Features Doing Falcons Right

i wanted to share what I did to get the rear wheels/tires off. Since I had 3" blocks in the rear the axle would not drop down far enough to get the wheels off and even if I deflated the tires it was a bitch.
I put a bottle jack in between the "frame" and axle and was able to get a bunch more room. Hope this helps someone.

 

After buggin' the shit outta' EvilFalcon about his Sanderson Falcon headers, I finally found some headers that will fit a Falcon with shock towers, a V8 and an AOD transmission:






I was gonna' send 'em out to get ceramic coating.....

 

So last week I got all bored like so I decided there was no time like the present to go ahead and paint my shorty headers.
Since it was way too damn cold to even attempt painting them in my garage after baking them in the long suffering wife's oven, I hatched a nefarious plan...

I gathered up a cylinder of MAPP gas and various other implements of destruction and headed to the machine shop where they offered to let me use the shot peen machine to rough up my brand new headers...

"Yeah right", says I, as I bulled my way back through the shop to the other noise maker, the bead blaster....

It didn't take long to scuff 'em up, blow 'em off and douse them with MEK.

Armed with some safety wire, MAPP gas and an S hook, I headed up to the second level of the shop where it was about 80* and proceeded to warm the pipes up to 200* and laid down three light coats of VHT flat black about ten minutes apart...




I left the headers upstairs to dry overnight and Lloyd only called me twice later in the day: once to tell me that an airplane crashed into the building but my headers were okay and a second time to tell me that someone had snuck upstairs while they were busy and stolen my headers.


So the next morning I showed up, grabbed the headers (while wearing latex gloves, of course), and headed home where I could get away with putting stuff in the oven that was not food....

200F for 30 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. 400F for 30 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.....


It helps if you have a M-60 gunner's barrel change glove.

I got in trouble anyway because the Missus came home early from work.
Stay tuned for how to clean parts in the dishwasher with Easy-Off oven cleaner.

 

So I drove to my exhaust dudes place last Friday afternoon. It was a balmy 24* ......


Saturday morning we yanked off the cast iron manifolds and cleaned up the exhaust ports.


The Sanderson instructions suggested Permatex Ultra Black RTV be applied to the ports on the headers and left overnight to dry- I was glad that I'd done just that because I prolly would have knocked it off the flanges while wiggling the headers around in the engine bay....yeah, it looks ugly.


We raised the engine about .25" and turned the wheels to full left lock to miss the pitman arm and the left side went on and got bolted up.....



The right side was a different story. Although the header went straight up and in from the bottom, we had to heat and dimple the number three exhaust runner so it would clear the shock tower. So much for my careful paint job.
Anyhow, it bolted up just fine after that.



Driver's side flange:


Passenger side flange:


And the collector:


Marty bending and fitting the new head pipes...


Fancy Stage 8 collector hardware:


I decided that was enough for one day...I was due back Sunday morning to put the locking hardware on the header flange bolts, put the plugs back in and fire it up to see what would catch fire.

 

Sunday morning it seemed it was gonna take as long to put the Stage 8 locking hardware on the headers as it did to put the headers on......

HSP 1800* spark plug boot protectors....


And a crappy iPhone video of the paint smoking- first cure, still on the fast idle cam:

That's it....

 

Has anyone ever put a 60-61 front end on a 62-'63? are there mods required the rad support/head light area? or are the supports the same?

 

They are not the same, but it can be done.

 

my front fenders are shot and my hood is missing theres a '60 front end available locally i think i like the looks of them better but i certainly dont want to cut off a rad support to do it

 

Burntout , looks great ! I know I will have to massage mine into place too. Debating on doing my headers black as well

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I had this FALCON back in the 80,s . had to sell it would love to know what ever happened to it , I lived in Taneytown MD , at the time

 

Looks like EFI.

The trad-police are going to have a fit.

(My EFI system is here, waiting to go on.)

 

Thanks. Only the number 3 cylinder exhaust runner needed messaging- everything else fit really well. I got more clearance on the driver's side header than I had with the cast iron manifolds....
Thanks for answering all my dumb Sanderson questions via PM...

I'm anxious to see your I6 EFI set up Gimpy...

 

I am hoping to mount the T56 today, shoulder willing. Once that is in and I make a new tunnel, the EFI is on-deck.

 

Its been awhile since Ive done any work on the wagon and with spring around the corner I'm getting the automotive itch again.
Gimpy can you explain why (again) you feel you made the wrong choice with the 3.76 gear set. Im swapping the 170 out for a 200 as well and want to make a educated decision on the which T5 trans to use

 

I built a '64 convertable 15+ yrs ago(with a zillion hours just in the floor pans alone) I stuffed in a '69 351W mach 1 4v I used '63-5 falcon/comet motor mounts (which were rare 15+ years ago )and a maverick under pan crossmember and cut and welded a set of fox body 302 block hugger headers to fit I had no interference issues even with the 65 comet power steering rack and Box and a 66 mustang collar to eliminate the shift lever. I used the Granada/Monark disc brakes if I remember correctly there is a 3/16" height difference of the granada spindle to the falcon. I bought a pricey custom mustang tie rod end to mate the '65 p/s to granada spindles. used a Monarch hd sway bar. 65 Mustang pedals bolt into the stock pedal bracket and I made a T shaped bracket drilled for later trans mount pad bolted to the stock(leaf spring) to clear the linkages. I installed a Lincoln Versaille 9" (58.5")the spring pads are exactly the same width apart (43")but versaille has a larger centre pin the vers e-brake wont work if you bolt directly to the springs so I made 1" lowering blocks and put larger dowels on top and drilled the bottom the size of falc spring pin this set up allowed me to use the 14" x7" painted magnums w 225/60's with no rub. Spring plates must be notched and drilled for bigger U bolts. I used the '68 mustang dual master cyl. and fluid block from a 4whl drum maverick. Wired in the "duraspark" box and gm 1 wire alt. Depending on what year and also the year of engine (which side w/p exits) with slight mods to the rad support you can use either a V8 mustang or a maverick rad.

 

The 3.76 gearset is only the wrong one for a 144, or a 170. The overdrive is just a little too tall for a stock setup, and just in reach with a better carburetor and distributor, all assuming a rear tire no taller than stock (about 23.2").

The 3.76 gearset will be fine for a 200.

 

That's a '61.

 

That's the first 3 door falcon I've ever seen.

 

I believe so. 1960 were flat. 1961 were peaked. 1962+ were in the bumper.

It has the wrong hood for 1963.

Either way, worth it for parts alone, if you have the room.

 

I have not gotten far past the machine work and one test fit, as I am working on-armed, due to a shoulder injury.

Here's the first test fit.

The extended pilot pushing needs a little shaved off, and then it should go right in

 

What's the plans with the left over t5 setup would you consider selling it?

 

Me too.

 

It's possible.

 

Just tore into the rear frame of my 62 since it was not in the greatest of shape and have a replacement installed. Well long story short, pretty disconcerting when you sweep up the rear frame, but it feels better when there is a new piece ready to be put in. Need a new bumper on a side note.

 

For those of who who have a weber carb. Which idle jets do I need the big or small one on a dgav. Im going with primary 60 and secondary 50.

 

Unsure on that one. I run a DFEV.

 

I was bidding on one at the time but didn't win. I was a little confused when looking online for the jets. It appears that the big or small idle jet will work for the dgv series but only the small idle jet for the df series. http://www.carburetion.com/Weber/weberJets.asp

 

Looks like the 74409.xxx is the primary and 74403.xxx is the secondary.

 

Does anybody know if an axle from a 73 6cyl maverick would swap out for the early falcon also was that year still 14" 4 lug rims

 

I think so.