I am planning to install a 2.3 Lima engine from a 1979 Ford Fairmont into a 29 Model A roadster. I want to have a full fendered car with a dropped axle and a rear kick up. I have had the engine rebuilt, and attached to a C3 transmission. No real screamer, but a cool ride with a bend towards economy. I just ran into a small problem. Where does the oil dipstick tube retainer bolt. This should be simple, but my antique brain cannot figure it out. Any help would be appreciated as well as what part of the pollution system can be discarded.
Thermostatic Air Cleaner can be removed (mainly for fast warmup). PCV is good, don't yank it. Use a filter or plumb the fresh air intake back to the air cleaner as factory did. EVAP is mostly on the body, it's nice to keep, but often not worth the effort. Stores carb and gas tank vapors, then feeds them to the engine while running. Spark timing is part of the emissions. Can be recurved to run better. Be aware this is the big EI module that was not great. Look at adjustable, dependable replacements. EGR - this is tough. The engines were designed for this to work. It's not great for performance, but does decrease knock. You need to retune the engine to delete this. AIR pump - Don't remember if this has one. Delete along with it's reason, the Catalytic Converter - this 'afterburns' the exhaust, but is restrictive, bulky, heavy and is almost certain to be junk this long after being ***embled and used. I think they did away with the Decel Diaphragm by this year. Remove. At this point, all those thermostatic vacuum switches can be removed. The carb is set up to work with all these parts, so it and the dist timing need to be fixed or replaced. You can probably get more performance from cam timing, so look into an adjustable cam gear. After that, it's bolt-ons (intake, exhaust) and diving inside the engine.
Thanks RodStRace. I have replaced the exhaust with a header. I would like to replace the intake also, and get rid of some of the spagetti....any suggestions?? Does anyone know where the tube from the dipstick retainer bolt goes. Mine must have been bent badly somewhere, because it lines up with nothing. Also, what is the opening just above and behind the dipstick opening. It is about the same size as the temp sensor opening.
The only vacuum lines you might need are Does the trans have a vacuum modulator? Usually manifold vacuum. https://www.oregonperformancetransmission.com/category/ford-c3-vacuum-modulators.html Distributor vacuum advance. I'd prefer a dist that has one. Depends on what you have. Delete any temperature switches between. Does the PU have any HVAC? Is it vacuum controlled? Normally manifold vacuum, with a canister to hold volume. Are you running power ***ist( vacuum) power brakes? Big hose from manifold. That's it. I would take pictures before you start tearing things apart, but that should have you covered for most stuff. It's been way too long since I messed with a 4 cylinder Fox body to help with the dipstick. I would look into your library to see if they have any old manuals. Probably wouldn't hurt to get one of the DIY (Chilton, Haynes) manuals for the engine/trans. You can often buy used for 5 bucks or less. I looked for pictures to help. https://mustangat***ude.com/mustang/engine_140ci.shtml This shows it on driver's side under intake. As to what it bolts to or other holes, not much help. BTW, this is a 78, which is earlier than yours. It might have a dual diaphragm dist. Only use the advance side. Also there is no Decel Diaphragm on this one.
Thanks again RodStRace! I appreciate all your valuable knowledge. I should have taken some pics before taking the engine down, but the machine shop said I would have it back in two weeks. It took 2.5 months. Poor excuse on my part. Your vacuum line info is really helpful. This is going in a roadster. No HVAC, no power ***ist; only distributor vacuum and the modulator on the transmission. This should cut out a lot of spaghetti. Thanks again. At 78 I still need a lot of help.
I know some, but I needed help from the people here on the HAMB on my current project. We all gain from the knowledge and experience others share here. For other questions, if possible, try to take a picture and upload it here. Picture is a thousand words and such. If you need a hand with that, there are a bunch of tips here. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forums/tutorials.88/
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