Very basic quaestion here...I have a choice of 2 donor engines, they're both Ford 302s. One's a low mileage runner out of an '84 Crown Vic, with the trottle body injection, and computer crap. the other's you basic dinosaur carb / points set-up, out of a '69 Merc & will need a rebuild. I want to keep the motor as basic as possible, so no matter what I'll be running points & a 2 bbl. Now, would you try to just de-computer the running '84 engine & throw a 2 bbl intake & points distributor on it, or would I be running into issues? Would I be better off rebuilding the '69 motor, since it was designed for what I want to do? I'll be running a Ford AOD tranny, so I'm guessing the aftermarket tranny cable is a must? I'm not out to build a power monster here, just a reliable grocery getter setup. Thanks for any help / input!
if the carb and intake from the `69 motor will fit and work on the later motor , i would just swap it over and use the later motor. someone here will know if that will work can't help on the tranny
The '69 intake will work. If I'm not mistaken, you can use the 2-bbl carb on the '84 intake by using the '69 carb riser/pcv plate. I've seen this done, but cannot remeber the exact details. If you will do a search, here on the H.A.M.B., there is a post that details exactly what is needed for your o/d hookup. Just a little advice from one who learned the hard way...pull the front off the engine and install a good timing set. The stock "silent" cam gear is plastic coated, and is prone to failure. In your case, it's not the mileage, but the years of service that concerns me.
for the most part a small block ford is a small block ford. the 69 and the 84 would have interchangeable everything how ever the differences lie in the crank and heads. things like the water pumps are going to be different length and maybe even spitting out on opposing sides. but the crank is different so the harmonic balancer on the 69 is 3 bolt with no shoulder and the 84 is 4 bolt with a shoulder. also the 84 doesnt have a provision in the timingcover for a mechanical fuel pump or a dip stick. the oil pans are different too so maybe crossmember clearance would pose an issue. these are things to look out for with small block fords. the 84 has thermactor ports in the heads witch could be ported out easily. etc..... stitch
Good information here. I will add a little more. You can use the '69 timing cover on the '84 engine, but make sure you install the '69 fuel pump eccentric if you plan to use a mechanical pump. You will see it when you pull the '69 cover. The balance is different between the two engines, therefore, you must use the '69 flexplate with the '69 balancer or the '84 balancer with the '84 flexplate. You may also run into a problem with dipstick location. From memory (weak), it seems like the '84 Crown Vic had the dipstick was located on the side on the engine. If that's the case, you would have to plug the dipstick hole in the '69 timing cover if you use it on the '84 engine. If the chassis you are installing the engine in requires a rear sump, go to a FOX chassis, V-8 oil pan and assoicated parts. These are easy to find as millions were made, starting in '78 with the Fairmont/Zephyr, and running through '95 in the Mustang. Hope this helps...
Thanks for all the input! The engine's going into another Crown Vic, so clearance issues, etc. don't concern me. I'm mostly concerned with the fuel, intake and ignition issues. I found a load of info, looks like it's not such a terrible job to convert from EFI to carb. The toughest part seems to be the fuel delivery, as the EFI has a high pressure electric pump in the tank. Hopefully, I can get away with just a pressure regulator, rather than do the whole mechanical pump routine (althoug the mech pump really appeals to my sense of simplicty)
If you replace that timing gear you won't regret it. I learned the hard way. Sucker came apart and trashed the whole thing.
To make this point a little clearer - you MUST use the 84 balancer and flexplate on the 84 motor and the 69 balancer and flexplate on the 69 motor. The 84 motor will be a 50 oz. balance and the 69 will be a 28.2 oz. If you mix the 84 parts onto the 69 or vice versa you will have a vibration that will kill the crank in short order. Since you are using it in another Crown Vic I assume you don't have any need to swap that stuff anyway. The stock fuel pump should probably be swapped for a low pressure electric pump instead of tying to regulate it down to 4 or 5 lbs. You will also have the EFI return line to the tank to contend with.
Man, where were you guys when I did my swap. I forgot about the dip stick issue and installed a engine with the dipstick in the timing cover. Then installed a double sump pan and installed it in the car. From up top it shows it has oil but ticks and ticks. Installed a pressure sending units and the problem was obvious.
i picked up a 84 cv 302 for my wifes 63 fairlane. my issue is i'm not shure what the trans is or how to find out
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