Head Swap Complete! WOW!

[Anonymous]

Wow! I can't believe what a difference in power and acceleration! I swapped my stock ’66 200 head with a ’79 milled .060â€￾. I did a light port job/match on the exhaust ports and exhaust manifold and welded in a divider. I also made an adaptor plate out of 1â€￾ aluminum plate and added a Holley 5200. The only other thing I’ve done is the dizzy swap to a dual-vacuum Duraspark. I drove it for the first time this morning and was very pleasantly surprised.

I do have a couple of questions for the experts though. When the head was off I noticed that I have flat-topped pistons and only three freeze plugs. I assume that this means I have a ’65 engine? Does anyone know where I can check the VIN to find out for sure what year this car is? The title says ’66 but I’m not so sure anymore. Also, did they put some of the 4 bearing engines in the ‘66’s? Thanks for the help!

 

[Anonymous]

You have either a 170 or 144.

3 freeze plugs=144, 170;
5 freeze plugs=200

As far as telling the difference between a 170 and 144, I'm not sure. Someone else might can help there.

To check the year model of your car, look at the first digit in the VIN. If it's a '66, it would be a 6; if it's a '65, it would be a 5.

If your car is a '66, then the previous owner has transplanted engines, since the 200 was the only available 6 cylinder that year.

 

[Anonymous]

I had the exact same thing. I pulled the head off the "200" in my 66 (since 170s weren't in the 66), and it had flat pistons. I went around asking for flat pistons for the 200, and everyone stared at me blankly. It wasn't until I pulled a piston out of a 200 in a junk yard, got it home, and realized it was too big that I realized I had a 170. Oops. the diameter of the 170 pistons is 3.5 inches. the 200 is 3.68 inches. Not sure of the 144, though. So, you probably have a 170 out of an early mustang or falcon, etc. If so, your head swap and mill probably made a BIG difference in breatability over the 170 head. Hell, I would say keep the 170 for awhile if you are happy with it.

nate.

 

[addo]

Well, there were four-main 200s, weren't there? The flat-tops suggest a 170 to me.

Adam.

 

[LEROY POLL]

HELLO BURNERLIEF

....I THINK FALCON62 HAS THE 200 W/ FOUR MAIN BEARING. THEY WERE NEVER GIVEN MUCH TIME BEFORE THEY WERE PULLED OFF THE LINE.

.....I BELIEVE ALL BLOCKS SHOULD HAVE A C3DE 6075 A, B, C. THE LETTER WOULD BE FOR THE 1st, 2nd, 3rd, MOTOR USING THAT BLOCK. IF YOU HAVE A ..C.., AFTER THE NUMBER THEN IT SHOULD BE A 200, 4 MAIN.

.....I HAD A 170 IN MY SECOND 1962 FALCON THAT RAN TOO GOOD FOR A 170. I DIDN'T KNOW THEN THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A 200. I KNEW THE HISTORY OF THE CAR AND NOW I WONDER IF I HAD ONE. THE HISTORY WAS THE CAR WAS BUILT HERE IN SAN JOSE AND SOLD TO A FORD EXEC. FOR HIS WIFES CAR. IT WAS HIT VERY BADLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND FORD FIXED IT AND IT WAS THEN SOLD TO THE WOMAN I BOUGHT IT FORM. THE MOTOR ALWAYS HAD A VERY BAD VIBERATION AT 57 MPH. AND A ONE AT 30 MPH. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN THE REASON FOR PULLING IT SO QUICKLY. .MY 7 MAIN HAS NO VIBERATION IN IT AT ALL.

.....YOU MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO FALCON62 AND CONPARE THE NUMBERS.

.....FOR SURE IT SHOULD NOT BE IN ANYTHING AFTER 1964. BUT
YOU NEVER KNOW... FOR SURE HOW IT GOT THERE! IT WOULD BE RARE TO FIND ONE TODAY. HOPE YOU HAVE ONE.

LIVE IN GRACE

LEROY POLL

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, there were four-main 200s. The original motor in my '64 was a four-main 200. After my mechanic informed me that the block was cracked around one of the head bolt holes and couldn't be repaired, I swapped it out for a '79 200. Now, the four-main is resting at the bottom of a lake as an anchor for some "fishing tops."

 

[Anonymous]

lol Falcon :: bloop bloop ::
Well here was that decoder page

http://www.geocities.com/mustang_man_19 ... coder.html

I was able to use it to figure out what my engine/ head were.

my numbers lookt like

C5DE-6090-A

Using his page, that reads

C= decade (60's)
5= year (65)
D= model (Falcon)
E= engineering group (Engine)

6090 = group # (cyl head)
A = revision (in its 1rst revision)

it goes like A=1, B=2, after they hit Z=26, it starts over w\ AA=27, BB=28 etc)

My engine was

C5DE-6015-H

That breaks down the same way, presumably my engine was in its 8th revision. My engine has the 5 frz plugs and 7 main caps. The crappy thing is, it loox like whoever elegedly rebuilt it, put dish pistons in it, & lookt like there was an odd piston, looking at it from the bottom, rrr. Its not in the car, it'll be awhile.

Um, as for your VIN number, it should be stampt on the to of the front fender apron driver side and on a lil tag on the rear of the arpon as well.
Here is a site that has the info up for decoding your own VIN
http://home.pon.net/hunnicutt/history_vin.htm

I ran across some sites that have a "built in" site decoder, I don like that, cause it could be possible for them to collect info on u, if u entered your number into their "auto-calculator".

Some info on the above page was left off,

tranny codes were
1= 3speed manual
2= Overdrive
3= 3speedmanual
5= 4speed manual
W= C4
U= C6

axles were
1= 3.00:1
2= 2.83:1
3= 3.20:1
4= 3.25:1
5= 3.50:1
6= 2.80:1
A= 3.00:1
C= 3.20:1
D= 3.25:1
E= 3.50:1

There were other codes like district, date, etc but thats not as important as the others.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info guys. My VIN indicates a '66 coupe with a 200.

The number on my engine block is C6DE 6015-A. So, that breaks down to a '66, Faclon engine in the first revision. So, I guess the question now is does the 6015 part of the engine code indicate a 144, 170, or 200?

 

[Falcon62]

Burner - Lee Roy was right I do indeed have a 4-main 200.

However, it came from a Fairlane, not a Falcon, as it has a C3OE casting code. In the photo you can clearly see even the 4-main 200 has five freeze plugs. I have never seen a 200 with 3 freeze plugs.

You won't be able to tell whether your engine is a 170 or 200 from the numbers cast on your block. The first part, C6DE tells you the decade, year in the decade, car line originally designed for, and the engineering group that designed the part. As you've already detemined, you have a 1966 Falcon engine in your Mustang.

The second part, 6015, was assigned to all engine blocks. You will find this same number on everything from the 144 to the 460.

The last part is the engineering change number. This tells you what change level the particular item was produced under. The base level is an 'A'.

I have heard, but have never really bothered to find out, there maybe a code stamped on a boss near the water pump that may actually identify block displacement.

Other than that, you need to meaure bore diameter. Since your car runs so much better than before, I say just enjoy whatever you have. 8)

 

[Anonymous]

Well, now I'm tempted to find a 200 block to rebuild and eventually drop into the car. I just want the extra 15 horsepower! -- Anyone out there got one that's in running condition that they want to dump?

Also, does anyone have the deck height, and stroke length for a 170? -- I'm at work without my manuals and am curious to see what kind of compression I'm actually running. Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Well burner, it says in my manual that the 170 Six (Falcon) and 200 Six have compression of 9.1:1 , 9.2:1 respectively.
They also rated the 170 at 105 hp @ 4400 158 lbs @ 2400
The ---------------- 200 at 120 hp @ 4400 190 lbs @ 2400

As for the deck height, I dont see anything that says "deck height" maybe I jus dont know how to read whats it the way they have it in the book, but
the stroke for 170 they had was 2.94

I think that 6015 was post to be the grouping number, like for the head, it jus identifies it as an engine I spose.

Theres a patent symbol for 170 which is " U " and one for 200 which is " T ", that letter is also denoted in your VIN number (2nd digit) to identify originally equipped engine atleast. If I remember tho, there was a "T" on my block, I cant member where, it MAY be on that lil tiny plate, on the fuel pump side of the engine, jus to the right of the pump.

THEY also say the 170 has 4 mains, the 200 has the 7 mains. Thats not me sayin, but they have the pics and info in the book, so ...

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Anonymous]

Theres a patent symbol for 170 which is " U " and one for 200 which is " T ", that letter is also denoted in your VIN number (2nd digit) to identify originally equipped engine atleast.

The engine code is the 5th digit in the VIN, not the 2nd.

 

[Anonymous]

oops, sorry, u r right Falcon, the reason I said that is because my assembly plant code which is "T" also, I mistook it for the "T" of the engine code.

 

[Hot 6t Falcon]

Burner,

The Bore stroke and deck height of a 170 are 3.5 x 2.94 for B & S. The DH was .030, but it could vary considerably during assembly.

With the flat top pistons, it must be a 170.

Goo luck.

 

[63redtudor]

Alex, the "T" you are refering to was apparently ford's way of IDing the earlier 144 & 170 blocks. A 144 has an "N" & the 170 has a "T" cast on the block on a machined plate about 1" x 1/2" just above the breather tube hole. There are also some other numbers & letters in this area, but they are stamped on. Not all that sure what these are for, but one of my uncles seemed to think that this was an inspector's stamp. I have seen these ID letters (the "N" & the "T") on my '61 170, my '63 falcon's 170, '61 falcon 144, '62 falcon 144, '62 falcon 170, '62 ranchero 170 & a '65 falcon 170. Both of my 170s ('61 & '63) also have a "T" in at least one other location. Haven't seen a later 170 though. I have yet to see any 200/250s with any sorta ID system simular to this. I had originally found this iformation in my '60-'63 falcon shop manual. Its not in my '65 shop manual though. Not sure why ford decided not to use this system on the larger engines, other than the fact that it could be rather confusing. The 170 block was a "T", but the VIN letter was a "U" & the 200 VIN was a "T". Who knows what ford was thinking then anyway. :roll: Hope this confuses the issue for you enough! Take care,
Edwin