Projects ford/mercury sb 260 questions and info, and slow build

hey fellas i recently picked up a sweet 63 merc meteor with a 260 and a 3spd (on the column) w/overdrive, after reading a bunch of other posts most other car enthusiasts say just scrap the 260 for a 289 or 302 but i want to keep the 260 because i like the gpm and so far it seems to be a fun little engine (and its earth shattering 170hp) but im wondering how much is interchangable from the 289/302 to the 260 (exhaust manifolds, intakes, ext) and what others, if any have done to build a mildly heated 260, thanks in advance for your time and advice

 

Think of it like a 305 chevy vs a 350 chevy- smaller, less loved but same basic design. It is an internal combustion engine and will have the same approach as any other- breathing is what matters to the engine
and anything you do to improve breathing will help. It will never be a 600 hp engine but can be fun
little motor and will surprise many if set up correctly. Shelby used this motor in some of his original
cobra's.

 

Sunbeam Tigers used the 260 as well.

There was a little discussion yesterday about cylinder heads and running them on the 260. They have a smaller bore than a 289/302 (3.8 v 4.0) so there is a distinct lack of knowledge about what valve sizes and combustion chambers are viable for a 260. Other than that, it's fairly standard fare for a SBF.

If you want it to be more fun on the street, look into an aftermarket intake and four-barrel carburetor. Exhaust manifolds or headers for a 289/302 are a direct swap. A camshaft swap could be done, but that's probably the point where you should start eyeing one of the larger SBFs. It doesn't really make sense to go wild on something that will need specialized parts and will always be 40+ cubic inches behind. Have fun!

 

Ignore the 'cubic inch snobs' and enjoy the engine for what it is. A good design that can perform very well, especially in a lighter car such as your Meteor. As stated in the above post, it will respond to all the same improvements as an other engine.......intake, exhaust ignition, etc.

EDIT: just saw the post made while I was typing. There is no reason why you shouldn't consider a better camshaft along with the other mods recommended. It is a 'bolt in', i.e., does not require machine work to install.
If you had a 302, they'd be telling you to get a 351 !! Where the Hell would it end??

I have long been a fan of the small block Ford engines and have had several...still have a couple.
Best wishes with your new ride.

As an aside, I went to Boot Camp in San Diego and was home ported in Long Beach....many, many years ago. San Diego is a neat place.

Ray

 

The 260 is just a 289 with a smaller bore (3.8" vs 4"). Nearly all parts will interchange, but there are a few important differences. The biggy is this is a 5 bolt block, so the '65-up 289/302 block won't fit up to your existing bellhousing/trans. The heads have smaller combustion chambers, so switching to later 289/302 heads will drop your compression down unless you use custom pop-up pistons. You also have the 'early' timing cover which uses a different water pump (but is all-aluminum unlike the later motors). All external bits (except for the front cover/water pump which have to be used together and bellhousing) will interchange with the later 28 oz balance motors, so no issues there. Like was said above, a mild cam, a Edelbrock Performer intake, a small 4 barrel carb (390-450 CFM) and headers will wake it up nicely.

If you want to go off the reservation a bit, a 302 28 oz crank and rods with custom pistons will yield a 272 and allow the use of later heads with a good compression ratio. Or how about a 3.25" stroker crank for 295 inches? Both would be really good 'torque' motors...

 

wow thank you guys for the very quick response and support, so as of right now im thinking headers from a 289...there seems to be alot more support for them, the 4barrel intake and im thinking a smaller holley (450-500cfm range) and possibly some form of rv or torquer cam, i like the idea of a lower rpm engine with alot of torque, ive found that slower moving metal=better engine longevity, do you guys have any specific cam recommendations? and luckily its already a manual so if/when the time comes to upgrade to an actual 4spd rather than the 3 w/that odd ball gear splitter overdrive it should bolt right onto the bellhousing...i will miss column shifting tho i think a solid target for this one will hopfully be in the high 200's hp area, at least enough so she can get out of her own way

 

If it has the pistons without valve reliefs you will be limited in cam/valve choices for clearance.

 

now that would be an interesting project, id be tempted to just because ive never seen anything like that but for the time being im trying not to dig into the block and rotating asymbly...at least not until it needs a full overhaul, but ive already scribbled that one down in my notebook

 

and ray i had to dig a little to find this picture and has nothing to do with cars at all but i figure you'd appreciate it, and for the most part ive been reading in one ear and out the other on the more inches the better and on some parts i do agree with simply because the 260s are getting harder to find but this one already found a special place for me (and as of right now all the numbers match on the car)

 

Boy, does THAT photo bring back memories! As I recall, that 'ship' was on the main base, right near the bridge to Camp Nimitz. But I could be mistaken about that....I was in Boot there in 1962. Thanks for posting that pic.

Ray

 

I would advise getting this: http://www.mre-books.com/interchange/index.html Click on the sections in blue to preview,also this: http://www.mre-books.com/sa69/index.html The Tri-Y header originally developed by Carroll Shelby like this would be best for your 260 http://www.ebay.com/itm/STAINLESS-S...OLD-/180778110782?hash=item2a17370f3e&vxp=mtr A Cam like this would do the trick: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/lun-10310100lk/overview/make/ford Because your 260 heads have small ports this intake with the smaller runners would be a better match than most later intakes.

 

The 221, 260, and the early 289 had different timing covers, water pumps, and of course the 5 bolt bell housing. Other than that all SBF engines have the same bolt pattern for the top end (heads, intake and exhaust).

Don't underestimate that 3spd OD transmission. They're very popular and pretty strong. It's like the best of both worlds, manual 3 and an automatic 4th gear.

 

The use of a 302 crank does not require special pistons if you use 302 rods. The 3 speed is a good trans except for ratios it's almost like a 4 speed with out 3rd gear.

 

Yep ^^^ although forged dished pistons and a blower with a pair of enderle barn doors would be nice.

There is nothing in the world wrong with the 260 as has been noted by my friend Hnstray it will never be a 427 tunnel port but they can be quite spunky in a light bodied car and they are good little motors.

Camshafts, heads headers intakes all swap to a point. At least they all bolt on, the intake from a later 298/302 maybe not is your best bet. An early 289 with the smaller runners would do well though if you decide you need to go 4 bbl and want to use a ford part. Offy used to offer a 260 intake in any number of configurations from mild to wild.
Play with it and enjoy it.

 

keep in mind a mild cam for a 302 will run a lot "bigger" in the 260.

 

A stock, off the rack 289 Hypo cam will be as much cam as that little mill will ever need.

Something to bear in mind is that many of the manufacturers made some pretty quick small displacement motors in the early '60s. The Plymouth barracuda that road raced in '65 had a big assed 273" motor. LOL

 

One thing to beware of when talking about stroking a 260 (or a 221 or 289) is that the bore of a 302 extends a bit deeper into the block casting than the older motors, meaning that the piston skirts in a 302 have some additional support down below. That's not saying it can't be done, just that there's some risk of piston slap or worse if the engine is run to the max a lot.

 

If I was going to do anything to a 260 I would punch it out and leave the stroke short. But I am not the one to really ask I like an engine that sounds like a swarm of bees at full sing.

 

Then you must love 2-strokes. Are they traditional?

 

I guess it depends on what your ultimate objectives are. If your ultimate goal is to hunt down Hellcats and GT500s, then you might as well start planning your drivetrain swap now since the 260/3spOD configuration will never work for it. But if your goal would be to have a nice, reliable, fun cruiser that has a little get-up-and-go, then you can definitely work with what you have.

The real good news is that you have that 3 speed stick in that car. The Ford-O-Matics were shitty to the point that it would be worth swapping the engine just to get rid of the transmission, but the 3 speed, especially with OD, is a nice setup that will serve you well. As far as the engine itself, I wouldn't go crazy swapping cams and the like. If I had to go through that much trouble, I'd sooner just pull the whole thing out and dump a 302 with GT40 heads on it and use a WCT5, which would be a marked improvement in performance. Personally, I'd just throw a set of headers on there, or even '68 289 HiPo manifolds, with a nice aluminum intake and a 500 cfm carb with an electronic ignition like a Pertronix or an HEI. That would help your engine breathe and give you a little extra juice and keep things reliable, without spending a small fortune.

Nice car BTW

 

They might be. When I was a baby the Ol' Man had a DKW car with a 2 stroke in it for a family sedan for a while. I was born in the '50s so that makes it traditional doesn't it? LOL

I actually once owned a really true Boss 302 that was in an off topic car and that baby would sing a tune that only an a Africanized bee could appreciate.
for some reason I have always been a fan of an engine that was bore heavy , and everything lightened beyond good common sense.

 

To offset the weak exhaust flow in these SBF heads is one reason for the cam chosen above another "budget friendly" trick is this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-1-840-I...305-/321573479508?hash=item4adf45e454&vxp=mtr If you are going to freshen up the heads with a valve job this would be the time to add these. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Edelbrock-V...ts=Model:Ford+300&hash=item5b0739473d&vxp=mtr

 

Long story shortened. My wife had a 65 Mustang she would't part with for love or money, but it was nickle and diming me to death. I bought a "really nice" (or so I thought at the time) 63 Falcon Ranchero that had a 2 barrel carbed 260 engine, with a 2 speed transamatic automission in it. Very nice car painted white, red interior, lifted, Cragar S/S with B.F. Goodrich Trans Am Radials. The car handled well, and was pretty snappy. Unfortunately, the entire rear undercarriage was rusted away; no shock mounts left in the body, and the guy I got it from had used chicken wire covered with undercoat to hide as much as possible. The wife did't like the car, it rode to harsh for her, and I was't going to repair the rust. The entire front and rear suspensions, rear end, brakes, dual exhaust, all went into the Mustang. I kept the engine/trans, and hulked what was left. Here's the thing, I'm a Chevrolet guy, and I really liked that little 260, my plans were to swap it into my 82 Chevette I bought new for college, and it had served that purpose. The 260 would have fit better than a SBC, as long as a Bronco oil pan was used. Before I could do that however, I sold the engine/trans to a local Falcon/Comet restoration business. I say don't mess with the little 260; it's a good little engine, and allows you to be a little different. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I have the original 260 in my 1963 1/2 Falcon Ranchero. It has a summit house brand 2nd stage cam with bigger valve in the stock heads and factory tri power. Runs very well.

 

so a little bit of an update: ive found a mallory pointless distributor on the good ol craigslists for a damn good price, hopfully be picking that up today, we'll see how the install goes...a little personal stuff real quick ive been on crutches for the past couple months due to a slight motorcycle accident (lisfranc injury) and ive found working on cars is alot easier when you can use both feet and dont have crutches jammed in armpits, even basic services become a pain in the dick, thats why ive been diverting more time towards research and planning on the big picture lately for the car that all of you guys have been phenomenally helpful with, thank again! and jeffb2 i already got that book on order at the very least it looks like a good read ill probably learn alot from it, and mike a quick note on 2 strokes in cars a buddy of mine actually brought a car to my attention at every american car guy can lay down rivalry's from the ford vs chevy vs dodge to the big displacement vs small displacement and all point and chuckle a little. let your eyes feast on the east german made trabant (57-89) with its 600cc <yes CC's 2 stroke engine and its 27 horse powers of fury! but now that i got that bit of randomness out of me i did also find a decent looking set of 289 hedmen shorty headers (summit) that i may order next week that i think will go good with this build for the torquey 260 now that i know the 260 289 and somewhat 302 were almost the same block

 

Sailor--- before you order headers you need to be sure they'll fit the engine compartment, either by an assurance of the seller or by some reliable advice from somebody who has done it before. Remember you've got very little space to play with there between the shock towers, plus you have your clutch linkage to clear. I have a Falcon with a set of Hooker long tubes that I can barely swipe a credit card thru the remaining space.

As far as 2stroke cars, the Europeans ran them well into the 1970s. Some gas stations even had premix at the pump.

 

I got a 4 pound hammer in the garage that would be perfect for relieving your shock towers.

You have to be real careful with shorty headers they are not a cure all and seldom fit anything that you would think that they would.

 

Been enjoying my 260 for 300,000 miles now!---Since buying it from Shelby in 1964.

 

Bill of sale.

 

LOL buying an engine from carol is cheating.