Technical 1961 Ranchero with small block Ford - Cam swap ?

Can you swap the cam in a small block powered early Falcon without pulling the engine ?

I'm in Colorado, my sister just bought a 61 Ranchero with V8 and Automatic in Tucson AZ. It is over cammed and over carbureted for practical driving -- especially with a stock converter in the C4.

I go to AZ about every other month to help my parents -- including helping Dad with his 67 Ranchero build. So I could take some 302 parts I've got here -- Cam, Lifters, 2 barrel intake etc down there and calm the 61 down so she can handle it. but I really don't want to get into an engine pull 850 miles from home.

 

Absolutely. You'll have to pull the radiator and the grill to get the cam out and back in, but the rest will be 'normal' stuff.

 

Thanks -- I thought that might be the case but wanted to make sure I didn't have to pull the whole front support or something. I'll be dragging all the tools I think I need along with all the parts I think I need from Colorado to AZ and be working off of Mom's list --- while also calming down the over-cammed ranchero 65 miles away from where I'm staying.

 

The most difficult part of the job doing the swap with the engine in the car is dialing-in the camshaft. "Difficult" in that being able to accurately align the degree wheel and pointer is more difficult since you may not be able to look straight on.

 

Why dialing in the cam? If you are not trying to squeeze every hp out of it, why not just set it straight up and be done with it.

 

Right -- I'll be installing a used stock 302 cam with stock timing gears to calm down the beast so my sister can drive the thing. so I won't be "degreeing"

 

Have at it then. Dialing in is not just for optimizing HP. The first step is to put it by aligning the dots correctly and then seeing where the camshaft is for accuracy by measurement. If you blindly stick it the camshaft in without dialing it in, you will never know where it is degree-wise. You could end up far off from where want or need to be, even if "the dots align"..

 

If that "used" cam and lifters weren't kept in match he'll be pulling it out anyway!

 

The stock radiator support and such is welded together. Isn't that the case for most cars? I've seen cars at DIY junkyards that had the radiator support sawzalled out of the way for easier/quicker engine pulls.

 

Falcons/Rancheros have the hood lock support that can be unbolted and removed, with that out and the radiator out and grille off, plenty of room to work. Gotta remove the intake to get to the lifters anyway. Cut that top bar out and you'll never get it back in right again.

 

Yep!

 

I bet the situation is not as grave as the mismatch you are afraid of.

 

But NO ONE KNOWs until the actual measurement is made.

 

What is your claim based on? I just double-checked the '61 Ranchero in my backyard- the whole front sheet metal "radiator support" is spot-welded in.

 

The hood lock support is removeable. Not the radiator core support.

 

Well, if he doesn’t have a cam card for the cam in question, and just assume being it’s a factory cam, put it in straight up and have a beer.
Seems it worked as intended before.

 

Here's what I'm talking about, and all of that is welded in on a stock '61 Ranchero.

 

try Rhoads lifters?

 

Without a 2 or 4 post lift, I'd pull the motor, personally. What's a few more fasteners to remove so I don't have to work through a tiny hole in the core support and hunched over the whole time? My back is aching just thinking about it.

 

Op’s mood about now.

 

Keep it simple. Stock parts installed straight up should be more than fine for a daily driver. Don't cut the radiator support. No reason for that. For lower back ease, drive the car onto ramps. I did a lot of work on a really similar car over the last year and had it on cribbing most of the time. Real back saver. Unless you are young, then just get after it.

Oh, and...no good deed goes unpunished.

2x4 cribbing is very useful. Very.

 

Let us know how it works out........
SHOULD be a walk-in-the-park.
6sally6
PS......I hate to see/hear any SBF 'calmed-down'....
So she has to kick it in N when stopped at a traffic light..so

 

You sure have been sold a bill of goods by the guy that does your engine work. Thousands of cars have their timing chain/belts and sprockets swapped daily using the same marks the factory used on every engine they produced. I'd only put in the used stuff if you can put each lifter back on the same lobe it had been running on and I'd buy new steel sprockets and chain (not roller). What's the compression ratio? She may still need to run premium.

 

Okay, I know what you're talking about now. It's partially shown in the below picture. My '61 Ranchero doesn't currently have that part on it.