New member w/ questions

[Anonymous]

Hi, all. New to this board and am glad to make your acquaintences, in advance.

I have a '76 Maverick police car with a 250 (yes, they sold them for police use with a 6 banger as well as the 302) and factory a/c. The car has 186,000 and it's time for a new engine. The original one runs and is very dependable, but it needs valve seals and rings as it burns oil in cylinders 2,3,& 4 and dogs on hills. I got one on the engine stand with only 66,000 out of a '75 Maverick that met it's demise in a collision some time back. As I'm not new to fixing cars, but am new to engine rebuilds and performance upgrades, I'd like some advice as to what I could do to this 250 to get a bit better performance out of it without doing a major rebuild. I intend to freshen up all the gaskets, replace the water pump and fuel pump as this engine has been out of the donor car for quite a while. Also, the budget is a major consideration.

Any advice, detailed if possible, will be greatly appreciated. I've heard nothing but good about this site, so here I am.

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the forum!

Besides what you are planning on replacing, I would also replace the oil pump (clean out the pickup tube) and replace the timing chain and gears.

If its a automatic car, I would replace the flexplate too!

You can probably replace all of these parts for around a $100

Later,

Doug

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy PoliceMav:

And welcome to the forum.

Please check the casting numbers on the two heads. The casting numbers ore on top of the log, behind the carb pad, Probably under the tinkage adapter on these two engines. The '75 will likely be D5DE 6090 XX.

The '76 could have a D7DE casting.

1976 was a transition year for the head castings. Some '76 engines got the D5 while others got the D7. This is important because the D7 castings have 1.75" intake valves as opposed to 1.69" in earlier heads. We believe that D7 and later have hardened seats while earlier may or may not.

I'd strongly suggest that you invest in a valve job at the very least. And be sure to disassemble the rocker arm assembly for a thorough cleaning.

Be sure to read the sticky at the top of this forum for details on head gaskets and thickness.

Adios, David

 

[mustang6]

What kind of carb is on the engine in your police car? Some members have seen "police interceptor" versions of the 250 that are supposed to have 2 bbl carbs grafted on but we've never seen a picture.

 

[Anonymous]

It's the standard Carter 1 bbl. I think I'd like to do a 2 bbl conversion also. We'll have to see.

The head info was great. Thanks. I didn't know that there were significant differences in the heads just within 3 years of production.

 

[xctasy]

What kind of carb is on the engine in your police car? Some members have seen "police interceptor" versions of the 250 that are supposed to have 2 bbl carbs grafted on but we've never seen a picture.

mustang6 is right, but it related to only the 200/3.3 variant from 81-83 gas crunch years. That was the "police interceptor" 1981-1983 3.3 Mustang/Fox body engine, not the 250, according to Mark P. It repudely had an Executive order number for Federal Certifaction, but the 250 never got the two barrel 5200 carb the "police interceptor" 3.3 had.

We haven't had it confirmed or denied from another source yet.

There are no absolutes with Fords, becasue if someone wanted an order of vehciles, then Ford would help out!