In need of some wisdom sharing on a 200 cid

[Anonymous]

I'm a begginer at al this. I got myself a 65 coupe 3speed with a 6 cyl mercury engine and rear end(no info on them)...i am getting a mustang 200 cid engine for the stang and i am planning on rebuilding it before it goes in. Here is where i need your wisdom. What parts should i get(intake, headers, muffler, carb, cam...etc) in order to get some good gas mileage and still be able have some good performance? Also, where can i get a good engine rebuild kit? And finally, what rear end do you suggest i look for? I have about 1000 bucks to spend on the engine.

I drive about 38 miles a day so the gas mileage is pretty important.

Help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Anlushac11]

8)

1) The 200 Inline six has a intake manifold that is cast as part of the head. Best you could do is get the exhaust ported and adapt a larger carb.

2) The engine rebuild will probably consume the great majority of your money. Get the engine rebuilt and see what you have left.

2A) If you have the resources and knowledge to do it yourself it would be cheaper.

2B) While you are getting engine rebuilt get head milled .060" to keep compression up when you install a new composite head gasket. The old one was a steel shim and was thinner which helped to raise compression.

3) A Clifford Performance or Competition Cams is probabvly your best bet. Many people seem to like the 260deg and .435" lift version.

4) Your car will benefit greatly from a high flow exhaust and a header but I dont feel that this will be within your budget at this time.

5) A cheap and good mod for your car is to convert to a Petronix electronic ignition instead of points. Better firing and greater reliabity.

You can rebuild the engine and do the mods you want but your probably going to have to plan to complete it in stages as money allows.

Good luck

Be sure to check out the I6 performance site and feel free to ask any questions you have. There is a good knowledge base of info here.

http://www.fordsixparts.com/

And within next few posts someone will recommend you buy this book. It is highly recommended and the authors are members here so if you ahve questions after reading it ask here.

http://falconperformance.sundog.net/default.asp

 

[Anonymous]

Anlushac11 has really got it laid out for you. The biggest thing to remember is that you will have to do it in stages --these mods are not cheap, and I REALLY don't want to burst your bubble, but a thousand bucks wont get you all that far - If you do a good rebuild (TONS of people make kits, search Clifford and other internet sites), that will take pretty much all of that. Headers and a good dual exhaust could take close to that in itself (Clifford Headers and exhaust could go anywhere from around $600 - $1,000 - just depending on what you want, but closer to the latter figure than the first!). The intake (as mentioned) is cast (it is part of the head/engine) so unless you REALLY want to replace it (and have lots of extra money) you just leave the intake as it is and put a good carb on it.
Carbs vary drastically in price just depending on how Awesome your looking for (from about $100 to as much as you care to spend!)
For the cam I would look to Clifford (1-909-303-2333) or Comp cams (1-800-999-0853), price = $100 - $199 (plus if you need lifers and/or springs)

You'll soon be on a first name basis with the UPS guy and getting Christmas cards from your mechanic (welcome to the club!)

Check out my site (I've done pretty much what your talking about) with tech and pictures and let me know if there is anything else I can do

www.geocities.com/levidodd7/65stang

 

[Anonymous]

sweeeeeet car you got there levy7....maybe in like 5 years i will have one that looks almost as good as yours.

hmmmm i see i have a lot of planning and research to do....which i dont mind since its for a mustang

In what order do you suggest i go? maybe rebuil first, then ignition, etc or what do you guys think? What rear end axle should i start looking for? here in El Salvador its really hard to find mustang parts so i better get on it as quick as possible.

thanks again for your help

 

[barishiman]

The Pertronix ignition system is the easiest upgrade to make. Just take the points and condensor out of the distributor and put in the Pertronix. You have to get a Flamethrower II coil for the system to work properly. Now that is as long as the your engine is running. If it doesn't run, I suggest taking it to your machine shop and get it worked on. While that is going on, inspect your engine compartment of rust. I'm in the middle of doing that now, though I've had my mustang for six years. I never did get around at messing with the engine. Well, it got me instead and left me stranded on the side of the road. Check your wiring harnesses and see if they are worth replacing. I hope your able to buy the parts or come by some cheap shipping costs... El Savlador seems along way from Georgia...

To see a pictorial rebuild of my car, check out my website:
http://barishiman.tripod.com/

use the menus on the left to guide through the site

Good LUCK!!!!!

Andrew

 

[Asa]

i think the consensus vote is that an 8 inch rear-end is enough for our 200 I6 mustangs

how many miles is on the engine? i think that and how it is currently running will determine if you need to rebuild it yet, but i'd go with the most expensive items first, that way when the little stuff come up it doesn't seem like it's so far out of reach

 

[Anonymous]

for the rear I would get a 8 inch with 2.29:1 or 3.00:1 gears for gas savings

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Tatao,

One item no one seems to have picked up on yet ... you say you have a mercury engine and rear end. This could be a good thing. What Mercury? Is it in the car or just came with. Could be a 250. The starter is on the passenger side of the car. Is it located above, or below, the oil pan to block joint. Get back to us before you buy that 200.

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Have a couple of questions after reading about other member's cars

1. If i get flat head pistons and mill the heads .060 would the compression ratio be too high for cruisin and gas mileage? I guess if i dont change the pistons to flat heads then milling the heads .060 would be enough right?

2. After porting the heads and "unshrouding" the valves what should the final cc's be for the combustion chamber?

3. I do most of my driving in the city, every once in a while I do what could be called highway driving as there are no actual highways in the city here. Which rear gears would suite me better the 2.80:1 or the 3.00:1 or another ratio? I would like to be able to get good gas mileage in town but not have to rev the engine much when driving in highways. What im trying to say is get a good rpm range for each of the three gears, i dont want to feel like im forcing the engine in third gear when driving in higways in order to maintain 70+ MPH speeds. i dont know if im making myself clear here or not?

 

[Anlushac11]

8)

If you onstall flat top pistons and mill head .060" you are looking at a 10:1 compression ratio. Thats a bit high in your hot climate.

You can go to this link and try some combinations and see what works. The most I would run in oyur area is 9.0:1 or 9.5:1 at max.

Again use the compression calculator to figure what cc's the chamber needs to be to achieve the compression ratio you need.

Im my humble opinion I would go with a 3.23:1 rear gear. Several of the guys are running that ratio and their cars have very good acceleration yet the gear is not so high that you cant get good gas mileage.

Here is the link to calculate compression

http://falconperformance.sundog.net/compcalculator.asp

 

[Anonymous]

I was reading about the manual transmission history and it got me thinking about the one the car has. If it actually is the stock 65 3 speed transmission then it would be the 2.77 one right? is there any way of identifying it anywhere besides the data plate? Also, is it true that they had synch. problems with first gear and second gear if you drive the car rather aggressively? or does it have to be extreme aggressiveness?

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy Tatao and all:

A way to verify that you have the stock 2.77 three speed is that it will have no 1st gear synchros. So you will have to come to a stop to down shift into 1st gear without double clutching or grinding gears. 2nd does have synchros. All later trans like the 3.03 have synchros for 1st gear.

The 2.77 is a very light duty trans and will not take much abuse. Used conservatively, they are relatively reliable. It is very difficult to find rebuild parts for them.

3.25:1 rear end ratio is about as good a compromise as you will find for our sixes without overdrive. It will give decent acceleration in a light car and give a reasonable cruising rpm.

I have a question. What is the octane rating for the gas you are regularly using in El Salvador? That will be an important factor in deciding on your compression ratio.

While your planning and deciding, try an additional 5 degrees of initial advance, air up your tires to the max, eliminate any extra weight and drive as if you had a raw egg under you gas pedal foot.

If you could add the casting numbers on the head and block that would help us to be more specific in suggestion mods for you.

Adios, David

 

[Anonymous]

4 bolt top cover identifies the tranny as the 2.77

 

[Anonymous]

I have a question:
was the (non synchronized 1st gear) 2.77 tranny only on the 65's?

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy All:

I believe that the official change over to 3.03 three speeds was in the 1967 model year. But, as usual with FoMoCo, it is dangerous to say "Always" and "Never".

All FoMoCo three speeds used with 144, 170 and 200s before '67 used the 2.77 non-synchros three speed. That would have been for late 1959 with the intro of the 1st Falcons through to the '66 Mustangs, Falcons, Fairlanes, and Comets.

Opps! Bronchos would be an exception.

Adios, David

 

[BIGREDRASA]

Well, I'm an old fogey, and feeling older after seeing how young most of you are. With a limited budget (under $1000), I'd get:
185/70R-14 tires ($250), which is like getting a lower gear. Pertronix I or II with Flamethrower Coil ($85). Nitrogen shocks ($150 ?). Disc brakes ($300-$1000). Export brace ($50). 1" front sway bar ($60). Headers ($250). Holley/Weber 2 barrel with adapter(???). Port divider ($25). 3 point belts ($65). High back buckets ($40). (That almost sounds like my car!)
You'll feel the improved performance in the seat of your pants, and you'll corner and stop a heck of a lot better than stock.
After you can corner and stop as well as possible, then work on the horsepower. NOS! (Laughing gas, that is!)

 

[Anonymous]

I must inform you that i sold the 65 coupe due to some problems with the paperwork and other stuff. Now i am considering getting a 69 coupe with a 250, has a c4 which needs fixing and 2.79:1 rear gears. We were able to start the engine after 1 and a half hours of trying and it sounded good to me. The car has mach 1 seats, power steering and front disc brakes as far as "extras" go. What mileage could i get from this car with an upgraded exhaust and electronic ignition? What is required to upgrade to electronic ignition? What things should i check besides compressions to see if the car is worth buying?

Im making a list of the possible things i will need to spend money on maybe you could help me with this list.
New exhaust, brakes(from master cylinder to rear drums), checking the oil pump, fuel pump, and water pump( by the way, how can i check these?), carb, fixing the rusty parts, suspension, steering...what else do you think i should consider?