215 in 68 F100

grenwhit

New member
It looks like I have bad rings in cylinder 5 of the 300 currently in my pickup. I can always pull one from the junkyard and just replace it, but I have access to a 215 (and transmission) that's a runner for the right price. My question is not the wisdom of dropping an old motor in a newer model. It's the difficulty. I know it doesn't necessarily make as much sense as another 300, but it's available, affordable, and if I can pull it off it will give me time to hop up the 300 during rebuild and when I put it back leave me with a runner for my next project.


I've never dropped old into new before. Does anyone more familiar with the vintage engines have any pointers?
 
grenwhit":3a6xdt8n said:
It looks like I have bad rings in cylinder 5 of the 300 currently in my pickup. I can always pull one from the junkyard and just replace it, but I have access to a 215 (and transmission) that's a runner for the right price. My question is not the wisdom of dropping an old motor in a newer model. It's the difficulty. I know it doesn't necessarily make as much sense as another 300, but it's available, affordable, and if I can pull it off it will give me time to hop up the 300 during rebuild and when I put it back leave me with a runner for my next project.


I've never dropped old into new before. Does anyone more familiar with the vintage engines have any pointers?

:unsure: Yes you certainly could fiscally fit the old 215 six in a 1968 F100, but it's not a bolt in job. Biggest problems to overcome is that you will need to make all new custom fit motor mounts to, adapt the 215 engine into the newer truck chassis. Several other smaller items that will also need a little modding like the carb linkage, exhaust, some electrical rewiring, using the old Generator on the 215 or converting it over to the 300's Alternator, driveshaft, depending on the trans maybe the shifter, etc. it will be quite a bit of work for a temporary solution. You could also get a budget rering kit plus do a valve job that might fix your current 300 see below link for an example. Good luck :nod:

http://autoplicity.com/1263833-sealed-p ... aQodsvMM5A
 
I agree with Bubba. Do a valve job and rings on the 300. You will like the results better than trying to run the 215. It will take less time and effort to refresh the 300.
 
Aside from the motor mount/frame modifications, gas pedal linkage, trans linkage, etc, you would need to get accordion style radiator hoses to use temporarily while the 215 is in service. You could not use the 215 generator as they were 6-volt, but you could swap it for a 1956 and later 223 I-block 6-cyl generator and matching voltage regulator. I would be afraid to use oil and temp sending units in the 215 as they might not be compatible with '68 gauges? How about fuel line re-routing and exhaust pipe hookup? those will need modification.
Were talking lots of trouble here which would need to be changed back to the way it was when you put the 300 back in.
How bout getting a 300 runner temporarily while the current 300 is in build mode?????
 
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