Lets swap heads

HI All

After browsing the site, i think this is a wanderful area for all the ford 6's.
I hope to hang about much more in future.

Anyway, I asked this question on another forum, and have so many comflicting stories, it leads me to post again...here.

I have an Xb sedan, it runs a 250 iron head (intergrated inake), back up by a c4 auto.
A v8 will go in it, but this won't be for a while. So i want to make the most of the 250 donk that resides in it.
I also picked up another 250, with a borg warner auto with alt, starter the lot for only $51, so i can play with that before dropping it into the xb.

The plan is to get a good mix of power, economy, and relaiblity, without causing any frustrations like heat and having to use premium unleaded all the time due to pining and the like. A good cool cruiser pretty much.

So heres the question:
Using the 250 block i have from the XB, can I change to a?
A) 2V head ( I believe so, and it also uses the same extractors)
B) cross flow iron head (from and Xc)(however believe need to change extractors.
C) Cross flow alloy head (same as B)

OR:
Is easier and better to drop either a full alloy cross flow engine from an xd-xf into it, as it'll run normal unleaded and bolt right up except for the extractors?
No computer or anything to muck with either, other wise i'd drop a BA motor and box my brother has spare.

I have been told that the cross flow heads, either of them will botl up with minimal fuss, then told the won't at all. But i can source the alloy motor's easy enough too.

which is better?

Thanks peeps.

2V head is not the only option, but all others cost to much in time and money to be worth it.

With a 2V head, you get a wopping great carb, great intake, and you can use the stock aftermarket headers.

I've had a lot of experience with stock iron cross flows and alloy cross flows...none will fit to the non crossflow block without a heap of modifications. The power gains are not there...the old 170 HP 2V's were ahead of there time, and is easily able to stitch up any 4.1 EFI.


A close second is to get a Weber ADM and XE Falcon return line fuel pump, 7 volt electric choke hook-up and idle stop solinoid, then make up an alloy adaptor that some of the 1973 Cortina and XW Falcon guys here use, and plonk it on your 1-bbl head. The large hole ARDC9 6049 and 72 DA 6049 casting number 1-bbl heads are much better than people realise.

is there any pictures of the later settup floating around?

I like the settup of the 2V head, and it's very simple to do changes and parts swapping etc as you've mentioned. So they definitly make a differance in power and in economy?

I have seen these heads go from anywhere between 100-250 bucks with manifold.
Is it even an option to use the cross flow engine out of an xc, or alloy head out of an xd-xf. total engine swap i know, but is there advantages to doing these. I Just like the unleaded and alloy head idea.

The XF engine will go right in - You'll have to sort out the Exhaust and change to a cable accelerator if you haven't already got one (XD one will bolt in)

Not as powerful as a 2V but runs Unleaded without a problem...