200 Swap Drama Continues!

Ok, Got the Comet all put back together with the new 200. Good news....started right up, runs smoothly. BAD news, two things: A tinny, echoing banging sound...all clues point to a rod/crank hitting the oil pan...the motor had been set on the pan when it was removed from the donor car, smushing in the bottom. I thought I had banged it out, but apparently not enough...hopefully that's all it is. SECONDLY, the motor is heating up too quickly and too hot, to the point of just quite overheating. I have a new water pump, thermostat, 180, temp sender. Water seems to be circulating by looking in the radiator, so 1st I will try the old sender, then take out thermostat, then I don't know if that doesn't work! Gotta love this hobby! Trying to figure out if I can drop the pan without removing the crossmember. Will use the pan off the 144.

Hi, make sure that something is not hitting the oil pick up tube. You may need a portable fan blowing into the front grill area. Look for vacuum leaks and set your timing. I would leave the thermostat in.

Just got under the car, had my wife spin the engine (plugs out). Could feel rod/crank hitting on the shallow part of the pan. When I built the motor, I turned it by hand to see if I had straightened out the pan enough, but with the force and speed of the engine running, it is evident. That's priority #1. Priority 2 will be to try out the original temp sender first. Then look at the thermostat. The previous motor ran very cool with this radiator. The 200 should be just as cool if the thermostat is working. At the very least it shouldn't be pegging the gauge after a one mile drive. ...shop manual says I need to loosen motor mounts, jack up motor 2 inches, unbolt front sway bar in order to drop this pan. Fun.......note: been reading on some other forums where this has happened, as the #5 and 6 rods are very close to the pan. In fact one guy dented it on the crossmember as he was installing the motor.

I had an oil pump bracket fail, was clattering against the bottom of the pan:

Wow, is that on the bottom of a main bearing? I don't have anything like that.

:duh: I sometimes forget I have a fox-body, which has a different sump.

I,d pull the engine and pan. check all rod and main bearings. look for debre in bottom of pan. somethings not right building high heat. make sure your rad isclean too. you using the 144 rad ?
bob

Well, As I said, I've got the rod hitting the pan, but I don't think that's going to create heat. Engine runs smoothly otherwise, good oil pressure. Can only hope the thermostat is sticking. Running it as much as I dare, it didn't totally overheat, but the gauge reads almost to the hot end, but stays constant (afraid it will overheat, but don't know, as I'm not pressing it). Yes, using the 144 radiator, thought they were the same as the early 200's. 144 ran very cool with same radiator, and like I said, even if it could use a bit more radiator, it shouldn't be heating up this fast. ...I've got pics in the transmission section of that drama...

I think he wuz askin Bcuz it may B smaller?

Yeah, I'd agree it's not just air in the system frm the way it was filled?

"…pics in the transmission section of that drama…"
what drama? Ur doin fine so far, let's check this out some…

Ok, Tonight I went ahead and replaced the thermostat and put in the old temp sender unit. Gauge shows that it's running cool. I got it up to operating temp and gauge stayed below the halfway mark. Then I turned off engine, which naturally makes the heat build a bit, then when I turned it back on, the gauge went back down, indicating circulation. Tomorrow, I could put the 'new' sender back in to see if it is bad, but I'm thinking it was the thermostat. Ok, so only thing left is to replace the pan. I have a new one on the way. Shop manual says to undo motor mounts and raise engine up 2 inches, remove sway bar at frame, and let rotate downward, then pull the pan. I guess it could be worse!

Doesn't look like a good fit up or weld on the repair. I wouldn't trust it.

Oil pump bracket?

The picture is of Jackfish'es Fox body 200 those have different oil Pans (rear sump?) and a long oil pickup tube that's braced and mounted to a main stud bolt. Good luck

bubba22349":1vuj3lt6 said:

The picture is of Jackfish'es Fox body 200 those have different oil Pans (rear sump?) and a long oil pickup tube that's braced and mounted to a main stud bolt. Good luck

Click to expand...

Yah sorry for the confusion. :duh:

bubba22349":g48f4f3i said:

… those have different oil Pans (rear sump?) and a long oil pickup tube that's braced and mounted to a main stud bolt…

Click to expand...

Wonder how many pans were rear sump?
The 170 on my bronk is.
I may need to adapt the 250 machined motor's so it fits around the frnt chunk…
If so the pick up/tube will need some attention too.
Got a pic of the 200 Fox in that location?

umm just a sec let me go pull my engine...
:smash:
ok, here it is

Broncos are rear sump, had the same thing on my 200. I had the same issue with the bracket for the pick up tube breaking, I just bolted it back together, tacked it, and brazed it with high-silver rod and a mapp torch. Was simple to do, but you have to have a good fit-up; your fit-up looks a little off, and that may put undue stress on the tube and cause it to fail later.

WoW!
Lookadat length!

So 2 rear sump 200s anyway - war pony's in a 73/4 bronk and the fox bodies…
One in a 170 (frm another bronk '66 - '72)…

We got a falcon/bronk/fox here…

I was tryin to figure how to bend the tube…if I could just buy THAT one, mayB make/buy the lill mounting tab…
How duz dat wrk? A stud w/a bolt, the tab, nother bolt on onea the main caps? P/u's still a 1/4 - 1/8 inch off the pan.

What years were the 200 in the Fox bodies? '79 - 83? They had 250 as well in those yrs? (called 'stang & Capri?)

Update on the 200 swap...Almost everything is done and buttoned-up. Overheating issue is fixed. Only remaining issue is the dented oil pan. I dropped the pan last night and could easily see where the #5 or 6 rod was scraping the back of the pan. I have a new one on the way from Mac's Auto Parts. Tech Tip: I followed the 1962 Motor Manual instructions for dropping the pan on a Comet, which worked perfectly...disconnect front swaybar at the frame rails and rotate downward (this must be done with car on ground or on ramps, or else the bar will not clear the diagonal struts to the lower A-frame). I then removed the lower engine mount nuts and jacked the engine up 2 inches, fitting in wood blocks to hold the motor off the frame. The pan basically slid out to the front. Ironically, the book gives a different procedure for a Falcon, not jacking the engine, but removing the frame crossmember instead. My only remaining question at the moment is on carberation, I have the Holley 1940 (replacement for factory Autolite). This carb was on my 144, but most sources say it works for 144-200. I'm not sure how the same carb for a 144 would have the proper cfm and jetting for a 200. I know the Autolite 1100's came with different venturi sizes. It works o.k. but I wonder if I'm getting enough fuel/air?

adamscm,

For a 200 engine you need an autolite 1100 with 1.10" (150 CFM) or 1.20" (185 CFM) venturi. The 1100 from a 144 engine may work, bit it will not provide enough air/fuel. I'd suggest you to measure the carb venturi before you switch the carb, or get one with a 1.20" venturi. I noticed you have a Duraspark distributor, which should work well with a 1.20" carb, assuming it is properly re-curved for your engine.



Tom