Building for Street/Strip Power.

[68coupe200]

I'm going to start crackin' on stuffing a 200 into a Ranger i have, considering i got rid of the Mustang.

I'm going for the maximum amount of power i can get for use at the street/strip. The truck truly won't be a daily driver, more like a weekend toy, as i'll have my Fullsize to cover for DD duties.

The engine and trans combo going under the hood is a 200 backed by a c4 with a stock converter.

I'm considering adding a cam, a double roller timing chain and swapping on a 81 model head fully ported and polished with the stock valves. I'm also adding a header and opening up the exhaust to about 2 1/4.


As for the trans, i'm thinking of adding a shift kit, a cooler, and later on about a 2500 stall converter as the truck makes its transformation to a true track vehicle. I might even consider a manual valve body to bang the gears myself.

Anyone got some more insights into this?

(or am i just out of my mind???)

 

[Anonymous]

Remember, you'll need a remote oil filter. The stock one won't clear!!

 

[rbohm]

8) think turbo. that way you can use a milder cam and still make some serious power.

 

[MustangSix]

I'd make a looser converter a bigger priority. Retaining the stock converter will limit the type of cam you can use. If you keep the stock converter, a wild cam will be a dog.

 

[68coupe200]

I'd really like to keep it a n/a engine, as i'm not all that brilliant in setting up a turbo system, i understand how one works, but i don't think i could figure out all the plumbing myself... but maybe, later down the line i'll swap in a turbo (or 2.)

For a power adder i was thinking about a small shot of giggle gas, something in the 50-75 hp range, nothing real radical as i don't like metled pistons, and broke/burned valves.

As for the stall, i'm planning on 2500 minimum stall, and maybe a 3000 stall, but i don't think the 3000 would be well suited for street driving, if i had to drive it around town or anything.


my80chevette: where would i find a remote oil filter setup? i've never seen one for the small six.

 

[Anonymous]

Not sure, my Ranger came with the 200 already installed. I would cross reference the filter part # and see what V8(s) came with the same filter. Most V8s have remote filter setups available for them so one is bound to fit our 200. Probably uses the same one as the 302/351 family. I'll try to get the part or manufacturer off mine and get back to you.

 

[68coupe200]

Great, i'll be waiting on that P/N, i'm in no hurry, as i've still got some more work to do to the ranger before i try setting the engine in. I'm going to completely pull the front cap, so its easier to slide the 200 into the engine bay.

Best of all, my dad has agreed to help me with what he can, he used to build things like this all the time when he was a gearhead growing up.

 

[MustangSix]

The 200 uses the same oil filter as a Small block V8 so any oil cooler or remote filter for a 302 will also fit a 200.

On the converter issue, it's easier to drive a car with a mild cam and a loose converter than it is to drive one with a wild cam and a stock converter.

A stock converter stalls at 1500-1700 rom. A stock 200 is making 30-40 hp by then and probably over 125 lb/ft of torque, so it launches pretty well. With a 2500 rpm converter, you will still pull away pretty well.

A wilder engine with a 280-290 cam will only be making 15-20 hp at 1500 rpm and maybe 60 -80 ft/lbs of torque. It will feel very sluggish as the engine struggles to get up on the cam. You'll need the looser converter to be able to flash to a higher rpm where the cam is making more power.

 

[68coupe200]

I've always had a basic understanding of how the cam/stall converter issue was related. I'm going to have to get a c4 converter. My brother may have a few of those left from his mustang that might be in useable shape still. I think he had one or two trans/converter combos set up for the strip that he never even used, as he yanked the 5.0 from his mustang and has to date never put it back (being a little over 4 years ago.) So i might have a converter at least.

Thanks for clarifying that M-Six..i learn something new here every day!

 

[sefus]

Phram PH8A, I buy them in bulk.

you want to have some actual fun then either up the compression or hit it with a 100 shot. nothing will screw up if you only use the N2O every now and again. Converters for the 5oh c-4 and ours might not be the same. remember hearing that somewhere but not sure. what gears are in the truck? also grab the headder and chop it into a true dual. what carb are you thinking of using?

 

[68coupe200]

Either the YF that came on the 300's if i swap to a late model head. (i've got an 81 head available for swapping, and I'm thinking of doing it just for the bigger valves.) Or a small 2bbl, say 350cfm range max.

Milling the head or zero decking the block has come to mind a couple times, i think thats the route i'll go if i'm going to do this, and be able to keep up with the ricers/v8's at the track.

As for the rear gears in the truck, i'm not so sure, as i haven't checked yet. Mostly i've been worried about getting the engine to fit into the bay, and it, as i thought it'll be almost as easy as a simple bolt on mods. Not really much fabricating to it that i can see, aside from possibly having to have motor mounts made, and exhaust system.

I'd really like to find some of the NOS steel shim headgaskets, so i could maintain a stock like compression until i get the chance to mill the head down and open it up.

I don't know about headers yet, but its definetly going to be on my list of goodies to add, as i know the stock manifold is one of the major corks on the small sixes, as is the intake side.

When the head does get done, after i get the engine running, its going to have the carb port milled flat, and an adapter fabbed up, for running a 2bbl, i'll keep the 68 head, and have its intake milled too, and swap on either 3x1's or 2x2s if i ever decide i want to make the truck show worthy.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry the V8 convertor won't work on our sixs. The 200 six has the convertor and ring gear built together. Found this out the hard way when I needed a convertor for my Ranger. There is a performance convertor for the sixs but you'll have to ask someone else who makes them and the price. Have fun.

 

[68coupe200]

Hm, well ain't that interesting... so much for that idea.

Guess i'll just get it running in the ranger body for now.

i've already sent the 81 head off to be milled for a higher cr and a full cleanup job done. I guess i won't worry about camming it until the head gets back and if i can find a torque converter for my application, or either get my stock one modified.

 

[Anonymous]

you can still get a cam just don`t go big

 

[Anlushac11]

Sorry the V8 convertor won't work on our sixs. The 200 six has the convertor and ring gear built together. Found this out the hard way when I needed a convertor for my Ranger. There is a performance convertor for the sixs but you'll have to ask someone else who makes them and the price. Have fun.

I talked to a guy who said he got his from TCI, IIRC it was called a Saturday Night Special.

 

[68coupe200]

What cam would you all recommend for an engine thats going to be turning high rpms? I don't know of a RPM boundary yet that i'm going to go for, but definetly something outside what you'd use on the street.

If at all possible, in case i do have to use the truck as a street driver for awhile, i don't want the engine so outrageous it can't be driven on the street.. Not yet at least.


I'll get in touch with TCI and see what they can do for a stall converter for my application.

thanks for the info guys!

 

[Funky Cricket]

the major problem with pulling high rpms will be your intake.... will it get enough air to pull the high rpm. anything near stock with start to choke it self out at about 4200 rpms, but maybe with a wider cam you can over come the breathing issues for a slightly higher rpm.

 

[68coupe200]

I'm going to have some intake work done on the 81 head thats in the machine shop, i'm going to have it milled so i can adapt a 2bbl to it, probably use a Motorcraft 2150 or either a Holley 350, i'm not sure yet. So i shouldn't have as much problems breathing, although i imagine that old log intake will still be a nice sized restriction.

No worries, if it doesn't work how i want it, i can always stuff a turbo or two under the hood and drop the nitrous, and go with a real power adder.

 

[Anonymous]

The 200 uses the same oil filter as a Small block V8 so any oil cooler or remote filter for a 302 will also fit a 200.

On the converter issue, it's easier to drive a car with a mild cam and a loose converter than it is to drive one with a wild cam and a stock converter.

A stock converter stalls at 1500-1700 rom. A stock 200 is making 30-40 hp by then and probably over 125 lb/ft of torque, so it launches pretty well. With a 2500 rpm converter, you will still pull away pretty well.

A wilder engine with a 280-290 cam will only be making 15-20 hp at 1500 rpm and maybe 60 -80 ft/lbs of torque. It will feel very sluggish as the engine struggles to get up on the cam. You'll need the looser converter to be able to flash to a higher rpm where the cam is making more power.

If it loses 60 lbs of torque 20 hp at 1500-1700 rpm where and how much does it gain?

 

[MustangSix]

The curves are very steep on an engine with a big cam. Some cams make so little power and have so little dynamic compression that they can't even idle at 1500.

For example, above 3000 rpm a big cam would start making power. At that speed the stock cam is flattening out. By 4000 a big cam is still gaining and the stocker is on a downhill slide. By 5000 a stock cam is all done, but a big cam motor may have a lot more to go.

You have to match the drivetrain to the engine's curve.