Interesting new twist

[cr_bobcat]

So I managed to get a hold of a new engine today. $250 for a running 200 out of a 66 pony. Looks mostly original but I think I definitely have some sellable parts (autolite 1100, rockers, balancer core, ...). I've also gotten a t5 and pedals for free out of a doner car. So this means my build plans have changed significantly for the better!

As soon as the temps here in IA become more respectable (ie. March) I'll have her in my hands. This will then be a total rebuild and the current refresh on the 67 will become a "get it back together and drivable" endeavor.

I'm pretty excited. Looking forward to getting my hands dirty on this one. This will be my first total rebuild so it should be fun. I'm going to have to start snooping around on here a lot more to come up with ideas. My goal is something snappy with a little growl. Muscle but runs off of pump gas.

This is really a clean chalk board so I would really love to hear what some of your suggestions are. I think my first purchase though is definitely the Falcon performance handbook. After I read it a couple times (why can't I get this on my Kindle by the way....) I'll have to start buyingup parts. I realize there are some things like bolts and whatnot right away but I'm the kind who likes to have a plan even though I know nothing ever goes that way.

 

[bmbm40]

Yep definitely get the handbook. It's a good idea to plan ahead when doing an extensive conversion to a lot of different components it took me along time to round everything up but I came up with my plan and then stuck with it. At least for me it was good to have everything in a pile and not have complicated ultra high performance heavy duty mods because I would rather drive it than work on it. I have Phase II planned for performance but have an extra block and three different heads to plan with and in the meantime can still drive it. Good luck with your Mustang. The guys on here are great and will be very helpful.

 

[cr_bobcat]

Handbook should be showing up in a few days. I downloaded a calculator (virtual engine 2000). It was free and seems to be fairly decent. I've been playing the C/R calculation, plugging in the stock values available from Mike on the CI website. Numbers line up close enough to say that I trust it with some constant to a decimal point. Been playing with piston, combustion chamber size, and different overbore (provided it's necessary) numbers to see what kind of ballpark I'm looking to be in.

Looking at what I think I can get away with spending, I'm going to shoot for a rebuild of the bottom end while just freshening up the stock head. I've found a pretty good price on the flat head pistons after some digging around. Just need to wait till I get the block in hand and torn down to find out what size (standard or over-sized) I'm going to need. I will be going forward with a 2V conversion kit that I'll probably go through Mike with. I'm kind of torn between the Holley 350 and the Weber. Going through my initial estimates, the Holley route is going to cost me about $100 more for questionable difference in HP. Any thoughts? I don't currently own and 2 bbl carbs and looks like right now i'm looking at purchasing new.

The head I'm going to try my hand at port matching and polishing the exhaust outlets. If my confidence level is high enough after the exhaust polishing I'll try touching up the intake port. If that goes OK, I'll move to the combustion chamber. I'll save that for last because I figure 40 hrs or so of practice with the dremel wil significantly reduce the odds of me removing too much material from the combustion chamber and killing my C/R. I will CC the chambers after I get done to try to match them up. I'd like to stay away from the machine shop as much as possible. But if I FUBAR up the C/R I can always get it shaved a touch (assuming it's more economical to shave the head as opposed to the block).

I found a joint that sells new HEI distributors for the Ford inline for $160 and free shipping. I'll probably just go ahead and order that guy. Valves, lifters, etc I'm waiting on the handbook to show up to walk me through that process. Probably just going to keep the stock size valves, improved springs, and pass on the hardened seats.

Cam will be be a little bit more aggressive than I had originally planned since I'm going to go the T5 route. Gotta take advantage of "free" right?

I'm following the blueprinting documentation process and have already started laying out a build sheet. This is purely from an academic standpoint because I'm learning a lot of this as I go. I'm sure I'll be adding many new parts to acquire as I tear down. I did download a blue printing book to my Kindle a couple days ago. I'm not psychotic enough to follow it to the degree that he goes into, but I'm using it as a guide of what to actually look for. I'm really just looking to balance the moving assembly. I also have a personal goal of understanding about 15-20% of what Xctasy is talkin bout. Hoping that some of this research will help although 20 hrs of reading is worth about 2 in the shop...

Anyway, cheers! I'm going to go back to waiting impatiently by the front door for the mail while I read my book and search the web for cheapest parts....

 

[170-3tree]

Becareful of the flat top pistons. Mine were a bit shorter than the dished one's which actually gave up cr significantly. I didn't do what it'dtake to fix it because I plan on making a very impressive enginein the coming years so I needed mine drivable more than perfect.

 

[cr_bobcat]

Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to double check the specs on the pistons. I may actually go ahead and write my own app to compute everything myself to avoid that kind of thing. Volume of simple geometric shapes isn't that hard to work through. I'll just use a guestimate of the volume of the kidney beans till I get them cc'd. Loving this forum and pulling from everyone's experience!

I'm planning to go more radical later as well. I figure there is only so much I can get away with this year before ending up in divorce court. One must know the boundaries they're constained to right? I'm lacking in a number of precision tools right now so I've got a little start up cost ,provided I can't borrow some stuff. Makes me feel a little dirty borrowing another man's tools though....

 

[170-3tree]

Also. If it's a driver, I'd suggest the Holley carb, as they ase less finicky, it seems to me.

Unfortunately I don't have the wife factor, but I remember my ex flipping out when I spent a week putting the car back together. She hated that, now I havea jeep addiction too, I'd love to be in that argument. Girlfriend not ex wife. Now I just work too much to get too involved in my vehicles.

 

[cr_bobcat]

Just occured to me that what I said about porting the intake makes no blinking sense unless I'm cutting off the log. Too many things goin on in the head right now.....

 

[JackFish]

Brain fart, eh.
Here's an exhaust port for you:

 

[cr_bobcat]

Pretty much

That's a sharp looking head. Did you end up having to shave the head after cleaning up the combustion chambers? Or were you able to keep material loss to a minimum? Just curious as to what to expect in the terms of volume increase. Is 0.5-1.0 cc a ballpark guess?

 

[CNC-Dude]

With the right tool you can port pretty far up into the intake ports from the chamber side of the head.

 

[JackFish]

The head was shaved 50 thou.
So it's at around 52-54cc, can't quite remember, was going for a 9:1 CR.
The valve pockets were ported. Oversize valves, unshrouded.
Also using my last steel shim gasket.
I'll have to shave it again if I pull it to accommodate the new thicker gaskets.

 

[cr_bobcat]

Been digging through the handbook and it's making me rethink a few things. Good book. Frustrated with the quality of the pictures though. The black and white pictures don't always show much...

 

[cr_bobcat]

Brand new HEI showed up today. Man is that thing obnoxiously large. If it ever warms up enough to spend time in the garage I'd actually be able to get the timing cover, pump, and radiator reinstalled on the current engine

Once that's done and it starts again I'll pull the dizzy and do that swap. Start it and get that mod confirmed then finally pull the carb for its rebuild. I like to keep variables to a minimum when possible. ..

Hopefully by then I'll have the new engine and can start disassembly and start taking measurements so that I can work the build plan in detail

 

[170-3tree]

I like to keep variables to a minimum when possible.

Most brilliant ambition. Did you have that massive beast of a distributor curved to your build?

 

[cr_bobcat]

I have not had anything done in terms of custom curving. I was planning on calling the place I bought it from to find out how exactly it is set up as a default. The current build I have is mostly stock. I say "mostly" but that is an assumption. Previous owner had the engine rebuilt but I never got any documentation on the build. So I'm assuming a stock setup.

 

[cr_bobcat]

Well, I added some shiny to the old engine. Nothing major as of yet. Just a painted timing cover and t-stat housing. I put a clear coat on the water pump. Just because I could....

 

[67drewstang]

I'm in Newton, and I need to drive up when the weather gets nicer. I have a '67 Mustang Convertible with a 200 six that I'm building as I go.

I went with a DSII from Ford Six Performance and it has been amazing. I haven't curved mine, either, but it's on the list of things to do.

 

[cr_bobcat]

Right on! That's a nice little drive between here and there with the top down. I need to get ahold of some of the other Mustang guys around here. I see a few classic beauties runnin around from time to time. There used to be a weekly cruise in here in town. Everybody would meet up at the Culvers on the south side of town by the mall. I'll have to look into whether or not folks are still doing that.

FYI, there is a cat up here in Center Point that just listed a '67 250 on Craigslist. I think he's askin $150 for it. I know some folks on the board here have been lookin for one. Just thought I'd throw that out there if there were any takers.

 

[67drewstang]

The Culver's in Newton does that Wednesday nights. Free frozen custard for all who show up.

I'll have to make a point of driving up.

Drew

 

[cr_bobcat]

So the old engine is slowly getting back together. If nothin else it's shinier.

Pretty much to the stage of changing the oil and I can actually start it back up again before doing the dizzy swap.