Most inexpensive and and efficient method to upgrade inline 6 to 300-350hp ?

[Tmacdagreat]

What’s the Most inexpensive and and efficient method to upgrade inline 6 to 300-350hp ? What’s parts do I need, and what route should I take? I would like to do piece by piece and still drive the car every now and then while adding parts. Or should I just V8 swap?

 

[pmuller9]

Is this for a 200 six?

 

[aussie7mains]

This

 

[Tmacdagreat]

Is this for a 200 six?

Yes

 

[pmuller9]

It will not be a budget build.
You will need to start with a better cylinder head like an Australian 2V

 

[fsbjjwillamina]

It will not be a budget build.
You will need to start with a better cylinder head like an Australian 2V

Mines a 300 and I’m $6k (full rebuild) into it and I don’t have much (if any) above 200hp.

Having said that, I think a swap is always going to be more work and more expensive.

It’s like a domino row and when you implement a change in the middle it affects the row on both ends.

I think the comments so far are correct. New head and forced induction is the way to maximize engine efficiency.

 

[jgregg13]

What’s the Most inexpensive and and efficient method to upgrade inline 6 to 300-350hp ? What’s parts do I need, and what route should I take? I would like to do piece by piece and still drive the car every now and then while adding parts. Or should I just V8 swap?

Yup. A SBC 383 stroker with a 700R4 would be the best bang for the buck. Not the answer you want to hear on the Ford six forum, but 325 HP from a 200 would be a costly challenge when there are lots of other combos that will do it.

 

[Firepower354]

Classic Inlines - The Ford Six Dyno Room

A 331 dressed as a K-code 289 clone would likely be cheaper and easier than a high-strung head swapped 200

 

[TrickSix]

Also, you're proposing putting a 350 HP motor into a near 60-year-old six-cylinder chassis. The necessary major upgrades to the suspension, brakes, transmission, rear end, engine cooling, etc. will cost almost as much as the engine.

 

[bmbm40]

Easier to buy a Mustang with a v8.

 

[67Straightsix]

Your heading made me smile because your horsepower goal for an inline 6 was like mine. Then I went down the rabbit hole and built a fuel-injected turbo 200, which cost me 8-9K for the engine and flywheel. I'm really happy with it, although it was very labor-intensive (you can check out my build). If you're a fabricator you can save a lot of money, but it still won't be what I'd call inexpensive. You can go simpler ways than what I did that can save you money - like carburetor instead of fuel injection, dizzi instead of coil-on-plug, etc. There are a lot of good examples of turbo applications on this forum and if you ask questions, people give good advice. Turbo or V8 you'll need to upgrade your drivetrain. Good luck with your project!

 

[fsbjjwillamina]

I like the idea of doing the six. It’s way cooler.

 

[Wayne clark]

There is no such thing as a budget build for a 200 that will net that much power .

I have a 67 Mustang vert 200/c4. At this time I run a 2300 Sniper & Hyper spark dist to control the timeing . Last June I put a Paxton Super charger on it .
I don't have any idea what power it puts out but the eng is a small log headed stock 200 with an ebay split header. The thing runs like I put a sbf v8 in it now. Your first step should be a better head . There is a guy on the.Vintage 6 Mustang facebook site that may be able to fix you up with one of the Argentian 221 heads. But there goes your budget .
You want to get an idea of what your looking at go to the Vintage 6 Mustang facebook site .check out Aron Cox's 250 turbo build in his 66 . Last I read he is looking for 600 + at the wheels .
Check Danny Stucker's 200 build it's not so off the charts .
But a budget build you can forget. I'm in close to 6k just with my Sniper & Paxton. That don't include the ported Classic Inline head I purchased when I first got the car even before I had a real plan together . That head still lives in a cabinet in the shop .
That first picture was before Jose Alverz ( the 221 head guy ) hooked me up with the.Alum Ford Raceing valve cover from Argentina.
You want power get ready to spend money. There is no budget anything for these small 6's other than points & plugs .

 

[PSIG]

What’s the Most inexpensive and and efficient method to upgrade inline 6 to 300-350hp ? What’s parts do I need, and what route should I take? I would like to do piece by piece and still drive the car every now and then while adding parts. Or should I just V8 swap?

Been there, done that, on many different engines for various uses. It doesn't matter if you've done a 200 or other specific engine before - they all respond similarly, good and bad, to the basic rules that apply. Power adders. PA. Power adders are the least stressful and expensive way to add flow (power), versus expensive mods for high-rpm. Fuel is the big limiter. While it's amazing the power increases available on an otherwise stock engine, they may not approach your goals. I would suggest posting your specific goals for this project, so we have a basis for suggestion.

1. What does it have to do - exactly. (Smoke tires at will, 11s quarter mile, etc)
2. What fuel will you use? (Octane, octane method (US?), or source)
3. What is your budget? (General - $2000 total for power, $4000 for chassis mods, etc)
4. What are your automotive and fabrication skills? (None, limited, can mod or build anything, etc)

 

[rocklord]

You'll get 350HP with a big shot of nitrous. Don't expect to have an engine after that.

 

[PSIG]

+1. Smaller adjustable-shot as I suggested, with proper engine and fuel system prep, and focused step-tuning using manufacturer procedures. While some will dive straight into the deep end, I strongly suggest not jumping off of cliffs without checking what's below. I think the modern term is "idiot". The up-side to nitrous is the intake airflow (a problem with the stock six) does not need to be increased for more HP. On the other hand, the exhaust has to get the increased garbage out. Like everything, it does have rules and limits that it will strictly enforce on those that think they can casually push the edge, or mistakenly violate them.

The harmful effects if properly prepped and tuned can be relatively low. I was involved long ago with the 250 Maverick N2O and EFI conversion construction at the Spectre site for Hot Rod magazine, where the intention was to juice it until it blew. Sort-of a scientific pre-Roadkill event. The expected results (that never came due to track conditions IIRC) of over-injecting N2O was expected to lift the head and blow the head gasket. Not a game-ender for most and a fairly easy repair, partially produced by the lack of exhaust flow to get it out. I was bummed to hear it was not fully wrung-out to find useful limits.