Technical Ford 300 I6 in Chev 49-52

At the risk of getting blasted, wondering if anyone has tried putting a Ford inline 6 300 in a 49-52 Chevy car? Was going to use a 56 235 to replace the stock 216, but then I got to wanting a little more power/torque than the 235 can produce. I decided maybe the 292, but I recently got the harebrained idea that a Ford 300 might also work. They are easily available and have such a strong rep for longevity and reliability. Plus, when I mate up the Jag IFS and go to making the steering connections, the Ford might make that a bit easier. But then again, I'd also like to put an AC system on this car so that might not work so well.

Definitely do not want a sbc, yes easier and more power for less $$ - but just don't want the usual belly button motor. Haven't found a good listing to compare engine lengths, but I'm thinking the 300 is a bit longer than the 292, which might pose an issue as well in the 49 for needing to relocate radiator.

 

By all accounts the Ford 300 six is an excellent engine. No reason not to consider it.
So long as you are prepared for a substantial amount of questions and contrary opinions.
I hope if you do go this direction, you will do a build thread here. I'd like to follow your progress.

Ray

 

Guys put 302 GMC's in there so there is no reason not to. Best thing is no fighting for room for the steering as the distributor and oil filter are the only things on that side. You may have a little fun with the throttle linkage but the stock Ford pickup makes it work; same with the tranny. Ken Jones has one in a Hudson and it's a blast to drive.. Good Luck.

 

I love the 300. I'm going to put one in my 38 Dodge when I get to that project. Do a build for sure. I'm interested.

 

Good solid engine.If you want to go that way they are easier to make power with than the 292.I cant imagine the install will be any real problem.I think the whole engine idea is a good one.

 

SACRILEGE!

 

Predictable reaction! Possibly in jest.........but, maybe not.

Ray

 

I don't know, the last 300 inch Ford I had was in an OT Bronco and it had only 322,000 on it, still running strong, when I traded it in on a new car.

 

jcmarz, haha I know right. How many fords have a Chevy lurking under the hood. But the 300 is a real standout in the inline 6 group I think. It's hard for me to really wrap my brain around the possibility, but there seem to be many positives to the idea, other than that nagging feeling that I would probably have til it logged some miles and proved it's worth.

 

I like the idea of a ford powered chevy, because for some reason it is sooooo acceptable to repower a ford with a sbc. Anyway , good luck with it. I'll be watching

 

If you go with a 300 six then an AOD would be an easy transmission choice as far as bolting it up to the engine.

I drive an off topic F150 that is 31 years old daily, starts on the coldest days.

 

You broke my heart Fredo!

 

Thought about dropping one in my 37 Chevy p/u.

 

If it helps, the 300 is 37" long from the outer edge of the fan pulley to the bellhousing mating surface. That's a 300 in my avatar. If it will fit ina model T ford coupe, it'll fit in a '49 Chevy. It'll run forever!

 

That T looks like it's been sitting forever, typical Ford.

 

Yeah! it still needs a little work. I drove it with a 302 for awhile & tore it completely down when I changed to the 6.

 

Lots of Ford 300 sixes came with AC. Not sure of your comment that it was a possible pitfall?

 

I LOVE IT. In true hot rod fashion ,use what you have or what is available !!!!

 

Been there, done that. Back in early 70's I had a 300 in my 50 Chev Sedan Delivery Shop truck. Wish I had photos and a better memory. I just know it couldn't have been hard or I'd done something easier. I had a top loader 4 speed behind it. Ran like Jack the Bear.
The Wizzard

 

I love that the counter revolution has begun! Just see it as you're doing that Chev a favour.

 

I was inspired by Clerence Everett who put a Flathead Ford in a Brand new Camaro.
The Wizzard

 

Hell paint it the correct stock 49/52 Chevy engine color and half the people looking under the hood won't know the difference anyhow.
The only rub I find with Ford stuff that is post Y block is that you seem to run into too many things that go with an engine that are engine series specific when it comes to bellhousings clutches or transmissions.
On my 48 I've had a 194,283, 350, 250 and now 292 bolted to the late 50's cast iron bellhousing over the years. The only one that needed a different flywheel is the 292 and that came with it. That bellhousing has had a stock 48 closed driveshaft trans, late 50's 3 speed M21 Muncie and full syncro Saginaw 3 speed bolted to it over the years. No worry about things fitting up or hunting down that rare as rooster teeth piece to make it work.

Still a straight six in a little Chevy with a pair of duals should be pretty sweet no matter if it has a blue oval on it.

 

I had one in a 76 ford pickup, offenhauser intake, small four barrel, cam, (don't know the cam, my boy did the swap) and a six into two header, the thing flew. I loved it.

 

You guys have got me thinking now. A 300 in my '41 pick-up. Sounds pretty cool. I put an AOD in a friend's '54 F-100 a couple of years ago, it had a 300 in it. That was a sweet running truck after that AOD swap.

 

Your car, your choice! There's plenty of room, but you'll have to fab everything yourself.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Hotordders and racers paid dearly for chevy 12 port heads and still had to put up with 5 main bearings and now you can get a 300 inch, 7 main bearing 6 banger with a factory 12 port head! And there's thousands of them available! I'd do it in a heartbeat...pun intended. Go with a Clifford intake/exhaust, put a chevy 292 sticker on the 4 barrel air cleaner and paint the engine orange...nobody will know the difference. A top loader will bolt up to the pickup bell housing.
Edit: The 300 comes with factory dual exhaust manifolds...almost forgot!

 

Rocky....4 mains..and 12 ports are expensive, very expensive I have 2. An AOD would easy and some years are better than other but there are adapters to put any GM trans to the Ford 6. I'm looking to put a 200R behind my y-block.

 

The 300 Ford engine is great all it needs is some breathing room, namely a Clifford intake and headers or the later EFI exhaust split manifold. My 66 3/4 ton crewcab had one in it with 4.10 gears would pull anything. The bell housing is the same as small block ford so you have a choice of just about any trans. C4, C6, AOD, EAOD in automatic and a number of manual ones from 3 speed column shift or with overdrive, 4 speeds from Ford, AMC, Jeep, 5 speeds T5 from a Mustang. If you want a parade gear you could use a T18 truck trans. I like it a Ford in a Chevy.

 

If ya REALLY want to "wake it up" port the head, polish the exhaust runners, & de-burr and polish the combustion chambers.