Thread: 429 newbie questions

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I have a '73 Mustang. I'm thinking of putting a 429 in it instead of rebuilding the stock 351C 2-v. I found an ad for a rebuilt police interceptor 429/rebuilt C-6 combo. The ad says the block is a D1VE and the heads are DVEA2A. I've tried to research casting numbers...If I have it right the head #'s are missing either a 2 or a 3 after the D. If I have it right these are the worst heads for a performance rebuild and aren't interceptor heads. Am I correct? Should I stay away from this engine? I dont race, but I dont want to swap out the Cleveland umless I can get 450hp or so out of a 429. Also, what is the weight difference between a stock 429 and a stock Cleveland?

Originally posted by 6773
I have a '73 Mustang. I'm thinking of putting a 429 in it instead of rebuilding the stock 351C 2-v. I found an ad for a rebuilt police interceptor 429/rebuilt C-6 combo. The ad says the block is a D1VE and the heads are DVEA2A. I've tried to research casting numbers...If I have it right the head #'s are missing either a 2 or a 3 after the D. If I have it right these are the worst heads for a performance rebuild and aren't interceptor heads. Am I correct? Should I stay away from this engine? I dont race, but I dont want to swap out the Cleveland umless I can get 450hp or so out of a 429. Also, what is the weight difference between a stock 429 and a stock Cleveland?

I would think hard on what I want to do with the car. Do the 351C numbers match? It they do I would keep it. The engine can give you what you want. Plus you want have to modifiy your shock towers. The 429 is a nice engine, and it also is 32" Long and 26" High and 28 5/8" wide. Where the 351C is 27-1/2" Long and 20-3/4" High and 18-3/4 wide. With a little $$$ and some work you could have a nice street rod with matching #s
not to mention your hole front suspension will have to change.

Welcome to CHR.
Now where are all those Ford guys?

I was typing when a post came in, like I said running a little slow today.

Originally posted by jramshu
Welcome to CHR.
Now where are all those Ford guys?

I was typing when a post came in, like I said running a little slow today.

That's right if it broke don"t fix it.
But you can have some fun

Originally posted by TedIII
That's right if it broke don"t fix it.
But you can have some fun

You Known what I mean, Maybe its time for some spell checking

Originally posted by TedIII
You Known what I mean, Maybe its time for some spell checking

The 351C is about 550lbs and the 429 is about 650lbs

The heads aren't much to write home about, but the new John Kasse Cobra Jet heads in the SVT catalog would certainly wake up the horse!!!! I used to run a 460 stroker motor with the old Alan Root CJ aluminum heads, very strong motor. I have a couple 460's around now, waiting for the next project that needs one. The 429 motor RPM's a bit quicker than the 460's but are down on the torque numbers.

Originally posted by TedIII
I would think hard on what I want to do with the car. Do the 351C numbers match? It they do I would keep it. The engine can give you what you want. Plus you want have to modifiy your shock towers. The 429 is a nice engine, and it also is 32" Long and 26" High and 28 5/8" wide. Where the 351C is 27-1/2" Long and 20-3/4" High and 18-3/4 wide. With a little $$$ and some work you could have a nice street rod with matching #s
not to mention your hole front suspension will have to change.

Everyone I've talked to has said I can drop a 429 in a '73 Stang without any mods. Are you sure I'd have to hack the towers? Yes, the Cleveland/FMX are #'s matching. They also have 160k on them. If I swap motors I will store the Cleveland. I've been pricing a rebuild for the Cleveland and it will cost quite a bit more than the 429 I'm looking at.

Originally posted by Dave Severson
The heads aren't much to write home about

The rebuilt 429 I'm looking at has a Stealth intake, 800 cfm Edelbrock carb and an upgraded cam (not sure what kind of cam right now). Given my goal of 450hp in a car that won't be raced, should I dismiss this engine because of the poor heads? What is a ballpark figure on what a set of stock C or DOVE heads cost? There's no way I could afford new aluminum heads at this time.

If the casting numbers on the heads are D_VE-A2A,, then they are very, very likely D3VE-A2A heads.

The engine is nice and the heads are nice. Unfortuately the overall engine package of this 429, with its 3.59" stroke combined with the D3VE-A2A heads, makes for a very low compression motor. It will still move that Mustang pretty well, but just know that this particular 385 engine is probably the least powerful of the 429's released from the factory.

I understand you intend to do a swap without any other engine mods, but just to let you know, one of two things would make a notable difference in this particular engine's output would be: 1) install a 460 crankshaft, or, 2) install some early-style heads (D0VE, etc.).

The engine is a bolt-in replacement; this is in fact one of the reasons why Ford changed the Mustang (to accomodate that engine).

Keep the original parts since they are numbers matching, so to speak.

Paul

Originally posted by 6773
Everyone I've talked to has said I can drop a 429 in a '73 Stang without any mods. Are you sure I'd have to hack the towers? Yes, the Cleveland/FMX are #'s matching. They also have 160k on them. If I swap motors I will store the Cleveland. I've been pricing a rebuild for the Cleveland and it will cost quite a bit more than the 429 I'm looking at.

Well their you go. Never had a stang, but i could have just drop in a 429 in my 67 cougar without removing the sock towers,and a few mods and different trans. But what a knuckle buster,and I wanted more room to work on it with the after market heads blue thunder which take up another 1 1/2 of header space. And I also consider the extra 100lbs.

Originally posted by techinspector1
If these are the D2VE-A2A heads, they are open chamber heads and are only good as boat anchors. Ford only made them one year. If they are D3VE-A2A's, they have small valves and ports but should be ok for a moderate output street motor. The best single change you can make in this motor is to replace the timing chain and gears with a set for a '68-'71 429. ('72-up timing sets were retarded 8*). Second best change, disassemble and cut the block for zero deck, using head gaskets with a 0.040"- 0.045" compressed thickness. While you're in there, follow Paul's suggestion about the 460 crank and pistons and better heads. After that, small tube headers, Performer or Air-Gap manifold and 750 carb. That's just my opinion. Your results may vary.

Good points above. I apologize in advance for my nerdy nit-pickiness , and wish to make some corrections too:

• I don't believe there is a D2VE-A2A head. There is only a D2VE-AA head. For this reason, if the heads truly read as, D_VE-A2A, then it is 95% likely they are early D3VE-A2A wedge heads. I have seen a couple of pair of such heads and they were indeed D3VE-A2A's both of those times.
  
• D3VE-A2A heads don't have smaller valves but actually have the exact same 2.09" intake and 1.65" exhaust valve sizes as the early-style heads. And they can now be made to flow on par with early-style heads, as far as the ports go.

But with 1972-73 429 dish pistons and 429 stroke, compression will indeed remain low. It's easier to swap heads than tear down the whole block to replace pistons.

Finally, please don't be disouraged with your 1972 429 engine, I had a 1973 429 in a 5300 lb wagon and it's not so bad. Bolt it in your Mustang, sort everything out and drive it! Have fun! By the time you're ready to go though the engine, you'll have learned all about it and know precisely what you want to do.

Paul

I'm new - isthere such a thing as an internally balanced engine? 'cause my 429 doesn't have a harmonic balance.help?

All 429's are internally balanced.

All 460's through the 1978 model year are internally balanced. 1979-up 460's are externally balanced.

Paul

Hi T-bird, all of the 385 series engines (429-460) are internally balanced by the crankshaft.