200 Questions

[I66coupe]

New member here. Rande's the name. have some mild mods I want to perform on my car. I look to the body of knowledge here for some guidance. I have read quite a bit here before posting but still have some questions.

I have a 1966 coupe with the 200 engine, 3 speed tranny and 3.20 open rear. The weak 2.77 tranny has blown, I am planning a T5 swap and then some engine upgrades. The car presently has 41,000 original miles and runs great. I am using a T5 from 1990 4 cyl. Mustang for the lower 1st gear and the lower overdrive. I am looking for a mild performance upgrade with an eye to efficiency, drivability and reliability. I don't want to drasticly change the appearance of the engine compartment. Headers, multiple carbs and cross-flow heads are out.

I have some questions about the engine. I want to use a later head for the hardened valve seats. I understand that I will need use a post-74 head and will need to shave .075 from the head to regain the lost compression, use a .050 gasket and the pushrods won't have to be shortened. If I use a pre-1980 head, I won't have the manifold mounted EGR port to worry about. Will this head come stock with bronze valve giudes? If not, should I have them installed? I was planning on a 3 angle valve job. How about aftermarket springs, retainers and locks? Don't wish to spend the money for roller tipped rockers, they seem to be very expensive. I know they would be advantageous but I don't have unlimited funds for this. I am planning to have Pony Carbs restore the 1100 Autolite carb. With the later head and its slightly larger intake log, would I be better off switching to a 2bbl? With the carb under an air cleaner, it won't look very different from stock.

For the cam, I was planning to use a stock 250 unit. I understand this will give me a mild performance boost without any bad manners or lopey idle.

How about exhaust manifolds? If I have it correct, 1969-1970 250 will give me a stock looking manifold with larger passages, and a larger outlet with no emissions holes to plug. Any other years to look for?

Then a DurasparkII distributor with an MSD5 or perhaps an MSD6A box and an MSD Blaster2 coil. What years to look in for that Duraspark distributor?

Any thoughts on what I am plannig here? I use the car for cruising, and occasionally driving to work. The majority of its driving is on local highways and the interstate. I live in a small city but most of my cruising is out on the county 2 lanes, enjoying the car and the countryside (southeastern Minnesota). I need to replace the exhaust manifold due to some nasty cracks. I want to install hardened valve seats (otherwise, there's nothing wrong with the head) so I can stop feeding it lead substitute. I need to repaint the engine and some of the engine compartment.

So, since I have the engine out for the tranny swap and want the head work done, the exhaust manifold replaced, I thought I may as well upgrade things a bit.

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

one thing, measure the cc of the head and do the math before you mill anything off the head.
I just purchaced the Holley/Weber 5200 from stovebolt. This carb from everything I've read and heard (I'll find out soon 8) ) is great for crusing (torque and milage from the small primary + extra power over stock when ya need it).
I don't use lead substitute, I always wondered if I should. Haven't noticed any problems yet.

 

[CobraSix]

Rande,

First of all, welcome to FSP.

Okay...a couple of things:

1) Why use lead substitute? I know it is probably better then without, but I just ran 89 or 91 Octane and I usually avoided most problems. For occasional driving, you'll not notice the difference in wear on the exhaust valves.

2) Consider the headers. I know you don't want to change the appearance drastically, but headers are nice. If you are considering a DS2 conversion, that is a very obvious difference in the engine compartment. Consider Pertronix instead. It will fit under the stock cap and rotor, and will also allow use of MSD ignitions. There is no real performance difference between the two. I've run both.

3) Cam. If you want better performance, with a stock look, here is where you start. Consider a 260 or 270* cam. They are still mild enough not to cause a big lope (my 260 cam runs as smooth as can be at idle) but will give you big gains in valve lift. That will give you a big improvement in performance.

4) While Pony Carbs does a real nice job (I have one of their 1100s), Personally, I'd put that money else where. $200 for a restore is pretty pricey even though it does what they say, and corrects (or improves) some of the inherent problems of the 1100. I love the 1100 carbs.

5) also, if you are having hardened valve seats installed, consider having larger valves installed. That will also help a lot in the performance area.

6) Get an exhaust port divider. Good investment, even with a manifold.

Slade

 

[I66coupe]

Slade, Thanks for the reply.

I use lead substitute because I don't want the valves hammering their way into the head. I have no experience with running an engine designed for leaded gas on unleaded and no additive. I thought it a good idea to use the substitute. I could be wrong.

I really, really don't like the look of headers no matter how good they are. I can accept the Duraspark distributor's large cap and the external box. But headers are too much. I must build the engine to use the stock exhaust manifold. If one from another year is a bit bigger and looks pretty much the same, I'd like to do that for slightly more efficient exhaust flow. The rest of the exhaust system would be enlarged to match, I could easily use a performance muffler as long as it doesn't get too loud and obnoxious. I haven't really considered the Pertronix unit because of the possibility of cross-fire in the small distributor cap with a 45,000 volt spark.

If I didn't mind big changes, I'd use the 429/C6 combo in the shed! That's what my brother keeps telling me to do. The car is otherwise all original and I want to keep it looking that way. Heck it even has the original spare tire (holding 1966 air as far as I could determine) with the rubber wiskers still on it!

I'm looking for a mild performance boost since I have to do some work on the engine anyway and its already out.

Tony, I am asking about the late model head because if I simply have hardened seats installed in my '66 head, I still have the small intake log and the small valves. I hesitate to just have the existing head done if there is a better alternative. With a late model head I should get the hardened valve seats, the better intake log and bigger valves all at once.

Slade, who makes that cam you are talking about? I hesitate to go big on the cam ( I know next to nothing about cams and their specs) since I'm sticking with a stock exhaust manifold and a single carb. I know the Autolite 1100 is not the best choice by any means but I figured if I had it rebuilt by the Pony folks, and informed them of my mods, they could make it work better for me. I do understand that even with my rather mild mods, going with a 2 bbl would probably be best. With the carb hidden under the air cleaner, I could live with it. Making one work on the log si the problem. An adapter to a 2bbl would move the carb up high enough that I would have to lose the water heated adapter already there. Does someone make a 2bbl adapter that contains the water jacket? This 2bbl idea may not work.

This Holley/Weber carb is one I have not heard about. I'll have to do some searching and find out what it is.

Understand, I don't like making visual changes. You won't find scoops, lower suspension, custom wheels, flame paint jobs, superchargers on my car. I have to keep this simple with a minimum of externally obvious changes.

 

[Asa]

for the cam, head over to
www.fordsixparts.com

that's Mike's site (AzCoupe) he's got a good amount of goodies for the six, but since you seem to want to keep the stock appearance, i'm not sure how many of them you'll be able/willing to use

 

[Anonymous]

Using unleaded is not going to harm your valves. It was a lot of hype and concern over nothing unless you are doing long hot laps at a track.
I installed a Weber 2 bbl (32/36) carb and was amazed at the increased pep and response. I had rebuilt the stock carb several times. I suspected the stock carb may be undersized when my 58 Harley with a stock Linkert carb had as big a venturi as the Mustang. I also am very pleased with the MSD box and the Pertronix setup. Better throttle response, and less fouling of the plugs. Now if I can get that T5 bolted up this weekend.

 

[CobraSix]

I've never had a problem with my valves using unleaded gas. Like Doug said, it's really not going to make a difference.

I hear you about making the mods look nice. My car is to remain stock looking from the outside. I've already hidden all sorts of things in the car. CD player, 4 speakers, T5...all hidden so unless you really look, you won't find them (you can't see the speakers unless you take the car apart).

I used a comp cams 260H kit. Ran about $200 for the complete kit including new higher rate valve springs, new lifters, valve seals, etc. The real advantage of the cam isn't the increased duration (at least not for the 260H) but from the increased lift. When I was running an 1100 with the T5 and the 260 Cam, it really woke the engine up. Very happy with the cam.

I never had a problem with cross fire with the pertronix and 40k volt coil. it would once again be more of a problem if you are racing the engine. Around town driving...you should be fine.

Slade

 

[mugsy]

Your plan sounds basically sound.

Just one note, the stock valve guides are not bronze. They are cast iron. Only mess around with the valve guides if they are "too big". Basically if they are too big you have three choices: 1) the machinist "knurls" the inside and re-hones them back into spec 2) the machinist drills them out and presses in bronze guides 3) you throw the head away.

The diference from the valve stem OD and the guide ID is like 0.001-0002 or something in that range. The clearance is very small is the point here. Anyway, install the guides ONLY if you need them. Save your $ for other (fun) things .

 

[Anonymous]

I said that because you gave an exact amount to mill off a head you do not have. These heads volumes varried. CC it yourself and do the math then decide what you need to mill off.

 

[I66coupe]

Right Tony, good point. When the time comes I'll be sure about the CCs of the chambers first. I may get a head thats already been shaved for level.

 

[Hot 6t Falcon]

Hi 66,

One more piece about the $200 Pony carb you're thinking about. It won't bolt on a '74 to '80 head. The '60 to '68 carbs had a 1.5 throttle bore and the '69 and newer had a 1.75 throttle bore. You could do it with an adapter, but that won't look stock, and why put a small carb where a bigger one belongs. At the very least get a one barrel off a '69 up 250 ci. It would give you the "stock" look, but considerably more breath.

The Holley/Weber is a progressive two-barrel carb that would be a very visual change to any other "Ford six" person - the rest of the idiots out there wouldn't have a clue. The H/W works like 1/2 of a four barrel with one primary barrel that opens to about 2/3 and then the secondary barrel starts to open. They both hit wide open throttle at the same time. The carb and adapter from Stovebolt engineering would be less than $200. Stovebolt is a Chevy Six site, but he's got the carbs and parts.
http://www.stoveboltengineco.com/acartpro/category.asp?catcode=33

Listen to the other fellows about the cam. A 250 cam isn't worth the effort to change to. If you are going to buy a cam, get at least a 260.

For ignition, If you want a "stock" look, you can put a Petronix inside your stock distributor. You can also use a '75 Maverick DuraSpark I distributor cap and rotor on a Duraspark II. The "II" has the big ugly blue cap, and the "I" has a normal black stock-looking cap. For my money, I'd use the DuraSpark over the Petronics because it is about bullet proof.

Order an exhaust port divider TODAY and have it installed in your head EVEN if you use a cast iron manifold.

WELCOME TO FORD SIX!!!
Good luck with your project.
PS Go to the web site in my signature

 

[addo]

You could consider a "split" manifold. This would take a later large-volume exhaust, and have an extra outlet welded into it. Like Dennis said, only if you are intimately acquainted with the Ford small six would you notice the difference. But you'd have significantly more exhaust flow.

Regards, Adam.

 

[pmhvps]

Rande? Hi. Minnesota? Overhead console?
If it's you, thanks again and welcome.
Mike.

 

[I66coupe]

Yep, its me. BTW I have the bracket ready to go, will be sent out today. If you're lucky, you won't have to pay an extra $40 for it. :roll: