Technical Making a SBF look a little more older

A local pull and pay has a 63 galaxie with a 260 that has the timing chain cover with the oil fill tube and the valve covers with no holes so I grabbed them today,I have a couple 90s 302s that I will be using in either my 37 Chevy p/u or a 50s or early 60s Ford that will most likely originally had a six and will not need to have the radiator modified for the lower hose. That motor had a PCV system that attached to the rear of the intake which I also grabbed and I am thinking the 65 or 66 289 4 bbl intake I have has that area cast in it but not drilled,if I do not use those valve covers I can get those adapters to put Y block valve covers on it and not have to worry about where to put the oil in or where to attach a PCV. I was worried about water pump availability but they are available.

 

Don't want to bum you out, but you won't be able to use the early 3-bolt damper on the late motor because it's the wrong balance factor, and the pulley won't fit the newer 4-bolt damper. And Ford got away from the timing cover fill/intake-mounted PVC on the small block (used '62-63 only) because they quickly learned that air poor circulation in the valve covers caused them to develop sludge fast. They also found that the PCV valve location tended to suck oil out of the motor, particularly at high RPM. These also use a special PCV valve that is obsolete and NLA, although you can still find NOS units (at $20+ a pop). The system did not work well...

You can find aftermarket dampers for the late 50oz balance motors that will accept the 3-bolt pulleys, and Ford made one for their marine versions although it will need minor machine work to fit the pulley.

 

After reading Steve's post I'd have to ask why would you bother changing those pieces unless you were attempting to pass off a later engine as a 260 in a car that was supposed to be restored to show room stock and compete in shows against other show room stock Fords. From watching Mustang freaks you aren't going to fool those guys on stock rigs anyhow.

 

Why not go back and get the 260 and rebuild it if you want old look but as stated early SBF had problems and now obsolete parts hunting $$$$

 

Please don't waste your time and $$ installing Y-block valve covers on a SBF.

 

good score!

Best way to pass off a 302 as an early motor is to pull it out and replace it with an early motor

 

If you want to use the front cover/water pump for a vintage look, use these valve covers....
https://www.cjponyparts.com/scott-drake-valve-cover-blue-pair-289-302-351w/p/VC1/ or in chrome....
https://www.cjponyparts.com/scott-drake-valve-cover-hi-po-style-chrome-pair-289-302-351w/p/VC20/
These were used with that cover/pump on the '64-65 models. The '64-65 used the same front cover, just minus the oil fill (Ford didn't drill them for the fill tube). Pull the tube and seal with an expansion plug and you'll be 'period correct'.

If you want to go whole hog, find a '62-64 generator and cast-iron mounting bracket for it. The generator version also used a different dipstick/tube (which you should have). The generator cars tended to rot the end of the dipstick off though...

 

The motors I have are EFI motors that will be changed to a carb so to run a mechanical fuel pump the timing chain cover will have to be changed so I got this one,if the 63 PCV system does not work great I will pick up a valve cover for a PCV and might have one in the shed. It must have been working as the motor the parts came off of was very clean on the inside but if the early PCVs are hard to find I will go with plan B with the 65 and up valve cover,my motors do not get sludged up since I do change the oil frequently. With the early timing chain cover and the inlet for the water pump on the other side I will not have to get a radiator modified if I get a 50s Ford that originally had a six or drop it in my 37 Chevy since there are no radiator shops in town now.

 

1937 Chevy with SBF?? OK???

 

Really! That would be almost as bad as a '37 Ford with a SBC.

 

a ford in a chevy sounds fun

as far as making it look old.......you need the PCV to work correctly if ya want to keep oil in it..just when through it with mine.
99. 9999999999999% of people do not know what an old SBF looks like.
I vote finned valve covers and have fun or paint the block black and some baffled valve covers gold

 

sbf in a friend's '40 Ford sedan
sbf in my coupe
sbf , my coupe again, different intake ( home built) and valve covers

 

Make it look like this one and I think you'll be okay......

 

A 260 engine with a stock 4V intake motivated my '64 Fairlane really well, after I replaced the big 4V carb with the smallest 4V Holley I could find.
1962-63 260s had smaller con rods, 1964 used the bigger 289 rods.
Up to at least 1964 these engines up here in Canada came with road draft tubes, causing a lot of sludge in the engines. I switched to the PCV setup in your picture on my 260 and didn't have a problem with sludging afterwards. Maybe that style of PCV got a bad rap because it was associated with the earlier draft tube ventilation.

The 260 is not the same balance as a 289 or early 302, either. It is around 25 oz in. unbalance as I recall. Both the balancer and the flywheel are different.

 

Nice engine bay, a cast iron master cylinder would make it look even better.

 

Unless I find another mid to late 50s Ford its going to happen,probably will not be for a couple years since I need to have a AOD built which will be getting a modified valve body and I need to save some cash.

 

This is good to know so I will not even think about using it.

 

This is the look I am going for if it goes in the 37 but if it goes in a 50s Ford it will get the Y block valve covers.

 

I might still have a new water pump for the early timing cover.

Few pics of the 5.0 roller motor going in my '32. Added an oil fill tube and put the PCV in the valve cover. I used the newer timing cover and a '68 water pump so I could use a Chevy radiator. Moves the lower hose away from the fuel lines. Performance Products makes balancers in 28 or 50oz imbalance with both 3 and 4 bolt patterns in them. I'm using the early aftermarket chrome pulleys and alternator mount and had to make a 1/4" spacer for behind the lower pulley to get it all in line. Made for a pretty short SBF.

SPark

 

I'm liking the looks of those Y block valve covers on the SBF. Who has the adapters and how much are they? Do the Y block covers fit over the SBF covers or seal to the adapter?

 

I think the Y block valve covers seal to the adapter but its been a year or so since I seen pictures of them.

 

The car I got the parts from was a a/c and p/s car and has a 4 groove lower pulley which is too much so I will have to find some single groove pulleys.

 

Shrunken FE cover with homemade adapters, Holman moody air cleaner.

 

Man, oh man! I love those Mercury valve covers!

 

The only reasons to make a motor look like a different motor is, you are embarrassed of the motor you have, or you are trying to cheat in some kind of competition.

 

yea, it was neither of those.

 

Some of you guys crack me up. There are lots of threads of guys asking how to dress up their bellybutton smog era 305 or 350 to make it look earlier, or plenty of hot rods with SBCs, but yet when someone asks about the opposite, everybody seems disgusted or scratching their heads.

 

No just trying to make it look different then everyone elses motor.

 

Iv'e seen quite a few of the y-block covers on sbc's, so I get your point.

Having said that at least both engines share a rear mount distributor and exhaust port spacing, so
you really have to look a little closer to spot the imposter.