Head off, now what?

[Fairlane Fixer]

Just removed the head from my Fairlane 200cid
All valves look good, seated, etc. but all have black soot.

What cost should I expect for a head job? Just standard,
nothing fancy.

Car had a pinging and/or light knocking sound only on acceleration.

Inspected pistons, cylinder walls, etc. all looks good.
Should I go ahead drop the oil pan and do the rings and rod bearings?

Could the pinging be caused by dist. not advancing?

Maybe checking out all rod bearings is what I should do.

Thanks. Sorry so long

 

[Junk-Falcon]

ppp

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy Fairlane Fixer:

Do you believe this 200 to be the original engine is your '63 Fairlane? If it is it will be a very early iteration of the 200 engine with no provisions for hydraulic lifters, 4 main bearings and the small distributor shaft/oil pump shaft drive. Just curious.

Black soot is normal. It is possible that the pinging/knocking you heard was pre-ignition.

By all means, check clearances on the main and rod bearings, check the timing chain for excess wear and/or stretch. How was the oil pressure before disassembly? I'd replace the oil pump at a minimum, and at worst case scenireo, a new cam with bearings may be a good idea.

Most quality shops of the day will include a multi-angle valve job as standard. If not, it is worth it to pay extra for it. New valve stem seals will be part of the valve job gasket kit, which will run $60 to $75. Disassembly and cleaning, machining and reassembly will typically cost $175 to $300 depending on your area.

Be sure to reread the sticky post at the top of this forum for the details on replacement head gasket thickness and the remedy.

Also know that you can have a nice improvement in performance by stepping up to a '65 to '69 head. It will have larger larger intake and exhaust valves and intake manifold volume. All other dimensions will be identical to your C3DE head.

Adios, David

 

[Fairlane Fixer]

Thanks CZLN6 for you informative reply.

Almost positive it is the original engine.
I am the third owner, engine code "T"
head stamp C3DE 6090-D X12.

Would it be better to rebuild or swap head?

Any special things to do if swapped?

Thanks again

 

[Fairlane Fixer]

Me again.

Car has a 1 bbl Holley carb.

Was plan on rebuilding, but cannot ID
model #, etc. Has faded #BP 9510-A
DIST 800

or something to that effect.

 

[Anonymous]

Personally I would swap the heads.

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy Back Fairlane and All:

What is your intended use/purpose for the vehicle/rebuild? With a rebuilt C5 or later head you'd see a noticeable increase in performance above 2,000 rpm, with no other changes. The C3 head should be kept in case someone in the future is concerned about original/matching numbers.

The correct OEM carb for the '63 Fairlane is an Autolite 1100, with an automatic choke. The Holley 1908 was last used in '62. Can't help with the carb beyon that. Sorry.

Adios, David

 

[Fairlane Fixer]

Is it possible my car has a '62 holley carb.
'cause my car has factory manual choke?

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy Back Fairlane:

Yes, it is possible that you have a '62 Holley #1909. If it is you are giving up power and performance because the #1909 was only designed for the 144/170 ci engine and rated at 125/150 cfm respectively. The falcons and Fairlanes used a manual choke while Comets and Meteors got auto chokes.

The early Holleys are easily identified by the side mounted fuel bowl, either glass or zinc. If this is a '63 200 it should have an Autolite 1100 rated at 185 cfm.

To verify the displacement of your engine, pull the #1 spark plug, move the piston to the top and look inside. If it is a flat-topped piston is it a 170. If it is dished it is a 200.

Gotta run.

Adios, David

 

[Fairlane Fixer]

Looked at piston.

Looks flat for about an inch, then the entire center
is lower by about 1/4" approx.

Someone my have put this carb on.
If Autolite 1100 was original, why does
car have factory manual choke?

Is this a 170 or 200 engine?

 

[Fairlane Fixer]

Here is what I have:

VIN (1st 5 digits) 3F42T

3 = 1963
F = Dearborn, MI
42 = 4-Door Sedan Fairlane 500
T = 200 cid

I think this is the way to decipher it.

Sorry to be so persistant, but I need to buy parts.


Thanks

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy Back:

Dished pistons=200. Flat-topped = 170. You indeed do have a 200!

All Falcons and Fairlanes had manual chokes til the 1965 model year.

You would do well to find a correct Autolite #1100 for a 200 with an automatic trans and a Load-a-matic distributor. You'll like the difference.

Adios, David

 

[XFlow_Fairlane]

I paid $368 three years ago to get my 170 head done.


3 angle job, hardened exhaust seats, rocker shaft cleaned up (was torn down and cleaned and reassembled) freeze plugs, gaskets. the gasket kit was $60 for that bill (good felpro kit ....no made in mexico crap) and a .020" mill (should have taken more)


where are you located?

I have a couple auto choke 1100's around. well I woul dgo for a later head if you can find one locally cheap. otherwise just get yours rebuilt but skip the seats until you can get a good deal on a later head. I had waited about a year before I picked up my 200 I am working on (was free but cost me $40 in gas...but is freshly rebuilt) then last falll I picked up a 250 on ebay for $5 ($20 in gas to fetch) if you keep an eye out and look around good deals can be found. start calling shops to find local pricing on head work and ask what it all involves (like working over the rocker shaft)

 

[Fairlane Fixer]

Thanks also 62fairlane170.

I live in Knoxville, TN

Is it easy to convert to an auto choke?
What is involved?
Will this work with my current standard vac adv dist.?

Again I express my sincere gratitude to all.

 

[Fairlane Fixer]

I followed everyones advice.

My first post on this topic mentioned that I
had a pinging/knocking some sort of sound.

CZLN6 suggested I check bearings, timing chain, etc.
With head pulled and pan dropped everything looked
and check out great (My 200 had 7 main bearings. Is
this normal for my '63?) except for two things.

1. Timing chain was very floppy. It was barely grabbing
the sprockets.

2. There was a small scrape mark at the rear of my oil pan.
Oil pan had a small dent inward back there before I
pulled it off.

Could any of these observations have caused my noise?
Car was also pinging on acceleration under load.
Maybe timing slipped due to the loose chain.

I will check sprocket timing marks tomorrow.

Thanks........

 

[addo]

Sounds like someone's swapped a later shortblock under your '63 head.

I urge you to get the roller timing set - peace of mind and durability. Check your distributor shaft diameter, too. Might be the later, larger size!

Regards, Adam.

 

[Fairlane Fixer]

I think you're right.

The number on my block is C8DE.

Sounds like a '68 motor.

To get parts, does it matter if I tell them,
68 fairlane, mustang, or ......?

With this 68, is it likely to have the larger dist. shaft?

Thanks

 

[addo]

Big shaft - you can drop in a late 70s D-II, if inclined. '68 Mustang will be better documented in most catalogues, should you need bearings etc. For your own edification, it's worth trying to ascertain your piston dish volume and deck height. Check Mustang Geezer's website for a how-to.

Regards, Adam.