Early 200 with triple single barrel carbs...

Hi all, I'm getting some info together on my latest build project and could use some help before I start buying parts. I have a 63 fairlane with as far as I can tell, a factory 200 6 and a ford o matic 2 speed. I plan to pull it out and do a rebuild on it in the next few weeks. It currently is bone stock with an autolite 1100 carb and a load o matic distributor. Plans include a mild cam, header and duals, and offy 3 carb intake. My questions start here. 1. Can I convert my LOM dist. to electronic and run that with my factory carb as the primary carb? Will the factory dist. with a hot coil be enough for the extra fuel/air going through the engine? 2. Can I modify the block to accept a newer aftermarket or DSII dist.(my block has a 1/4" oil pump drive)? 3. Has anybody done anything like this? What kind of tuning issues are expected as far as keeping the A/F mixture right and syncing the carbs? 4. What carbs should I use for outboard carbs? Any help would be appreciated. As of right now I'm just in planning stages. Either way the engine I have needs rebuilt. Its worn out and all the gaskets leak something. I'm debating right now a factory rebuild on this one and run it til I can start a build on a newer block and finish it on the side or just build the one I have to the specs I'm looking for. I'm not looking for a racecar by any means, more just a cool looking, reliable inline with a little more power than stock.

Your first step should be to verify which engine you have, look for the block and head Casting Numbers and Date Codes some pictures of that early 200 would be great too. The early 200's are somewhat rare now days and use quite a few different parts then the 1965 up 200's. Your plans sounds good but you will be better off ditching the old LOD distributor (use only for a OEM factory restoration). Then you can mod the block for a DSII is a night and day difference and later oil pump at the time you rebuild the short block, especially if you plan on mods of a cam and the 3x1V carb setup. Good luck on your build

From the classic inlines tech page they say all 200s have 5 freeze plugs on the block, the kicker is, they also say that all 200s have the 5/16" pump drive. From what their site says, I have a 5 main bearing 200 block with the big oil pump drive. So that in itself causes confusion. Where might I find the casting numbers and date codes? The engine looks to be factory and from what I have read the pre 64 blocks can only bolt to the 2 speed auto or the 3 speed manual. I have the 2 speed in my car. Is it really as easy as drilling the block out for 5/16" pump and buying a new oil pump for it?

Yes some of that info the C.I. Site isn't correct in regards to those real early 200 engines and needs a little editing this was because there was very little info on those rarely seen early engines when the site got started. Look on the side of the block for the Casting Numbers if it's a 1963 (this is supposedly the Very first year of the 200 production) the Casting Number would then start with C3. The head Casting could be on top of the Log Intake Manafold or under the valve cover its been a long time since I seen an early 200 but it would also start with a C3. Date codes are a little hard to see but they look kind off like a small metal tag with a screw head on each end and will consist of 2 to 3 numbers and a letter these along with your Casting Numers will tell you the exact day the part was cast at the Ford engine foundry. These numbers will also coincide closely to the cars build date on the door ID tag info (if you have that info can decode it too) and follows roughly 2 to 4 week time frame after. Here is as an example of what a date code could look like 3C23. Together with the first letter of the casting code of C this would decode as 1963 March 23.

Yes it's a fairly easy process though you need to use the correct size and set it up carefully so that it is true most competent machine shops could do it easy. Or if you have a drill press and take reasonable care on the setup i.e. using level so is true in two planes to your drill press etc.. and then use the proper size of reamer so the hole is within the needed tolerance. Good luck

Thanks bubba. I'll look up the casting numbers after work today and see what I have. Sounds like I'm going to the machine shop soon. I'll add drilling the oil pump hole to the list of things I want done. So after the hole is drilled all I need to do is get a newer oil pump and the dist. that I want... Correct?

I had a 64 Fairlane with a 200 , 5 freeze plug engine and a 1/4 inch dizzy shaft. Yes Ford did make some of these.

Yes that's basically all you need the block moded plus a new later oil pump and a new 5/16 inch oil pump drive shaft. Actually just remembered that there is also another way too. This was done by a site member who all ready had a rebuilt or good short block Including a fresh 1/4 inch drive oil pump and he wanted to stay with that. So he had the DSII's lower shaft turned down to fit into the early blocks distributor hole. Then he made a steped shaft from 1/4 to 5/16 using a socket driver (from a drill driver kit) it was 5/16 hex head on one end and 1/4 inch hex on the other end and used a shortened 5/16 oil pump drive shaft welded the two together. So that would also work and might be a bit cheaper way to go. About the only drawback is that the drive shaft would need to be assembled first along with the oil pump and you might want to add a oil pump drive retainer clip like is used on the SBF V8's drive shaft to keep it from being pulled out when ever you needed to remove the distributor. Good luck

check the numbers as 1st priority.
behind the down tube on the exhaust (pass side) -
freeze plugs is good, # of water pump bolts, low or hi mount starter (these last few for 144, 170, 200 all vs 250 difference).

Do you wanna just get it driving or is a rebuild the wish?
I thought you could drive it while planning, collecting parts and coming to know the vehicle…
"…a little more power than stock…" would not be a trip carb to me - but I'm a ol' man

I'm currently in the process of pulling the engine out. It runs as it sits but all the gaskets and seals leak on both the engine and trans so I'm rebuilding it. I haven't been able to get the numbers clean enough or in well enough light to read them just yet but I should have the engine out this weekend. My plan for now is to just do a stock rebuild on it and find another head to build later.

"...a stock rebuild …"
3 angle job valves, back cut seats, performance cam, care on # 11 head bolt to avoid piercing the water pump impeller, etc, etc yet specific to what your exact application will be (just for engine). Then U need to match breaks, rear gear, etc, etc.
I assume U have rod carb linkage now? how will U set up for the 3 carbs...

check the CI site, verify here, get a copy of "the Handbook" most us here use.
(is it The Falcon Performance Handbook? it's out in the car right now.
If U want an ordersite - PM me, I'll go out'n get it cuz that's where my order-
site-URL is listed)

Keep talkin, interested in ur project's developments!

weber 34's work great on the tri-power modded engines if you are able to ditch the stock distributor. they are cheep, easy to tune and have many parts available for them.

If you're looking for 34 Webers, check out the VW sites.
Plenty there.

Thanks guys I actually have the falcon performance handbook on order. Here's my plan as of right now. I'm in the process of stripping the engine down to go to the machine shop. There it'll get the block cleaned, new cam bearings, and all the clearances and bore checked. All the typical short block rebuild stuff plus boring out the oil pump/ dizzy shaft hole. Then the head I have will be rebuilt to factory specs(except probably milled down a little for compression increase and hardened exhaust seats.) I'm just gonna put it back together in stock form for the time being with the exception of a DS2 or cheap ebay HEI dizzy and a dual out header. Then over the summer I'll get another head or maybe a whole new engine with a 7 main block and build for the triple carbs. That will include a cam and a lot of head work. Then I'll put a C4 behind it and change gearing accordingly.I don't have the funds to build that now and I want to drive the car this summer so that's the plan so far.

great -
money, time, well developed plan
all the resources U need!

for now, just drive (actually that may B more research toward that well developed plan, eh?)

As a part of your head rebuild you should grind out the carb entrance hole on the intake log open it up to at least 1 3/4 inch min. This gives you a much larger selection of usable 1V carb's (1967-8 and up) and later model carb's give you a ported vacuum sorce matched for use with the later vacuum advance units on the DSII or HEI distributors. As for the hard seats IMOP they are really not nessisary the only trouble I have had with the older heads since the removal of lead from fuel were with the valve guides. You might see about installing some bronze guides or guide liners. Good luck

So i finally got to the casting numbers. They read as follows: C30E 6015-C. I can't find anywhere with that sequence on a 200 inline. Anybody wanna help a guy out? Thanks. Im just waiting on a cherry picker and I'll have the engine on a stand soon.

C3OE 6015-C this casting code or more correctly the engineering numbers decode like this.

C = Is for the Decade of 1960
3 = Is the year, you will add this with above = 1963 this is the year the part was first designed.
O = Is for the Ford Car Model Line the part was originally designed for = Fairlane
E = Is for the Engineering Devision the part was made for = Engine
6015 = Is Fords Generic part number for this kind of a part = Engine Block
C = Is the number of Redesigns to the original part = this would be the 3rd Revision of the part.

If you can also find the Date code it will tell you the exact day that the block was cast at the Ford Engine Foundry. It will look kind of like a small metel tag with slotted screw heads and have a number a letter and one or two more numbers. Good luck

yeah, the screw heads R at each end of the "tag"

bubba - there's a bit of a rarity among the '69 heads called an"M" - is the m where the final c is in the sequence u guys are posting about, do u know?