I have a 1964 Falcon with a 170 inline six. I'm in the process of restoring the car. I have read about the 200 having 7 crank journals while my 170 has 4. My question is, should I find a 200 to rebuild or rebuild my 170? Would it be worth the additional investment for dependability and performance?
170 or 200
- Thread starter Okie
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Its going to depend on your goals for your 1964 Falcon and like if you are wanting to keep the car mostly factory original or dont mind Moding it. Otherwise don't be afraid of using the the 170 4 main six block for dependability and performance they are plenty tough and back when I was still going to high school there were lots of Hot Rodded 170's with the Triple 1V Carbs and 4 speeds even some with Paxton Super Chargers! The 1964 Falcon's also got the 200's in a few of the higher trim models and they were also a 4 main block (you can still ID them with the Block Design / Casting numbers and their 5 Freeze Plugs on the side) if you found one of those Unicorn's to build or even just its crankshaft cheap then you could drop it into your 170 to build a 181 or more Cu. In. The 200 dose have a bit more torque though if you go that direction its better to find a 1966 or newer if you want to use a Manual trans with the bigger flywheel and clutch. Best of luck
It is possible/likely that you do not have the original block and/or head right now. Check the casting numbers. If it was mine I would probably put a mild torque cam in it, they have a smooth idle as far as I know, and follow the advice in the Falcon Performance Handbook regarding head upgrades. A stock rebuild is missed opportunity in my opinion, you can get a good bump in performance and be in stealth mode. To a casual observer the exterior of the engine would be correct as they are fond of saying. What transmission is in your Falcon?
I agree with Bubba22349 in that it would depend on your goals for the car. if your goal is to sell the car at auction, then its not a missed opportunity, its just getting it back to its highest value for collectors. or if you like the idea of keeping it as factory original as possible, then go that route; if you just want to drive it everyday and want to increase its road reliability, then a mild-cam, tighter valve springs, double roller timing chain, roller tipped rockers (not double roller rockers), would definitely be on the wish list for the rebuild.
bottom end doesn't NEED a lot of work, but I would personally look into the Toyota 1JZ-GTE H-Beam con-rods, and if they are ideal for what you are wanting, as they would need to be shaved to fit in a SB6, and the crank journals would need to be turned down to fit the 1jz crank bearings.
I also agree with bmbm40 in that a completely factory rebuild is a wasted opportunity, even on a 170. there are so many things that can be done to the inside of the engine, without changing its sound, but increase reliability, and usable power-band that it really is a missed opportunity to rebuild either engine back to stock, but that is taking into account the goals I personally have. it may not be what you want at all.
bottom end doesn't NEED a lot of work, but I would personally look into the Toyota 1JZ-GTE H-Beam con-rods, and if they are ideal for what you are wanting, as they would need to be shaved to fit in a SB6, and the crank journals would need to be turned down to fit the 1jz crank bearings.
I also agree with bmbm40 in that a completely factory rebuild is a wasted opportunity, even on a 170. there are so many things that can be done to the inside of the engine, without changing its sound, but increase reliability, and usable power-band that it really is a missed opportunity to rebuild either engine back to stock, but that is taking into account the goals I personally have. it may not be what you want at all.
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