Technical Ok, Ford FE gurus let’s talk

Sounds pretty healthy!!

 

@Jeff Norwell where did you say those sexy exhaust manifolds were from? I thought you told me Sanderson, but I didn't see them on their web page.

 

Are you thinking of the cast shorties from Kugel?

https://kugelkomponents.com/8307-2/

 

Yes! Thanks.

 

Bump for the Ford crowd.

 

Those are actually better than the originals! Kugel took the short comings of the shorties and improved then. One thing I know they did was cast thicker flanges!



Bones

 

Does anyone know if the Kugel manifolds fit on trucks? I have a 1973 F-100 with a 390 and C-6 waiting it’s turn and really hope those manifolds fit! Don’t want to fight headers and the stock manifolds SUCK!

 

I always 'heard' how stupid-heavy those 390 intake manifolds are until I "helped" my boy work on his 390.
HOLY-MOLEY !!!!!!!..
We ended up with a 2X4 hooked to the intake and both of us lifting it in place ...
Just replacing that thang and the heads should reduce the front end weigh of a truck/car a good 250 pounds!
MPG or two ??!
6sally6

 

Boy, you hit the nail on the head there! Stock FE exhaust manifolds are terrible at best. Those Kugel units look real nice.

 

I'm curious why Sandersons are on the bad list.

 

Okay, I see now.

 

OK, my Alzheimers was kicking in.....I couldn't remember who you said.

 

So what is the deal with the little overflow tanks inline with the radiator? Did the FE's run hot? Surge tanks, I have heard them called. Have to run them?

 

Not all FEs had them.

 

Tank does a couple of things as I’m told , it has a cap on it to fill coolant , and it places cap higher than the block , most cars fitted with them had a cross flow radiator and it was lower than the top of da block

 

Those first appeared in 1958 on the redesigned Thunderbird although the initial design was a bit different with a smooth rounded top. The new body design with its low hood line didn't leave a lot of room for a conventional top tank radiator. Ford decided that those tanks would be a good solution for the redesigned 1960 full size cars for the same reason and allow for a larger crossflow radiator in the same space if needed. These were only used on the full-size cars/Thunderbirds with the exception of the Thunderbolt and 427 Cobra. When Ford redesigned the full size Ford again in '65, they were gone, although they hung around on the Thunderbird through '66. But it's not uncommon to find a '60-64 Ford car without one and converted to a 'regular' downflow top tank radiator as they proved to be a bit troublesome in actual use due to issues with cracking/leaking. And while these are most commonly associated with FEs, the '60-64 Ford full size used them for all motors, even the lowly 223 six.

Ford also used similar tanks on the early FT-powered cabover big trucks, but those won't fit a car application.

 

I think that it is designed to help get air out of the cooling system. My 2004 F-350 diesel has the modern equivalent and it’s called a “De-Gas” tank. So maybe Ford was way ahead again?

 

@Crazy Steve Makes sense.
@deathrowdave, that also helps clear it up.
Just trying t figure out if it was a bandaid for an inherent problem. Sounds like more of an engineering work around.

 

Pretty much every car made nowadays has a separate header tank to ensure it’s the highest point of the system. I don’t think there’s any inherent issue where Ford put it. But the one monumentally stupid thing they did was putting the thermostat vertically in the joint between the tank and the intake!!!!

 

I'll glue the 'stat in place with a couple of real small dabs of super glue before installing the housing...

 

Looking for a free FE engine near Milwaukee, Wis. for mock up. Building a recreation of this iconic #6. Finished 2nd in points in M S C 1958 against a field of S B C's.

 

Good luck with free... Around here, anything that's rebuildable is worth $300-400. Rusty bare blocks are bringing $100.

 

Please don't "whine" about hard-to-install-long-tubes !! The 'music' is well worth the skinned knuckles & cuss words !
6sally6