Technical Engine Conversion Help For a 1962 Ford F100 Flare Side

I’ve contemplated the different options you all have recommended, and I suppose I’ll go with the 302 for their availability and their inexpensive qualities. Thanks everyone for all the help, and have a merry Christmas.

 

BUT grasshoppers.....did you read my post ? Big Ford trucks 3/4 - 1 Tons DID NOT go to the twin I beam and kept the straight axle's of prior years........and actually going back to my - LAST year of the flathead - 1953 truck.....also has the similar single front engine mount....fer yor informations.....just thru in F100's as a look see......by now you never know what's been changed out......do we need pictures ?

 

That’s interesting, I’ll research into that and see where I can find one. It would really be nice if I could utilize at least one of the mounts.

 

Well, not so fast.

That’s a pun I guess.

The 223 is really a good engine.

High School projects have a way of becoming college projects...the project you have when working your first real job...the project you have when you get married....the project in the garage or yard you sell off cheap when the kids are hungry or ...need Christmas. Those years are not as far off as you think!

Trust me it's much better to have a project that runs and drives rather than a "Hanger Queen".
Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr

You need wheels on the road.

There's more to it than the engine, don't forget the vehicle!

Buy the 1961 Ford truck Shop Manual with the 1962 supplement.
Buy the factory assembly manual.
Buy the factory wiring manual.
All of these Ford factory manuals are still reproduced. Get all of them you can for your truck.
The truck provides the base. Get the truck right first. Without that base up to the the task, performance modifications....make no sense. I recommend getting the following perfect condition.

The brakes!!!

These years "sometimes" used a single push front wheel cylinder. "1961-'63". I'm not really a big fan of these but I had this in a '63 F250. The truck always had good brakes considering the power plant. The truck had it's original Y block power and T98 4 speed with 4.56 rear gears. These brakes were adequate for that '63 with a 292. The drive train helped in slowing down. Too I had a functioning Emergency Brake.
If I had swapped engines I would have upgraded these at least to the '64 design of a double push wheel cylinder which would have required some new hardware.
For a 223 truck, I feel these are fine if in perfect condition. Good lines, Good rubber hoses, good drums, good backing plate, good springs, good wheel cylinders and a good master. Again the functioning Emergency Brake is a must.
A common problem with a 57 year old truck or any vehicle for that matter is a worn backing plate....
The shoes slide on that pad. This prevent the shoes from sliding properly which results in sticky or erratic braking. Damage as sever as above requires restoration of the pad by welding and filing flat to restore it to specifications, that or replacement.

Adjusting the brakes.....
The shop manual has the procedures. When these trucks were new there was a Service Staion/2bay garage on almost every corner in urban America.

Why????
Because these trucks and vehicles of this era required regular and constant adjustment and maintenance. 100,000 miles back then was considered worn slap out. Most of these trucks now have well over that amount in mileage. Most of these have rolled over on the odometer. Without constant maintenance, these vehicles will show problems in braking, driving and running. They need to be greased, tuned up and brakes need constant attention especially on a single cylinder master vehicle.


Above is an example of a bad rear axle seal. This is common on trucks this age. Usually when the seal goes....so does the bearing. ( really it's vise versa...the bearing wears causing the seal to go) If you have any leak at all plan on replacing the axle bearings and seal. This must be repaired no matter what brake system you use as it renders the rear brake inoperable.. Well oiled brakes are no brakes at all!
You may want to check those shackles and bushings....

King pins and bushings...

^^^^^ The above video link is really horrible! I chose it mainly to show king pin wear. The procedures he talks about are misleading......he does not mention the main procedure. CHANGING the BUSHINGS along with a new KINGPIN.
Also the spindle can be removed with out removing the entire axle. The spindle is the bushed part!
Refer to the shop manual. He does not show the main procedure and admits it in the comments.

The 223....A really good engine.

The first step in becoming a traditional hot rodder or in other words a real mechanic is making a stock engine perform to it's full potential. This skill here; making a stock engine perform, will follow you later. Like the vehicle, the engine performance starts with a good foundation.

Consider the overall package.
Consider the use.
Consider driving conditions and where.
What kind of traffic do you have?

The 223 in one of these trucks should be very responsive to in town driving. It should be very "peppy" light to light. Now...on the top she'll like to run.....70 mph in a strain.....it will love 50-55 at a cruise.

I honestly feel the 223 is more forgiving for a teenager. It's matches the platform. It takes some skill to drive one of these well. The conservative power plant is more forgiving of.....foolishness. It's hard to accidentally spin out and go into the ditch with a 223.

Plus there's so much to learn in just getting it right and bunches bunches more to learn in hopping it up. Like I said this develops real skill.

 

I found this very inspirational, and I’ll definitely look into the bushings and bearings on the chassis. It would be wiser to invest into a engine overhaul later in life after, and after university (I currently lack the funds anyways). I also have been gradually enjoying the 223 with the 3 on the tree as I’ve been test driving it. I was surprised how much torque it had with fouled plugs, green watery gas, and a clogged carb. I do have experience porting heads and tuning engines on motorcycles, and I have been reading many engine building books I’ve borrowed from my metal shop teacher and the public library, so I feel confident I could make the 223 a lot more fun. And I agree about your “traditional hot rodder” statement. I’ve been looking around and I found some sources for some cool multi carb setups and companies who could regrind cams nearby. Thanks a bunch!

 

I Had fun with the 223. I learned a lot while I was trying to make the most power out of it, and it made some good power after I made custom headers and ported the heads.

Now with what I learned from your posts I am installing a turbocharged 351W engine I rebuilt. I’m keeping the truck 3 on the tree still with a top loader 3 speed, and I’m nearing the time of installation.








I plan on using this Conversion kit from POL. It seems like it would be the best in terms of strength.




Thank you for all the help, Reading back over the messages over the years has helped me get an idea with what I could do with my F100-being my first big project. I’ll post one last time when it’s all together.