Increasing HP on a 170

[Anonymous]

I have a 64.5 Mustang convertible with a 170.I have thrown around the idea of putting in a 200 but would like to keep the original engine.
The 170 needs a rebuild anyways,so what kind of things can I do to increase performance on this little engine.I don't need a racer,just something that I feel confident in taking the car on the highway.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

headers, exhaust, bigger carb, better ignition,

depends on how much u want to spend and what all u want to get into

best gain for power i would say is to put in a cam

you can also use a head off of a 200 to get more power

 

[MustangSix]

A 200 is a bolt in and is indistinguishable from a 170 without looking at casting numbers or freeze plugs. Giving up 30 cubes is a big disadvantage right off the mark, but there are some stealthy things you can do.

Ignition is vital. A Duraspark I with a carefully concealed GM module will be far better than a Load-o-matic. A Carter YF carb can be hidden under a modified stock air cleaner.

Cam without headwork first = no power gain. After dealing with these engines for years, I am absolutely convinced there is more hp to be found in the head alone than in almost any other bolt on short of nitrous or a turbo.

Clean up and smooth the valve pockets, clean up, reduce, and smooth those huge valve guides, clean up the intake ports, enlarge the exhaust ports, and relieve the valve are in the chambers all the way out to the cylinder walls. Done right, I think that this alone could be worth 20 hp with no other changes. Headers could add another 5-10 hp on top of that.

Don't get too crazy on the cam. Smaller engines need less cam than bigger engines. A stock 250 cam would be a good upgrade in a 170.

 

[MustangSix]

A 200 is a bolt in and is indistinguishable from a 170 without looking at casting numbers or freeze plugs. Giving up 30 cubes is a big disadvantage right off the mark, but there are some stealthy things you can do if you want to build a sneaky fast 170.

Ignition is vital and is the first mod you should do. A Duraspark I with a carefully concealed GM module will look stock but be far better than a Load-o-matic. A Carter YF carb can be hidden under a modified stock air cleaner.

Cam without headwork first = no power gain. After dealing with these engines for years, I am absolutely convinced there is more hp to be found in the head alone than in almost any other bolt-on, short of nitrous or a turbo. But it is so restrictive in stock form that they defy any attempt to coax hp out of them. Break out the die grinder!

Clean up and smooth the valve pockets, clean up, reduce, and smooth those huge valve guides, clean up the intake ports, enlarge the exhaust ports, and relieve the valve are in the chambers all the way out to the cylinder walls. Do a three angle valve job and back cut the valves for best flow. Done right, I think that this alone could be worth 20 hp with no other changes. Headers could add another 5-10 hp on top of that.

Don't get too crazy on the cam. Smaller engines need less cam than bigger engines. A stock 250 cam would be a good upgrade in a 170, but a 260 would be too much for an automatic car.

 

[ruckus68]

I have a thin metal head gasket set that is for a 170 that i would be willing to sell - i was going to put it on my 200 but it is a little to small for that but it will help a 170 keep up it's compression ratio.

John