All Small Six Can you drill a 144 block to make it a dual pattern block and use a 9 inch clutch?

This relates to all small sixes

Welderr

New member
I was given a 144 Falcon engine for a project I am working on, it came with an Auto trans, Is it possible to drill and tap the block to mimic the later dual pattern block so It can use a 9 inch clutch ? Thanks TJ
 
Sorry no the early blocks (1960 to 1965) don't have the needed material cast into them to be able to drill and tap them for the larger bell housing. So you would either need to build an adapter plate to take the bigger bell housing. Or just use the stock smaller 2.77 bell housing, along with the dog dish / stepped flywheel and its 8.5 inch clutch unit, or you also can substitute the 1964 Econoline 3.03 bell housing to use with the 8.5 inch clutch and flywheel. Best of luck
 
Sorry no the early blocks (1960 to 1965) don't have the needed material cast into them to be able to drill and tap them for the larger bell housing. So you would either need to build an adapter plate to take the bigger bell housing. Or just use the stock smaller 2.77 bell housing, the dog dish / stepped flywheel and its 8.5 inch clutch unit or you can substitute the 1964 Econoline 3.03 bell housing with the 8.5 inch clutch and flywheel. Best of luck
Thanks Bubba, I'm still in the head scratching stage at this point, I still have to pull the 144 and give it a going through before I get too involved in this idea (y)
 
'Sorry no the early blocks (1960 to 1965) don't have the needed material cast into them to be able to drill and tap them for the larger bell housing'...

Early block , note material where head meets block


later 'dual drilled 170 block:
.

have fun
 
What I want to do is mate a T18 truck trans to the 144 and install it in an old CJ5, apparently this was a much more common swap back in the day. I don't believe the T18 was involved but there are a lot more options available now for transmission adapters to transfer cases now.
 
Ford Australia had an adapter factory fitted in some '65 Falcons.
Should be relatively easy to make something similar
 
What I want to do is mate a T18 truck trans to the 144 and install it in an old CJ5, apparently this was a much more common swap back in the day. I don't believe the T18 was involved but there are a lot more options available now for transmission adapters to transfer cases now.

Ok that's a whole lot different than what I was picturing you doing different but still semular in needing an adapter made. If it was done back in the day for use in a Jeep than it was likely done by Trans Dapt, Advance Adaptors, or some of the old time Jeep parts companies you might call some of them and see what info they might have. Good luck
 
The factory Ford adapter I was referring to is from memory 1/4" plate.
A similar adapter would work fine with the front face of the bell housing milled 1/4" to compensate.
 
No this particular swap was done in the early days before kits were put out by Novak or Advance but once the Buick V6 came out that was kind of the end of inliner's because you didn't have to do all the sheet metal work to the radiator support and firewall to make them fit. I have a mill and a lathe and was actually thinking along those lines of a custom plate. It's a lot of work to only gain 10 cubic inches but the six is so smooth running and can turn highway speeds much happier than the 4 banger.
 
The factory Ford adapter I was referring to is from memory 1/4" plate.
A similar adapter would work fine with the front face of the bell housing milled 1/4" to compensate.
X2 yes Fingers I remember seeing some pictures of those factory adapter plates.
 
The factory Ford adapter I was referring to is from memory 1/4" plate.
A similar adapter would work fine with the front face of the bell housing milled 1/4" to compensate.

X2 yes Fingers I remember seeing some pictures of those factory block adapter plates, don't think we ever had access to them here in the US though.

No this particular swap was done in the early days before kits were put out by Novak or Advance but once the Buick V6 came out that was kind of the end of inliner's because you didn't have to do all the sheet metal work to the radiator support and firewall to make them fit. I have a mill and a lathe and was actually thinking along those lines of a custom plate. It's a lot of work to only gain 10 cubic inches but the six is so smooth running and can turn highway speeds much happier than the 4 banger.

Ok I get it but it's Excellent that you have some machine shop equipment to use it should be a simple enough job for you to make an adapter plate. There have been several of our site members have made these adapters usally they are to use a larger SBF 6 bolt bell housing and flywheel yet the principals are still the same. I think your project to install an early small Ford six a Jeep is a good one and once you have the parts to fit the 144 six in it then a 170 or 200 will also bolt in the same way if you wanted. In the link below it goes to an old post by Xctasy were you can see a lot of the details of building these engine adapter plates maybe it will be of some help to you in your project build. Best of luck Edited

Adapter Plates for Small Ford Sx's to go to Other Sizes of Bell Housing

Adapting Bell Housings & Flywheels
 
Thanks for the tips guys , i'm not positive the engine is a 144 it could be a 170, I'm gonna wait till the first heavy frost to go out to where the car is sitting in the weeds so the ticks and wasps subside and put it up on a trailer for its ride to the scrap yard. one thing i hadn't considered was going to a small block bell and clutch assy. I have a 302 sitting in one of the sheds with a bell & clutch on it which should bolt right up to the T-18 4 speed I want to use. The Falcon has been sitting in the same spot since the mid 70's it's probably going to break in half when I pick it up with the loader.
 
Finding the Vin code on the car and or looking on the right hand front top of short block (on the boss that was used for the old road draft tube). These early engine engine blocks were stamped with a letter code this can quickly tell you the engines size, be sure to write down and save the cars Vin Code info too. Is the car in bad shape or is there other parts that can be salvaged?

Vin code beginning letter and number.

C0 = 1960
C1 = 1961
C2 = 1962
C3 = 1963
C4 = 1964
C5 = 1965

1960 to 1964 Block Stampings below, after end of 1964 models Ford started using bolt on metel engine ID tags.

144 Cu. In. Is a N only used from 1960 to end of 1964 all of them only had the small bell housing bolt pattern they also only have 3 Freeze plugs on side of their block.
170 Cu. In. Is a T started being used in 1961 and up to end of 1965 models all those were the small bell housing bolt pattern and only have 3 Freeze plugs on side of their block.
200 Cu. In. ID is by their 5 freeze plugs on side of block, started being used in 1963 1/2 and up to end of 1965 they all were the small bell housing bolt pattern. I don't know if any of the 200's blocks were stamped or with what code letter.

Locate the Cars Vin the Fifth Digit this is the engine code, these are all the possible Small Ford Six Engine Sizes that only had the small bell housing bolt paterens.

A 1960 to 1962 with either a D or a S is a 144 Cu.In.
A 1961 to 1962 with either a E or a U is a 170 Cu.In.
A 1963 to 1964 with a S is a 144 Cu.In.
A 1963 to a 1965 with a U is a 170 Cu.In.
A late 1963 1/2 model to a 1965 with a T is a 200 Cu.In.

Best of luck on your swap.
 
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Thanks for all the help this will help me going forward big time finding the missing pieces to the puzzle as I get ready for this project
 
X2 yes Fingers I remember seeing some pictures of those factory block adapter plates, don't think we ever had access to them here in the US though.



Ok I get it but it's Excellent that you have some machine shop equipment to use it should be a simple enough job for you to make an adapter plate. There have been several of our site members have made these adapters usally they are to use a larger SBF 6 bolt bell housing and flywheel yet the principals are still the same. I think your project to install an early small Ford six a Jeep is a good one and once you have the parts to fit the 144 six in it then a 170 or 200 will also bolt in the same way if you wanted. In the link below it goes to an old post by Xctasy were you can see a lot of the details of building these engine adapter plates maybe it will be of some help to you in your project build. Best of luck Edited

Adapter Plates for Small Ford Sx's to go to Other Sizes of Bell Housing

Adapting Bell Housings & Flywheels
I have one of the factory adapters here, though it wouldn't be useful for you blokes in the USA as it adapts to Crossflow pattern.
 
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