Projects SBF Gurus Input Appreciated

Ok thanks for your input. I wasn't sure if the ports and combustion chambers were too big for a stock cam, stock piston 302.

 

modeleh it sounds like a pretty sweet set up you have there. Would like to know how it runs when you get it all together.
Sold off a little more and got the last few parts ordered for the aod as well as matching valve springs. I do believe I will have to get a different torque converter but I will talk to a trans shop about that. Tomorrow I believe I will finish painting the dash and install an oldschool superior 500 wood steering wheel I picked up a while back.

 

No,the chambers are actually fairly big on those,I believe 60 or 64 cc's,so compression is not going to be too high.You will probably be fine with 87 octane gas.
I would be tempted to either step up to a bit hotter cam,or run 1.7 rockers.The rockers won't make the motor seem any more radical,but the increased lift will just make it feel stronger everywhere.

Scott


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Ardun?!?!?

Now THAT is the proof that your machine shop guy is a true BADASS!

Scott


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No kidding. They run I believe a modified 32 at Bonneville but the flatty was for another customer. They have done some other machine work for me that was truely impressive but this will be the first full running motor that they are doing for me. They did a 5 main conversion on the block among other things and I must say a ardun flatty is something to behold.

A few more small touches on the Ranchero as I wait.

 

And the last of the parts are in.

And though not quite done heres a quick shot of my dash looking much nicer.

 

That is going to be a sharp looking Ranchero.....with all those parts I'm betting it's gonna throw a pretty serious beatin' on a pair of rear tires!

Scott


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Wow, a lot of great info here. Now, how does all this cool stuff transfer over to a 351W?

 

Windsors use the same cam (except for earlier 289/302 cams with a different firing order),same valve covers,rockers,cylinder heads,etc.
289/302 headers will physically fit the ports,but might not clear the floor pan.

The Windsor is a great motor if you have the room for it in your engine compartment.
Visually,the Windsor looks almost identical to a 289,so they make a good choice for a sleeper....a Chevy guy will never realize that your "289" is really a 408" Windsor

Scott


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Yes, the main difference is Ford added deck height on the outside of the water pump bolts so they could use the existing windsor timing cover.

1/2 vs 7/16 head bolts, 3" mains . . .

 

OK, thanks for that. I'm planning on using a 351W from a '87 F-150. It's a non-roller engine.I will be using the 5.0 upper plenum and fuel injection with the 351 lower manifold and an adaptor plate from BC Broncos. It's going into a '54 Ford Club Coupe with an AOD or T5, haven"t made up my mind yet on the trans. 3.00:1 rear axle from a '70 Maverick.

 

That should be the start of a strong running motor.

A cam with between 216-220 degrees duration should work nice in a torquey 351 for hauling around a big car with tall gears.

I would concentrate 80% of my porting efforts on the exhaust side if I was you,in order to keep airflow moving good and hard,and keep low end torque up.
If you can find a used set of 5.0 headers on Craig's list,they will work better than cast iron manifolds,and shouldn't cost very much.

The stock duraspark ignition is good stuff too,so don't bother spending the bucks on MSD stuff unless your ignition parts are missing.Some weights and springs will have that distributor making you some more power.

Also,don't run a high volume oil pump.The stock ford oiling system is really good in windsors (including 289/302's),so a hi volume pump just eats power.

Scott



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I have some tube 5.0 headers off a Lincoln Mk VII and a set of cast iron headers from a HiPo 289. I like the look of the cast headers but the tube headers would probably work better.

 

Those hipo headers are actually not bad,and they won't leak like headers sometimes have a habit of doing.
I wouldn't use them on a race motor that I was looking for every last hp out of,but for an application like yours where torque is more important than hp,I think they will work great,just as long as they clear your steering and suspension.

Scott


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The MK VII's won't clear, been there,done that. The Hi-Po 289's are an excellent fit and flow well originally designed by Carroll Shelby or the HEDMAN 88400 header will fit.

 

I've already checked the fit for the casts. I do remember now the tube headers had a clearance problem but I don't remember which side. I'll probably use the cast ones and get them coated.

 

Drivers side was really bad at the steering box it also rubbed the upper A-arm. On a side note they will clear on a Ford 1949-53 car with a king pin suspension,got a set laying in the garage that taught me a lesson.

 

I should have just started this thread out as my rancheros build thread. Well I started down the slippery slope and here is a small progression. Decided to tear the carpet and seats out and I found sheets of metal riveted down over fairly solid floor pans for who knows what reason. I am thinking to add some new carpet and sound deadener as well as these spiffy seats from a 1965 Mercedes Benz i believe to match the theme. On a engine note the machine shop expects to have my engine done and ready for me either thursday or friday.

 

Small update. Got the aod back from the shop and they say everything looks good in it and it already has a 2000 rpm stall torque converter in it so I am good to go. With luck it will all bolt up and I will be good to go. Just curious how is lokar about the only one that makes kick downs and other transmission parts? It seems like they are fairly simple setups that other people could make for a lot cheaper.

 

That should work nice.Remind me again what you have for a rear gear in it?

Scott


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Rear gear tag reads 3.23 but it has a posi in it (very cool thing) so I don't know if that is accurate

 

Well since I have an AOD in my '54 I can tell you the Lokar unit is the way to go,I tried adapting a stock cable that did not work well at all. Before you put the AOD in the car you need to decide something first,will you be running a floor shift? If so Ford used two shift lever positions if it points up it is for a column shift car if it points down it is a floor shift car and some times you need to replace that lever with the one that matches your shifter of choice and that requires going into the valve body something that is much easier to do out of the car.There are some videos you might want to watch to save future headaches:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lod8lHFTKq8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5JediOEQ3U and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZwsQViZilQ

 

The cast hi-po manifolds are a good choice, but you may have to grind on the drivers side to clear the steering box. The early Falcon engine compartment is 1" narrower than a Mustang or Fairlane...

 

I decided to go with all lokar so hopefully it will be a nice simple install. I will post pictures of the current set up on the trans tomorrow. I am wanting to retain my stock column shift and I believe the lever on the trans sticks up rather than down so I will do some reading on that tomorrow.

 

If your car had an Auto trans originally converting the AOD to the column is not too bad,if it had a stick shift you would be wise to swap in an automatic column while the engine is out of the car.This is how it was done in a '54 Ford AOD swap (not mine,I used a B&M QuickSilver) but you can adapt as needed.

 

Your motor looks like it's going to be pretty similar to mine. Mine is a '90 Mustang 5.0, the block was in excellent shape, only needed a hone, crank is .010 under. I looked at tons of cams, and decided to have the stock cam re-ground to the Comp XE264 specs. I also decided to go with GT40 heads, which I found a pretty cheap, recently rebuilt set with beefier springs. I could have (should have?) gone with the AFR 165s, but I also wanted to have, if not a traditional, then at least a classic appearance with the iron heads.

I also picked up a set of used Scorpion 1.6 roller rockers. I highly recommend Scorpion, their customer service is incredible. I bought them used, and one of them had a really tight roller. I called Scorpion to find out if they could rebuild them. They can't, and in talking with the tech on the phone, it turned out 3 others were bad as well. He told me to throw the bad ones away, and he sent me 4 new replacements. And I'm not even the original purchaser! That's customer service!

Performer RPM manifold, and Holley 600 carb. It's still on the engine stand for now, but I'm hoping to get it to a dyno soon for break-in and tuning. I want it to be running right before it ever goes in the car.

Looking forward to seeing how your motor turns out!

 

Let me chime in on carb size here. Ford has a bit more money than I do so I tend to pay attention when some things are said. SBFs like CFM period. In the 60s Ford performance catalog they list various intake a carb set ups. The tri power on my Ranchero is rated at 715 CFM. It is great around town and plenty of poop on the top end. My Roadster runs 1200 CFM on Fords La Mans 2x4 intake. With the 2x4 intake I have 3 sets of carbs for it. 2-390s, 2-450s and 2 600s. the 2 -390s are great around town but are a serious handicap on the top end. The 450s are better on the top end with just a little bit of drop off on the bottom. The 600s on the other hand are not quite as perky around town but holy crap does it haul ass on the top end.
Please not this is in a 2300 lb car. Cam is an Edelbrock Performer RPM (7122) and the heads are Edelbrock performer RPMs.
The Ranchero is a .020 over Original 260 with stock heads with 351 valves in them. Cam is a Summit house cam.
What I am trying to really say is try to set every thing up so it all works together.

 

For a few dollars more you could have a 347:

 

'85 was fuel injected with both the auto and manual transmissions.

Really? Wonder how my brother got 29 mpg on a trip from Rochester NY to Memphis, TN about 15 years ago. The '85 he drove was 100% stock wit a 5 speed.

A 600 cfm carb is not too big on a hotted up 302.

 

85's were carbureted,but some of the automatic cars came with a weird throttle body injection system.

And yes,600 cfm works nicely on even a very mild 302.

Scott


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