'62 Unibody Still Plugging Along

[Toyz]

Uh-oh, this is beginning to get serious!
I'm guessing 361 truck motor!
Paul

[LM14]

Good guess but......no!

Bigger than that, car FE, but the question now is how much bigger. I will have to do some exploring to find out for sure. The exhaust does have the 14 bolt flanges but the block doesn't match. Hmmmmmm.

SPark

[Toyz]

Need more clues Crossbolt block?
Paul

[LM14]

Not a cross bolt, not that exciting. The numbers come back with a bunch of possibilities depending on what web site you use.

The intake - C7AE-9425-E is for a 67 Mercury 390 High Output or 428 Police Interceptor. Same intake as a 390GT intake. Mostly used in 1967. Nice intake and it's for sale!

The heads are both C6AE-L, Kind of a rare head. It's basically a Mercury casting of the 390GT Hi Compression 67-70cc head with the 14 bolt exhaust flange. Mostly used in 1968 on GT engines.

The block - C6ME with no suffix and no scratch on the rear face ("A" and "C" scratch = 428HD block) It could be anything from a 330 truck block to a 428 passenger car block with that style number. This is more of an engineering number in this age span than a part number. Same block was used from 66-76 with different cores for different bores. Good news is these will usually bore to a 428 bore if there isn't excessive core shift. These were also used as 410 blocks. Hmmmm. 390 bore/428 crank.

The valve covers are original chrome "Powered by Ford" style that came on a GT engine and they are also for sale.

The guy I got it off of pulled it from a supposedly original 67 Mustang GTA (I also got the C6 that goes with it). He kind of felt it was a 428 but I doubt it. I bought it like a 390 core. He already sold the GT air filter system and exhaust manifolds off of it.

My guess at this point, is it's the Mercury version of the Ford 390GT engine that would have been in a Cougar or Cyclone. I haven't had time to look at casting dates or do the drill bit trick to check the bore possibilities or measure stroke.

Hopefully Monday it gets below 100* and I can get some time to look at it.

SPark

[Toyz]

The internet can be really helpful for someone like myself who suffers with CRS! Unfortunately, it can also heavily cloud the issue .
Sounds like pretty good heads, although developed for emission reduction as well as unibody fit.
As you stated, the block could be almost any FE in any chassis from '66 on. I personally know of several which were not originally 406/428 ending up at 4.13 before sonic testing was common. We used 1/4" drill bits in those days (easier to remember, I guess), so we might have ended up thinner than recommended, but I remember no problems on these engines.
It'll be interesting to see what it turns out to be, but I wouldn't discount '67 Mustang GT 390. I don't believe the M is reliable proof of original Mercury installation; there were a lot of parts with that suffix originally found in other nameplates, including slicks
Paul.

[LM14]

Well, got the new shop addition done and everything moved home. Time to get back to work on all my projects.

In another thread I've asked about the rounded right side inner fender from a big truck/4x4 and wanted to know what years/trucks to look for. I've done my own rendition but not totally happy with it yet. It needs to come back off the truck and have some hammer/dolly work done to it so we'll still have to wait and see.

This is what I started with




Cut out the offensive area




Started forming panels and tacking them in place



Kept making panels until the area was full then started grinding down welds and ended up with this





Shot some rattle can primer over it to get a better look at it




Not 100% happy with it at this point but it may be a good starting point if nobody has a good 4x4/big truck inner they are willing to part with.

The garage move also made me get off my lazy butt and make the Falcon a car again so it could be moved. Put a Quick Performance/Moser narrowed 9" under it, put a steering column in it and got it rolled into it's new home. Also found a decent hood, RF fender and valance (off a '60 Ranchero that was way too nice to be parting out!) so I could build front fender mounts for it.






Pieces to the Falcon steering column build. It would also work great for a no frills truck column or any race car. 1.5" diameter exhaust tubing, 2 flanged bearings to press into the ends of the tubing, 3/4 DOM for the steering shaft and a couple clamp collars all sourced from the tractor supply place down the street at a total cost of $35.






I welded a simple steering wheel quick release to the tube and used Sweet joints to hook it to the Pinto rack in the Falcon. Works great, really smooth. Can't do the actual final mounting until the cage is built but it worked to move it!

Got the 390/C6 sitting in front of the uni, got the 4x4 pan setup to put on it and ready to get back to this thing!

Maverick is sitting there patiently, waiting it's turn.



SPark

[LM14]

Finally got some time to get back to playing! Got the 390 rear sump pan on and set it all down in the frame rails and have the tranny mount mostly done. Working on motor mounts.




Real problem where the rack lines from the PS pump, steering shaft, oil filter and fuel pump all come together in one small area. What I finally did is remove the 3/4" threaded spud from the 390 oil filter mount base and put a 460/351, 90 degree filter adaptor/mount, on the 390 mount pad. Turns the filter so it fits the frame nicely and everything clears. Looking down at the finished product, the angles on the end of the filter looks like it was actually planned! Anyone done this? Did some looking and haven't seen it anywhere before, is there a reason for that?





The intake I'm using has a bigger angle on the carb mounting pads than the stock 390GT intake does. I am trying to get the new intake on to check my carb flange angles before going any further with the actual engine mounts. CAN'T GET THE @#$%@#%^ DISTRIBUTOR OUT! It won't turn, won't raise, nothing. Been soaking it with PB Blaster/beating on it with a dead blow hammer and prying while beating all day. The intake will lift around the carb base so it's stuck down inside the engine some place. Must be calm.

Overall it fits a lot better than the 430 did. The engine is basically at the same height in the chassis as my '66 352 is. It's within 1/2" of being the same and I like that a lot better than the 3 to 4" difference I had with the 430.

Later,
SPark

[Hoofbeat Racer]

Isn't it nice that everybody has a home in the new shop? Looking good in there

[JOSHF100]

Looking good Steve!

On removing the dist.
I've got them out in the past by taking a small air hammer with a pointed bit and getting the dist housing to spin.
It may a few tries, but by hammering on the outside edge of the flange down next to the intake.. I've had good luck
Randall.

[LM14]

Well, this looks a little better, don't you think?




The distributor died in the process. It's still stuck in the block but at least I can get the intake off and on so that kind of works out.

Got the angles all set so it's on to building motor mounts then build some headers to fit!
SPark

[Toyz]

Looking good, Steve!
Paul

[LM14]

OK! Finally ready to get back at this thing for real! Got my chop saw! Got my torch! Found all my tools! Everything under one roof and accounted for, let's do this!

Received my dual quad air cleaner from Tony Branda, ordered my aluminum pent roof Blue Thunder valve covers from Survival Motorsports (on back order until first of March, supposedly). Summit is shipping the Flowtech headers (I'm going to cut them up to fit around the Industrial Chassis cross member kit and weld to the GT 14 bolt flanges) the Powermaster alternator and CRV starter. Speedway is shipping the Tuff Stuff power steering pump with integral tank and the pulley for it. My local NAPA had the best deal on a water pump and fuel pump. That should let me button up the front accessory drives, exhaust out of the engine compartment and the motor mounts.

While I was shopping, I got a few things for the Maverick to get it back moving, too. Summit is shipping the ARP rocker and head studs, the Manley guide plates and Harland Sharp roller rockers. Speedway is shipping the oil restrictor kit for the 351C. Also bought a 1970 351C block and crank that have been in storage since 1974. They have less than 20,000 miles on them and I got them from the original owner. He pulled them in '74 when he wrecked the car but never used them on anything. The crank literally looks brand new and you can still see cross hatch in a few spots in the cylinder bores. Will make a nice foundation for the engine built for that car. Found a brand new in the box Milodon stock replacement pan on Craigs List and it will be the basis for the old school deep sump pan I want for that car.

That should keep the UPS, SpeeDee Delivery and FedEx men busy for a couple days anyway. It's going to hover near zero here for the rest of this week so the shop will be a good place to hide.

Promise pictures as things progress,
SPark

[LM14]

Everything except the valve covers finally showed up! Got the air cleaner and housing mounted to be sure it cleared the pinch weld on the firewall and the engine was far enough forward. Ended up moving the engine forward a half inch to get a bit more clearance between the firewall and air cleaner housing. Also made sure I can still get the air cleaner and oil filter off, everything barely clears so all is good!

Ended up with a combination of 390GT crank pulley and a C6TE-8509-C upper pulley from a truck at my local Mustang junk yard. Was looking for a C6AE-8509-A or F pulley but this was as close as I found. It will probably work fine since it splits the difference in diameter between the 2 I was looking for and lines up OK.




Got the alternator mounted with a combination of old Mustang mounts. The Powermaster alternator is a little deeper than a Ford stock alternator is so it just barely clears the head but looks like it will work. It's really close to hitting the head so keep that in mind if you decide to try one of these alternators. It's a good 3/8" deeper than OEM.




The power steering on the Dakota rack takes a GM style pump for the correct pressure. Since I didn't have any PS stuff except for part of the original '68 Mustang GT bracket for the Ford pump, I decided to just build a mount. It's a part of the GT mount and some bar stock. I still have to build the bracket from the back of the pump to the head but it's getting closer.




Got a set of headers to cut up. Using a set of 16 bolt flanges I picked up last time I was out at Speedway Motors and a set of 73-79 2wd 390 headers. This will be fun.



Using a high torque starter. We ran these on our race cars the last 4 or 5 years and they really worked well. You can clock the mount in 16 different locations to help clear headers, mounts, etc. Besides being able to adjust where they sit, they are also considerable smaller than stock so you gain some room to work.




Next up, sheetmetal comes back off and engine/tranny mounts get finalized. Once all the mounts are done, it time to play with the starter and headers!

Later,
SPark

[foodstick]

I can see where the smaller tough new starter would be a sweet improvement. looks like you are gathering no moss ! neither is the truck.... One of kids trucks he bought over the years had to be shaved before we could wash it... Man that thing was a green moss eco-system. We would have been fined by the EPA for killing such a large moss colony

[LM14]

That's how the Falcon was. It had been sitting in a timber for 20 years and was covered with moss on 3 sides. Took it to the car wash and $20 later it looked like we had washed a lawn mower, a big lawn mower, when we were done. Loved the look on the lady's face that pulled in as we were leaving. It was actually hard to walk on because it was so slick.

SPark

[LM14]

Anyone using these headers? How about with an Industrial Chassis crossmember kit?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/snh-ff427-p

Wondering how close they are to the motor mount and how tight they tuck to the block. The other headers I've laid back for this (66 and up 390 headers pictured below) aren't anywhere close to clearing the lower a-frame mounts, starter, motor mounts and steering shaft.



I was going to modify the ones pictured above but that would probably be a 90% rebuild! Looks like the Sanderson's may be the best choice.

SPark

[Fanatic]

Spark, alittle off topic but----I had a 62 Falcon like that and cut some front fenders up to use the flair part on the rear wheelwells. Finished it off nicely !

Tim

[LM14]

Don't have to worry about that one anymore. Found a guy that wanted to own it more than I did and he got the title in exchange for a large contribution to my Maverick/Unibody building fund.

SPark

[Alan Mclennan]

More room in the shed and less room in the pockets, sounds good to me Steve!

[LM14]

Well, the Sanderson headers were a lot closer to fitting. The left side only needed one small dimple. The right side needs a totally different motor mount. The back bolt for the block mount plate/motor mount cushion is right where the header runs. Don't know what mount they designed these headers for but it wasn't Mustang GT! Need to do a little modification to the block mount plate and move the cushion 2" forward then everything should fit. I just gave up, fired up the torch and wacked the entire right side frame mount back off the crossmember. I was so proud of getting it in there and having everything level, guess I'm starting that all over tomorrow.



Clears the steering and a-frames pretty well.





Good clearance around the starter so that's a plus.



Tomorrow the right motor mount gets totally redone and the motor will be mounted.

Later,
SPark