Backdating a '78 200 engine - suggestions

[aribert]

I am planning on putting a low mileage 200 that I aquired for the great sum of $50 (+ $50 for an R134A underdash aftermarket A/C system; GLOAT - these deals just don't happen to me) into my '61 Falcon. I intend for the engine to remain relatively stock looking (with respect to '61).

Distributor:
I don't want to use the big diameter dist cap as found on a DSII along with the module so is there a prefered distributor prior to the DSII? Would that be '69 to '73? Humor me - I know that I am giving up potential performance with this proposal.

Carburation:
Ultimately, I intend to have a Weber 2bbl under my stock air cleaner housing. Initialy I figured on starting off with a 1 bbl. But which one? I have readily available: 1904? from my '61 170, carb from '66 200 & carb on the '78 200.
Does it make any significant difference with respect to the Weber's orientation? It is my understanding that the fuel bowl should face forward to minimize fuel slosh/starvation. I just reread the Weber sticky and noticed that someone had their Weber oriented so that the fuel bowl was facing the LH side of the car (towards the distributor). Doing the same would make my throttle linkage very straight forward.

Thanks for reading this long post. Answers to any of the questions would be most welcome.

 

[Asa]

i believe the DSI is the same as the DSII except for the cap, it's an old school looking one

so you might be able to get away with using that
as for the carb stuff, i dunno

 

[aribert]

OK I'm intrigued - what year(s) was the DS1 out there, available on all 200/250 for those years? I did a quick Google search and found nothing - could be more the fault of my search skills. Anyone know how long the distance the module can be away from the distributor? If the DS1 looks like a points and I can mount the module under the dash this could be a very good thing. What are the problems w/ the DS1 as compared to the DS2 - if any? With a smaller cap are there arcing / rotor short issues? My other toy is a Triumph 6 cyl w/ a Crane ignition (& 3 triple Weber sidedrafts) and the weak link becomes the stock rotor as I open up the plug gap to take advantage of the electronic ign.

 

[Eric Rose]

I'm looking to do the same thing with my '78 motor pretty much. I'm probably going to put my DSII box in the same place as the old voltage regulator. The replacement DSII boxes come in a finned aluminum case so it shouldn't look too out of place. I'm not too worried about the style of the cap though.

I'm also going to try to fit a '62 air cleaner onto my Carter YF, and a '62 valve cover with eiher "FORD" lettering or no lettering at all, as opposed to my the '78 "Powered by Ford" cover.

 

[fordconvert]

I dont think there are any issues with the cap diameter for a fairly stock application. I think the larger cap was more for the V8's and they just wanted to use as many parts the same as they could. The DS1 is usually listed for the 74 Maverick. There shouldnt be issues with the distance you are talking about. If there was a shielded cable from the pickup coil to the module should do the trick.

 

[Anonymous]

go with a pertronics box inside your dist... uses same cap,wires,etc.... looks stock but gets rid of the points...for a fraction of a DS1 or II

 

[48fordnut]

what he said about the petronix.The caps will swap out from big to small in the v/8 world, I would think also in the six dept.

 

[aribert]

thanks for the info about the DS1. I'm not too keen on the Pertronix - heard a few too many people with issues.

Eric - does your '62 have a road draft tube or a PVC valve? My '61 was a California build (San Jose if I remember the build code correctly) for the California market and it has a PVC valve screwed into the carb adapter plate between the head and the carb with a hose running to the road draft port in the block. For short term, I intend to leave the '78 valve cover & PVC valve (I'll paint the block black prior to installing) and then swap in the orange valve cover from my 170 along with the original PVC valve tapped into the (future) Weber 32/36 adapter.

 

[Bort62]

Hmm, Total Cost for all new parts for $122


While the pertronix is technically a fraction of that, it's not really THAT much more expensive.

And it's a better system, and that includes all new parts. If you need new cap and rotor for your existing setup then it is almost a wash.

 

[grocery getter]

ask for a cap and rotor for a '74 maverick w/o points.
they fit the dsII and use the older style plug wires. 8)

 

[MustangSix]

Look in the DSII sticky. there's info on this cap:

 

[Eric Rose]

Eric - does your '62 have a road draft tube or a PVC valve? .

My '62 probably had a road draft tube from the factory. The carter YF and the '78 engine are both meant for PCV so I guess I hill have to stay with a valve cover that is compatible with PCV. Hadn't really thought about that. I may go with one of the chrome ones now.

 

[63redtudor]

All the blocks from '67 on that I've seen do not have the road draft tube hole cast in. There's usually a small mount with a couple of threaded holes, but nothing that you'd be able to use for a road draft. I'm not even too sure there's even a passageway in the block. If you really wanted the road draft, you'd have to find a different location to mount it & it wouldn't look stock.
Edwin

 

[63redtudor]

Check this thread:
http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50919
& look at the picture of the engine block. There's no road draft tube hole, typical for a post-67 engine.
Edwin

 

[aribert]

Thanks for the update on the lack of a road draft port - I have removed the smog pump but the smog pump brkt is still attached and is covering the block where the hole was on earlier blocks. Since all the other features appeared to be on the block (original dipstick hole - plugged, clutch Z-bar ball stud threaded mtg hole) I just assumed that I would find a pressed in plug where the road draft port used to exist - as on a '66 block. This is the first time that I have dealt with a newer than '66 block. I was hoping to reuse all of my '61 PCV parts by pressing in the 90 deg ell and hooking up the piping to the PCV that screws into the carb adapter. I really wanted to reuse my stock '61 valve cover.

Anyone care to comment about my carburetion questions in my original post - 1) which 1 bbl to use for this season (have carbs available from my '61 170, '66 200 & '78 200) - 2) turning a Weber 2 bbl 90 deg so that the fuel bowl is facing the distributor instead of the radiator (my Weber book shows that the fuel bowl should face forward but one of the .jpgs in the Weber sticky with the carb rotated 90 deg).