Technical Doing Falcons Right

[cage66]

After much trouble I got the seized engine out and the other engine in. I also got all the original wires from another falcon I only had to repair 2 wires on the new one, but used wire from the old one so all the factory colors are there still.
I have been working on it here and there. I also made some lowering blocks for the rear that are 3" (maybe too much) and hit the front with a little heat. Thinking of getting another set of springs and cutting them down instead. Gonna narrow and box the lower control arm and relocate the stabilizer bar underneath and pie cut the upper control arm to keep a better BJ angle. Still want to ad airbags as soon as I can afford it.




Today I was putting on the water pump and at 13 lbs of torque the top bolt broke.
I decided to drill it out and retap it, easy right? HAHA fuc no. Had to pull the grill and to do that I had to pull the bumper.
I decided to fix another problem while I was at it, the radiator is too close if mounted correctly. The P.O. had the radiator mounted behind the radiator support, in order to do this he bent 2 tabs back and then shoved it behind and folded them back. So I cut the mounts off and made my own.



So it was a long day but I got a lot done.

[falcon-61]

I put 2 1/4" blocks in the rear of my 61' and it worked ok but I wanna put some 3-3 1/2" in it now and cut a coil outta the front now. Just needs to be lower I think. Have any of you guys had problems with over heating with the stock fan and radiator set up? I was thinking of adding an electric fan or a bigger radiator to help keep it cooler in traffic. That wagon is cool as hell by the way! The wagons always had just a cool custom look even completely stock.

[j.r. Nice]

DAMN....a generator!!!!

Originally Posted by cage66

So it was a long day but I got a lot done.

[cage66]

Is that bad?
I plan to upgrade later. For now I just want it to move under its own power.

[j.r. Nice]

Not at all. It's just that you don't see them much anymore. I don't remember the output, but they probably wouldn't keep up with a heavy draw.

I just converted my 62 Econoline to a single wire 100+ amp alternator...only because I had it lying around.

[cage66]

I am having problem after problem with this car. New problem is I still have not started it but as I was trying today I noticed the GEN and OIL lights on the dash stay on even when the key is off.
What should I look for?

[j.r. Nice]

Sounds like the switch is bad.

[cage66]

I put the old starter relay back on and the lights work correctly now. Even better, THE ENGINE FINALLY STARTED! I just went and got a new relay, hope its better than the last. If not the old one will stay.

[cage66]

White smoke that leaves a sweet taste in my mouth.
Looks like I have a blown head gasket. So its probably the best time to step up to a 200 head and exhaust manifold.
Anything special needed to do this or is it all direct bolt on?

[need louvers ?]

Should bolt right up. I can't remember what engine you have, but if it's a 144 the chambers are quite a bit smaller on that engine so compression might become an issue. Allot of the Falcon guy over on fordsixperformance.com reccomend milling the head about .060 to compensate for the modern composit gaskets and bump the compression to about 9-1.

[jroberts]

I think this qualifies as it is in the Falcon family. This Ranchero belongs to Paul Calaguiro of Hamilton, Ontario. The Ranchero has been raced for a number of years in ECTA and at Loring, Maine with the Loring Timing Association. The car has run as fast as 150+ in the mile and half course at Loring. It is presently running a much modified Pinto engine.

[cage66]

I have a 170 and I think I can get a 200 head cheap.

[need louvers ?]

Not a super hugedifference in the two, bigger valves by a touch maybe. But do get it cut at least a little bit to compensate for todays thicker head gaskets (they are about .028 these days). Most of these heads have a touch of warp to them by this point in the game anyway.

[falconizer_62]

Originally Posted by need louvers ?

bump the compression to about 9-1.

Those engines were real over achievers...

[need louvers ?]

No, but every little bit helps with these things. And from personal experience, bumping the compression a bit is a quick way to gain a bit of tourque, throttle response, and it helps smooth out the idle too. Add two more carbs and a post '68 exhaust manifold and the engine is a completely different animal.

[cage66]

Maybe I should just get the whole 200 fix this one and just build the 200 up since its a better base with the 7 mains and all.

[sgtlethargic]

Originally Posted by jroberts

... It is presently running a much modified Pinto engine.

Which one?

[Fordguy321]

my comet has got a T5 comin to it !!

[rocketsam]

Has anybody seen these before? I picked them up off a guy who couldnt use them on his car, im curious to what they where mounted on before?

[need louvers ?]

Honestly Sam, I think they might be the wheels from a type of wheel that was breifly popular on new cars in the seventies called "wire baskets" The plain chrome base wheel had a threaded center cap that took an ungodly ugly wire wheel insert to look kinda like a Tru-Spoke or Appliance wire wheel.... Or a cut up shopping cart! They look pretty good just plain though.