Technical i6 specs and build plans

Hello everyone sorry to post another thread so soon. Got a lot of stuff in my head lol. My stepdad is confused as he gave me a 302 HO and I won’t put it in my falcon (to much work need new suspension brakes tranny and rear end) and plus it will make me like majority of the falcon guys who grow v8s in. Anyways back on topic I wanted to run by some ideas if engine builds.
I still haven’t decided if I’m gonna keep original engine or go 200. Probably will go 200 it’s just so hard I feel so bad lol. I know the advantage these engines have are short strokes and pretty strong crankshafts. I know the 7 main has more support but less torsion resistance and longer stroke. With this in mind I’m thinking
200
Deck block, get bigger head ported and bigger valves and carb, new cam, new dizzy, basic overhaul exhaust

144
Bigger head ported and valves
Bigger carb, stroke it from a 2.5 to 2.8. (I think it is) to make it a 170 ci. Cam and dizzy. Exhaust

Both engines would have flat tapper cams (scary I know) and would have a target compression ratio of 9-9.5:1 so it can run off 87 octane pump gas. If I had to I could put up with mid grade but prefer not to. One thing I’d need to watch for is distributor gear wear. What are our opinions. I know most of you say 200 and it’s probably best im just really determined to keep original engine.

 

My recollection of the smaller Ford 6’s is that they suck , even the 200 wouldn’t scare a determined kid on his push bike. But if it’s what your determined to do so be it. Keeping it original ish is fine but you won’t get much from the smaller cube engine, I’d leave it stock. Headers and a carb would be as far as I’d go. But that’s me not you
Edit I forget if this is an auto car? If so more cubes is a lot better place to start

 

Adding stroke is good. Small engine can use the torque boost. As for everything else, I'm not up on small Ford sixes that much. You might ask over at Inlines site, or Frenchtown flyer. He's into big sixes, but he may know about the early small ones.
170 cubes is small, but I had a 196 flathead six in a Rambler that would outrun a 225 slant six in a pickup. Both were stock, and mine was well worn. After about 65 it was all over, and he kept on going.
When you look at it, maybe it's time for a rebore too? Anything will help a 144. My father in law had one with a Ford O /Matic, and it was a real dog. Another gear probably would have helped it. That too was in an early Falcon 4 door sedan.

 

Check out fordsix.com, lots of knowledge from people who've done it

 

I'd look into swapping in a later 250 before sinking work into the smaller engines. Same basic engine design, but different bellhousing, so you need a different transmission, most likely. Although on the early Falcons, that also leads to a bunch of work, sort of like a V8 swap....so maybe you don't want to do that.

but yeah, you need to poke some holes in the intake port on the head to get some air flow, at a minimum.

Flat tappet cams are not scary if the valve spring rates are reasonable, and they will be on a street engine.

 

250 with a cross flow head would be the go. ( Chrysler hemi 265 would be better or a GMC but that’s just me)

 

At least start with a 250!!
In high skool I rode in a dudes Foul-coon with a 170 that was bored 40 over (I think!).....big cam (for a sick cylinder)...3 one barrels... header and a 4.11:1 gear. It rev'ed to the moon.....moaned with the 3 carbs open...he could really slam-shifting the little 4 speed and it sounded like we were in a full-out F-1 race car.
A stock V-8 would "eat his lunch"(ANY make of stock V-8!!). Lotsa sweet noise but a Lew-ZZer all the way.
Good luck.
6sally6

 

No way would I go to that much trouble and expense for a six cylinder, and I am a six cylinder fan. If you want Horsepower put in the V8.

I would suggest if you can find a good 200 six do a straight overhaul (rings, bearings, gaskets, timing chain, oil pump, valve job) and add a progressive 2 barrel on an adapter, a mild cam and 1/2" larger exhaust. This would give decent HP in a light car without breaking the bank.

 

What about a 300? Lots around and a decent selection of speed parts available. Might be a little tight in a Falcon though , not sure how much bigger it is compared to a 200

 

Thanks for the reply’s everyone. Well I’m your opinion is it worth all the trouble and money if throwing an 302 HO in there. I’d need new 5spd manual, brakes, and rear axle and wheels. That’s a lot of $$$ and time. Especially since I wanted the money to add AC or maybe even buy a cheap pickup

 

My200 has 199hp, and 247lb-ft of torque.

I have plans to build a 1000hp one.

 

Too big to fit without major surgery.

 

I can walk you through any level of performance and budget.

You don't need a V8. When I get a new shop space, my next Falcon 6 will best Jim Forbes' car in the quarter.

 

And you're too young to have air conditioning, anyway. I don't think anyone under about 50 deserves AC.

 

Yeah. I just don’t like the amount of time and money to throw a v8 in. It’ll be like everyone else. I like being different with a i6. Plus it’ll be funny when I whoop my friend with a six even tho he’s got an 8 (a very slow 318). I’ll hurt store the HO 302 for another project. Anyways now the hard part. Do what everyone says and feel guilty as crap. Or waste time and money so the car feels original to me lol

 

Hey, these are just suggestions. Go ahead and do as you like, it's your car.

 

Stock they suck, yours isn’t stock and I’d bet not that cheap to get to 200HP with either of the OPs choices? Photo of yours?

 

How about this



I saw one of these little superchargers on a big inch Harley last year. They came on Subarus I think and are dirt cheap, 2-300. Only advertised as up to 140 cubes but you wouldn't want that much boost on a stock 170, or you overdrive it possibly. My last two engine builds I have left mostly stock and just put huffers on. Big power gains, don't have to wind them up to get it and doesn't kill mileage. Just a thought, old school hot roddin..

 

If you're keeping the 6 cylinder, swap to the 200 or 250. Also, install the large log head, the small log head on yours now has been proven to still flow less than an untouched stock big log head, even when fully ported and large valves installed. So don't spend money on the small head thinking you will get improvements.

 

If you wanted a 2 or 3 carb intake it would be easy and cheap to do. All you would need is a couple of 2 bolt exhaust flanges and 2 short pieces of exhaust pipe. Drill the manifold with a hole saw and weld on the flanges. Block off the stock intake for 2 carbs, or use all 3 for 3 carbs.

I would screw the flanges to a board, measuring carefully to get them lined up nice then bolt the board onto the stock flange. This to keep everything lined up while fitting and welding the tubes.

 

Which year intake manifolds on these 170-200's unbolt from the head? I have a 1966 170 in a Bronco and the intake is integral to the head.

 

First off, thanks for the props David Chandler. I also like being different and using a six. Putting a big 300 six in is going to be more work than a V8 swap so forget that. You need to get that six to breath so that brings us to the next quote:

I'd take out the original 144 six and store it in the corner of the shed in case the next owner wants it. Go with a 200 or 250, or - if you can find one - an Aussie crossflow aluminum head that fits a 250 with some mods. I sold one on ebay once with intake, aluminum valve cover, etc. for $400.

There is also a domestic aluminum aftermarket head around.

http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-...ormance-cylinder-head-for-ford-six-cylinders/

Those under appreciated inlines can be had for dirt cheap too.


All domestic small sixes had integral cast intakes, but there have been kits around for decades to convert them to tri-power or you can fab your own.

I run sixes in everything from Willys and Anglia coupes to altered roadsters, RPUs and champ car. Except for the inline my rides are spectacularly UN-remarkable. But they sure draw a following. Yours will too.

 

All 144, 170, 200 and 250 engines from the US have the intake cast as part of the head. The later 250 heads are more desirable because they have a larger volume log.

 

All of the 170-250 had the integral head. It was the Australian 6 that they made with the separate intake. But as another person mentioned, the later heads had a larger log that flowed better.

As to the original question, I would go with the 200. I talked to a guy that had a 62 Ranchero and he swapped a 250 into it. But it was more work than swapping in a 200. The 144-200 are virtually identical in outside dimensions. The 250 is taller and I believe he said he had to have special motor mounts to let it sit lower so it didn't hit the hood. This also required a different air cleaner that sat lower. He had to modify the pan to clear the steering linkage too.
The 200 is your best bet.
Check out Fordsix.com
They have a technical section that tells you all you need to know.
https://fordsix.com/app.php/page/archives

 

I'm interested to hear if anyone is actually able to receive (as opposed to pay for) the aluminum aftermarket head. I recall there was issues with production, I think the man who was the driving force behind it may have died.

 

If your after manifolds it looks like Lynx down here still does manifolds for the early 6 ( for the cast in manifold engines) as well as the crossflow. With the current exchange rate prices should be good for you.
https://www.lynxauto.com.au/lynx-manifolds/ford.html

 

The 250 uses the SBF transmission pattern. I wouldn't touch a six smaller than a 250. And it'd have to have the aluminum head and a turbo. Sorry off topic power adder, but it'd be non-negotiable for me.

 

As I remember Bill Burke ran a Falcon 6 in the pumpkin seed streamliner at Bonneville and the engines were on the cover of Hot Rod in the sixties..

 

Being in the middle of doing an inline six (because that is what I want) for my truck I'd have to say that that to get any degree of noticable performance boost out of one of those little Ford sixes be it 170 or 200 will cost more than swapping in the V8 with all the V8 required pieces to boot.
If you are looking for simple, simple would be to buy a solid 200, redo it the way you want over a few moths and then do an out and in swap and go see what it will do. That would be the least down time and you can either sell the original engine or mothball it for later use.
I bought my daughter a Merc Monarch with a 250 in it back when she was still in high school and that bugger could make miles out on the long roads and would cruise at 80 all day long if you were so inclined. It wasn't quick being in a somewhat heavy car with an automatic but it would run on the highway. Hood clearance was tight on it in the Monarch though.

 

They are currently available from Matt@Classic Inlines on the fordsix. com forum. He was able to acquire the patterns from the estate of the owner that passed away and is making them. He has been selling them for quite a while now.