had a 385 series engine in it (those are the 429's and 460's etc.) That was pretty high tech for the 1940s and 1950s. The engine also was a low compression engine, at 7.5:1, which was all it could handle with the 80 octane fuel that was produced back then. Up that now and turbo it (its been done, and twin turbos etc) and it will churn out a streetable and reliable 2,000+ lb-ft of torque all the way from idle to redline and do it with a grin with no stress on the engine. No transmission on the market today can handle that sort of power (stock anyways). Show me a factory GM or Chrysler engine that could match those numbers back then. That engine actually started as an airplane V12, producing 770+ horsepower and who knows what insane number of torque. There was no demand for that engine anymore so Ford chopped off 4 cylinders and made it a V8 for the Sherman tanks. It's been put in trucks, Mustangs and many other vehicles.
Yeah, it was the biggest, but it wasn't really a performance engine. It was put in big Cadillacs in like 1970-1976.
This. The Cadillac 500 has some aftermarket support now and can be built up to be a nice performer. It wasn't a high revving engine but it could lay down some serious torque. A good friend of mine actually has a Cadillac 500 stuffed into a Chevy S-10 pickup truck. It's his drag truck and with a stock Caddy motor it runs 12s (with slicks) in the 1/4 mile. Take the slicks off and the car becomes road legal. He drives it around with his 4cyl Jeep Wrangler and his LS1 Trans Am (1998 I think, but if I'm wrong on the year its that body style).
Neither was the 460 IIRC ?
The 460 wasn't a performance engine stock really, it still made a lot of power but it's introduction came in at the wrong time much like the 351M and 400 engines that were based on 351 Clevelands...in fact one could argue that it is a tall deck Cleveland with a Windsor style crank....but its popular in hot rodding now. The 429 is the EXACT same thing, only difference being the crank to produce more stroke in the 460. They are identical. Ford offers Siamese bore reproduction aluminum blocks label A460 that can be built in the 600+ cubic inch range right on their website (along with NASCAR FR9 motors that replaced the 351 Windsors they used up until 2009 and many other engines that have not been produced as far back as the 1960s). Siamese bore engines just means that there is no water coolant passages between the cylinders allowing for a larger overbore (not possible with thin-wall cast blocks as previously built). In fact if you look at Toyota's NASCAR engine, its a CARBON COPY of a 351 Cleveland, and Chevy's LS series engines are based on Ford small blocks as well. Seriously, take a head off a LS engine bolt it on a old Ford block. Very very small changes...it almost works. It will even bolt up.
Well it wasn't strictly a performance engine; it was used in police interceptors, and also put in trucks and motorhomes that had to haul huge amounts of weight. But, the 460 is very closely related to the 429, which is very performance orientated.
The 429 and the 460 are the same engine excluding cranks. There were other 429s, like the Boss 429 (very different), 429 Thunder Jet, 429 CJ and SCJ (difference between those 2 is forged internals). 429 PI's and 429 PC's etc. Those engines went in everything from large cars to trucks to whatever you wanted to drop them in. People can argue that some years made les power than others and they did, but there are many many stock engine dynos that show very high power outputs from some of these engines...
When I think 460, I'm picturing big lincolns and Ford pick-ups.
You learn something new everyday I guess. 👍
460s were put in literally everything a small block could have been in (for the most part). There was a rediculously large amount of vehciles they are installed in. There is millions of engines and blocks laying around waiting to be built up. Same goes for just about every other engine (with the exception of Clevelands and some FE engines etc). Some of those are getting tough to find but Ford has stepped up and started offering engine blocks that haven't been produced in 40 years on their Ford Racing website. If I wanted a Boss 351 engine and couldn't find a suitable block to start, I can literally get on their website and buy and BRAND NEW engine block, mind you this car was built for 2 years in very limited numbers and the 2 years had large differences, and I can build a Boss 351 motor like it just rolled out of the factory, only differences being parts made out of lightweight aluminum for performance reasons.
They were very common in those, too. As were the 400 V8s, which were supposed to be the more "fuel efficient" of the big engines.
There were also 360s and 390s that were used which are part of the FE engines, which birthed the 427 and 428 engines.
The 351M and 400 were 335 series or 351 Cleveland based engines. They are identical to 351 Clevelands excluding small variances like the taller deck, poopy heads and Windsor crank parts like larger diameter main journals etc. The 400 has the largest stroke of any Ford small block. That engine is actually starting to gain popularity in the aftermarket worlds (as are 351Ms, same engine except for a crank difference) because of the large stroke, very few parts on that engine will make it a VERY stout performer. Since it used a Windsor style crank, before aftermarket took off for the Windsor engine and everyone was building Clevelands, people would shave down the counterweights on the 400's crank and throw them in Windsor engines along with 400 rods, making an old school style long rod stroker. With aftermarket today its costly and unnecessary however. I've actually built one of these motors and it was a nice performer.
They weren't designed to be more fuel efficient, they were designed to meet government emissions regulations, hence why most of the engines were strangled half to death in the 1970s and hardly made any power. This is partly why people thought those motors were boat anchors because there was no aftermarket support for them. That has since changed. They aren't quite as big as regular 351 Clevelands, Windsors (221, 255, 260, 289, 302, 351 etc) and 385 series engines (aka 429/460 etc) as far as aftermarket support but they are getting there slowly.
@KingJosh
I'll take the Lincoln, simply because it looks more classy and stylish. Not a big '50s car fan though.
My turn to do one:
1979 Ford F-250 Custom 4x4
Top Speed: 110 (pegged at 85)
Engine: 400ci 6.6L V8 (many other options as well)
Horsepower: 170 @ 3,200rpm
Torque: 319 @ 1,400rpm
Gas Mileage: 12 city / 16 highway
Rear Axle Gears: 3.73/4.10
Weight: 6,700 lbs
Transmission: 3 Speed Auto / 4 Speed Manual w/ granny gear
Towing Capacity: 16,500lbs
Bed Capacity: 6,500lbs
vs
1985 Ford F-250 4x4
Top Speed: 110 (pegged at 85)
Engine: 460ci 7.5L V8 (many other options as well)
Horsepower: 245 @ 4,400rpm
Torque: 400 @ 2,600rpm
Gas Mileage: 10 city / 14 highway
Rear Axle Gears: 3.73/4.10
Weight: 6,600 lbs
Transmission: 3 Speed Auto / 4 Speed Manual w/ granny gear
Towing Capacity: 37,000lbs
Bed Capacity: 6,500lbs
