Setting up a 144

Ok so i got a 144 and c4 . I was going to leave the c4 stock. The 144 was going to do a ds2 - 3 1904 - cam.
Yes the bock was drilled out for the ds2 dizz. The questions, how should I jet the 1904? The stock one is a #52 should I put 52 in the other two or should I do something different on the outside two?
Cam? Lumpy is nice I have no clue what i should order? I need it to play nice with the C4. Im not looking to spin it up to hight. I'm on the fence with exhaust. I already own stock manifold and I know I can get stainless headers for 200.

Get a factory 256 degree cam as per the 200, or the 256 degree, slightly higher lift 250 I6 cam.

Then jet to 52 as a start. The stall ratio will be quite tight, but there's no reason to use the stock 240 degree cam. Its a great little engine. I had a 170 C1 head (same as the 144) on my old auto 200.


Enjoy the engine. Super short stroke, smooth, and you won't break it.

xctasy":2b3g9g1g said:

Get a factory 256 degree cam as per the 200, or the 256 degree, slightly higher lift 250 I6 cam.

Then jet to 52 as a start. The stall ratio will be quite tight, but there's no reason to use the stock 240 degree cam. Its a great little engine. I had a 170 C1 head (same as the 144) on my old auto 200.


Enjoy the engine. Super short stroke, smooth, and you won't break it.

Click to expand...

Stay with solid lifters or switch over to hydraulic?
(Stall) as in the torque converter?

That's pretty cool hopping up a 144.

sivadmatt99":jnvwfpmo said:

xctasy":jnvwfpmo said:

Get a factory 256 degree cam as per the 200, or the 256 degree, slightly higher lift 250 I6 cam.

Then jet to 52 as a start. The stall ratio will be quite tight, but there's no reason to use the stock 240 degree cam. Its a great little engine. I had a 170 C1 head (same as the 144) on my old auto 200.


Enjoy the engine. Super short stroke, smooth, and you won't break it.

Click to expand...

Stay with solid lifters or switch over to hydraulic?
(Stall) as in the torque converter?

Click to expand...

To the best of my knowledge no 144 blocks were drilled to use Hydrolic's so you will need a solid lifter cam. Yes stall is the torque converter, are you sure it's a C4? Most early engines used a 2 speed Ford O Matic some pictures would help ID it. Good luck on your build.

sivadmatt99":1920ye0c said:

Stay with solid lifters or switch over to hydraulic?
(Stall) as in the torque converter?

Click to expand...

Solid lifters as suggested below, for the reasons below.

Stock stall speed f your transmission is a three stage C4 was always 1650 rpm as Ford rated it in the early 60's, so its not a loose, slipping TC that allows rev buildup, its quite tight, and requires a good dose igntion advance and a farirly high curb idel under load to get it all moving. The in line small six cams were all 109 degree lobe seperation cams, so that should help.



Enjoy your 144.


I wouldn't spend a dime on a smaller than ideal engine unless I could recoup the 70 gross hp its looses compared to the 250 sixes one time factory rating of 155 hp and it'll always have a poor power to weight ratio.

Its just that good used cams from 200's and 250's are always 256 degrees and 370 or 400 thou lift, and are everywhere for this engine, often in good shape.

With new solids and some cam paste and proper break in procedure, you'll be fine.


Since you can't easily redrill the block for the lifter feed, this is the process.

Swap in a 200 or 250 cam that is servicable. Use new solid lifters and adjust to 6 thou intake, 8 thou exhaust. Pushrods then need to ensure the tips of the rockers wipe over the middle third of the the valve from zero to full lift.


http://www.hotrod.com/articles/how-to-m ... -pushrods/

Process 9 to 12 is the key. Use stock pushrods from your 144 and just check that the middle third of the valve tip is centered. You only need a checking pushrod if its out of alignment.

Normally, you wouldn't ever mix and match solid and hydraulic cams, as the hydraulic cams are designed for lifter preload, and have a 6 thou ramp, while solids are about 13 thou or so. Since you've got a 144, then you don't have any other cost effective options , asside from calling Schnider,Howards, or CalySmith, and going to a full cam upgarde. They'd sure laugh if, when asking what upgrades the engine has, and you say "none".


Change the valve springs,valve seals, and use lapping compound to reseat the valves if your taking the head off. You can use the common 200 gasket, have the head planed, and enlarge the log heads hole to 1.75" or even larger, and do all the hand blue printing , 3 angle back cut and valve alterations that the two True Brothers of Speed espouse in this book.





For my experience, I had an old 138cubic inch GM in line six, same kinda deal as yours, but only 77.9 hp, 6.8:1 compression, in a 2550 pound car with no real guts. But after a better wider ratio four speed gearbox, a 3.45:1 axle ratio, and a pressure regulator to stop my 1-bbl Zenith 34 VNT leaking, I got a lovely little cruiser that sounded gorgeous, and was reliable and loved by everyone on the road. Old cars make freinds.




Note: Its okay to be cheap, just don't wreck it...

As a kid, I was always a Vauxhall Velox and Cresta man myself, more cubes, 8.8" diff, 12 port head and bomb proof, laycock overdrive optional, you could wack a 4 speed with over drive and get seven speeds into it. Often you'd just find the parts at a municpal tip like I did




the first car to win the Armstrong 500 mile endurance races
http://holden.itgo.com/bathurstwinners.html

and they were just a sh!+ load stronger than the old Ford Falcons and British Zephyr Zodiacs, but I studied every inch of every British Ford and GM in line six cylinder part while raiding the local deserted landfill...

When 17 in 1987, I did my first diff swap on my PA, 3.9:1 3 speed to 3.45 4 -speed, and then did my first engine swap and engine build.

xctasy":mpo1uv5q said:

Enjoy your 144. I wouldn't spend a dime on a smaller than ideal engine unless I could recoup the 70 gross hp its looses compared to the 250 sixes one time factory rating of 155 hp and it'll always have a poor power to weight ratio.

Its just that good used cams from 200's and 250's are always 256 degrees and 370 or 400 thou lift, and are everywhere for this engine, often in good shape.

With new solids and some cam paste and proper break in procedure, you'll be fine.

Since you can't easily redrill the block for the lifter feed, this is the process.

Swap in a 200 or 250 cam that is servicable. Use new solid lifters and adjust to 6 thou intake, 8 thou exhaust. Pushrods then need to ensure the tips of the rockers wipe over the middle third of the the valve from zero to full lift.


http://www.hotrod.com/articles/how-to-m ... -pushrods/

Process 9 to 12 is the key. Use stock pushrods from your 144 and just check that the middle third of the valve tip is centered. You only need a checking pushrod if its out of alignment.

Normally, you wouldn't ever mix and match solid and hydraulic cams, as the hydraulic cams are designed for lifter preload, and have a 6 thou ramp, while solids are about 13 thou or so. Since you've got a 144, then you don't have any other cost effective options , asside from calling Schnider,Howards, or CalySmith, and going to a full cam upgarde. They'd sure laugh if, when asking what upgrades the engine has, and you say "none".


Change the valve springs,valve seals, and use lapping compound to reseat the valves if your taking the head off. You can use the common 200 gasket, have the head planed, and enlarge the log heads hole to 1.75" or even larger, and do all the hand blue printing , 3 angle back cut and valve alterations that the two True Brothers of Speed espouse in this book.

For my experience, I had an old 138cubic inch GM in line six, same kinda deal as yours, but only 77.9 hp, 6.8:1 compression, in a 2550 pound car with no real guts. But after a better wider ratio four speed gearbox, a 3.45:1 axle ratio, and a pressure regulator to stop my 1-bbl Zenith 34 VNT leaking, I got a lovely little cruiser that sounded gorgeous, and was reliable and loved by everyone on the road. Old cars make freinds.




Note: Its okay to be cheap, just don't wreck it...

As a kid, I was always a Vauxhall Velox and Cresta man myself, more cubes, 8.8" diff, 12 port head and bomb proof, laycock overdrive optional, you could wack a 4 speed with over drive and get seven speeds into it. Often you'd just find the parts at a municpal tip like I did

the first car to win the Armstrong 500 mile endurance races
http://holden.itgo.com/bathurstwinners.html

and they were just a sh!+ load stronger than the old Ford Falcons and British Zephyr Zodiacs, but I studied every inch of every British Ford and GM in line six cylinder part while raiding the local deserted landfill...

When 17 in 1987, I did my first diff swap on my PA, 3.9:1 3 speed to 3.45 4 -speed, and then did my first engine swap and engine build.

Click to expand...

Wow thanks i will hunt down a stock used 200 cam and get new lifters. Your right doing this on the cheep. It is going to power a t bucket. 3.07 8.8 out back. Yes c4 out of a 65 horse car.

Howdy Matt and All:

Wow! Thanks for the bird walk X great story and photo.

Hey Matt, I'm guessing you are going with a 3x1 carb setup with progressive linkage? If so, IIWIYS I'd go with the #54 in the center, strip and seal the choke mechanism from the outer carbs and run only slightly leaner jets.

What casting head are you using? Sounds like a fun project.

Adios, David

all ways thought of turboin a 144
but
that's me'n another story.
Congrats on savin it and I'll B watchin.
Good Luck, have fun!

CZLN6":3g14dvcv said:

Howdy Matt and All:

Wow! Thanks for the bird walk X great story and photo.

Hey Matt, I'm guessing you are going with a 3x1 carb setup with progressive linkage? If so, IIWIYS I'd go with the #54 in the center, strip and seal the choke mechanism from the outer carbs and run only slightly leaner jets.

What casting head are you using? Sounds like a fun project.

Adios, David

Click to expand...

I think the head is c0. Out of a 60 falcon. Yes i was going to run progressive. How would 52 54 52 be? I live in Phoenix Arizona we are at 1,000ft here.

Howdy Back:

Yup, the 52/54/53 sound like a good place to start.

On the exhaust a six-into-one side pipe would be a killer.

Be on the lookout for a later head c5xx to c9xx 170 or 200 head for bigger valves.

You're going to want max compression ratio to help punch with the auto trans. With the smallish 144 bore knock will not be a problem. Is the engine apart? Are you planning any machine work?

I'd love to see a photo of your project.

Adios, David

I've really grown to like my 144 (except for an apparent bearing problem, chronicled elsewhere on this site!). I know that a 200 is better with 7 main bearings, bigger valves, more h.p., etc, but my 144 is super-smooth and can squeeze out close to 30 mpg! I might not say that if I had to merge onto a busy highway everyday, however! As a tinkerer, I also like the solid lifters and the general simplicity of the motor. Also, there's very little chance of tearing out a transmission or rear end! I'll be pulling the motor soon to see what's up with the bearings, which I think is the source of some major noise. My motor is generally stock, although I had the head milled a bit with the valve job, I put on the newer, bigger 200 exhaust manifold, and a Holley 1940 carb seems to feed more gas than the original tiny carb.

CZLN6":3voifz91 said:

Howdy Back:

Yup, the 52/54/53 sound like a good place to start.

On the exhaust a six-into-one side pipe would be a killer.

Be on the lookout for a later head c5xx to c9xx 170 or 200 head for bigger valves.

You're going to want max compression ratio to help punch with the auto trans. With the smallish 144 bore knock will not be a problem. Is the engine apart? Are you planning any machine work?

I'd love to see a photo of your project.

Adios, David

Click to expand...

The motor is on the stand now pan and valve cover are off just for inspection. I will have to pull the head to do the 3-1 adopter. I was not planning on doing any machine work unless it was absolutely necessary

Howdy Back Matt:

IF you're pulling the head and plan to replace the factory OE steel shim head gasket with an aftermarket gasket you will be losing CR. Not what you want. The factory gasket is .025" thick while typical aftermarket composite gaskets are at .050".

Let us know what you decide to do.

Adios, David

CZLN6":3803tr72 said:

Howdy Back Matt:

IF you're pulling the head and plan to replace the factory OE steel shim head gasket with an aftermarket gasket you will be losing CR. Not what you want. The factory gasket is .025" thick while typical aftermarket composite gaskets are at .050".

Let us know what you decide to do.

Adios, David

Click to expand...

David
This motor has bin rebuilded. So till i get the manifold and gasket kit. The head is staying on just safer and when it comes off i will measure deck/ volume.