What stock straight 6 engines were available in 66?

kekrkaki · Post by **kekrkaki** » January 22, 2007, 8:17 pm

I 've got a straight six in my 66. I am not too familiar with Ford engines and was wondering what the displacement might be. The vin tag is missing from the door but I have a good title. My father-in-law said the bottom of the engine was making a loud banging when he parked it 20 years ago. Are there parts easily available? Is the engine easy to work on or do you need a load of special Ford tools? Thanks.

Keith

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » January 22, 2007, 8:27 pm

240 or 300 cid.
the 300 was used up into the 80s at least. should be easy to locate parts for as a large amount were produced.
as far as special tools, i dont have any and have rebuilt several of these in my lifetime.

the vin is stamped into the top of frame on the passenger side in 2 places, about 1 foot back from the core support and also under the floor of the cab.

kekrkaki · Post by **kekrkaki** » January 22, 2007, 8:38 pm

Thanks Iceman. I was wondering where else the vin was stamped!!!

FORDBOYpete · Post by **FORDBOYpete** » January 23, 2007, 9:34 am

Kieth,
300 CID (also known as a 4.9L I-6 engine) uses a timing gear set up as opposed to a timing chain.

The timing gears can make a racket when they have a problem. You'd swear the crank & a few rods are ready to exit the engine catastrophically. :roll:

So if you do have a 300 CID, check the timing gears B4 you start laying out the big green $$$$$

FBp

kekrkaki · Post by **kekrkaki** » January 23, 2007, 9:01 pm

Thanks FBp

The symptoms you describe sure sound like what my father-in-law told me the engine was doing before he parked it. I will know more when I pull the engine in about a month (my curent plan)

Keith

adrianspeeder · Post by **adrianspeeder** » January 23, 2007, 9:05 pm

Along with all the great gearhead info here, I'd also sign up over on www.fordsix.com and do some readin on how to make that thing fly.

Adrianspeeder

MadMaxetc · Post by **MadMaxetc** » January 23, 2007, 9:22 pm

I am over there as well.

There is a lot of good tech stuff.

cdherman · Post by **cdherman** » January 24, 2007, 7:00 am

In general, the 240 and 300 are examples of the toughest engines produced for gas vehicles. They will run forever, often outlasting the vehicle. The timing gears don't usually cause much trouble -- and can be replaced pretty easily as well, if need be. Sounds like the engine in your pickup is a rara example of one that failed.

Imagine an engine that is balanced by design, with no need of counter weights or weights on the flywheel. Then add the fact that there are main bearings between each cylinder (eat your heart out, V8), seven of them. Just like a big diesel.

Then add to that a block that wieghts about as much as a SBF.

It no wonder that the 300 saw service for 31 years, 65-96. Some say polution killed it, but mostly it was a growing need (inside buyers heads) for 8 cylinders and the fact that it would not fit inside Fords redesigned engine compartment in 1997. Too long.....

They are not powerful engines, but produce their torgue at the low end, akin to a diesel. So they make for good driving. Poor for racing....

Just had to rant a little. FBP is one of my great idols in terms of Ford wisdom -- but I wouldn't want a timing gear to hold you back.

Personally, I'd try to check the compression. If its good, go for it. Also, there are 240's out there frequently as well. Not a bad choice for a driver that has no need or desire for tons of HP, just good reliable engines.

BigTim · Post by **BigTim** » January 24, 2007, 10:47 am

Many a Rancher in New Mexico used a 300 to pull their heavy loads over the hilly terrain for years. They swore by them over any of the V8s. We use to use them on irrigation pumps that did not require a lot of lift. They could run forever. Figure they would run 24/7 for about 165 days of the year at about 2350 RPM. Shut them down once every week to change the oil and bust them off again.

If 2350 RPM equated to 60 MPH, that would be 237600 miles/year. Some would last a s long as ten years. Thats is a lot of miles, but it would be similar to a flat road, very little change in load.

Lowell · Post by **Lowell** » January 24, 2007, 9:56 pm

I had an 86 bronco with a 300 six that had 210k miles when i traded it in on my o2 ford f 150. It was still going strong at that time . Towed a camper quite a few miles with it . Running empty it would get at least 20 mpg hwy. my 02 does well to get 17 but then its a 5.4 so i expected that. my 65 slick has a rebuilt 240 that is doing great . It was about the only good thing on the truck when i bought it.

FORDBOYpete · Post by **FORDBOYpete** » January 25, 2007, 10:03 am

Kieth,
I forgot to add 300 CID is a result of everything that was wrong with I-6s being rectified by FoMoCo Engine Division during "pre-Production" R&D. Wear is what causes timing gear noises, especially when the beast is cold. . . :wink:

Parts are plentiful & reasonable (relatively speaking) anyway. What with Milk $3+ a gallon & Bread $2.50+ a loaf. . . :roll:

It's a simple as in NOT Complex, straight forward, no trix engine and if I were to teach a class in Automotive Engine repair & rebuilding, I would use a 300 CID FoMoCo for the inline demo because of it's fundamental design and 30 odd successful year run.

If you ever saw "Preparation H", Valley Head Services 4 Dr, Maverick, sedan, get into the 10s running that 300, back in the early 70s, you'd keep faith with the 300 & not go making any radical changes. :shock:

I favor 460 CID 385 series engines also. They have 30+ years for a successful run also. I doubt FoMoCo would have kept them or the 300 CID/ 4.9L around that long if they weren't as good as Dave & Tim & everybody else says say they are.

My 88 F-150 has right at 200K mi. Cam gears are noisy until it warms up in "AMs". It's EFI & lots of great goodies (if you're into "new tech" like EFI). It has a cool down mode that comes on when I shut down hot. A fan circulates air around Inatke & headers (that's right) 4.9L EFI version has split exhaust (2 into 1 at Catty Con). They are true headers! :lol:

FBp

Post by **Casey 65** » January 26, 2007, 2:23 pm

If you have a 240, replace the fiber timing gears with the 300 steel timing gears. The fiber ones will disintegrate and make you very unhappy. As in pulling the oil pan to clean out all the pieces of the gears. There are enough small pieces to block the oil pickup screen and give your engine 0 oil pressure.

adrianspeeder · Post by **adrianspeeder** » January 26, 2007, 5:38 pm

Dang it, all this reading makes me want a 300 again...

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » January 26, 2007, 8:31 pm

Never,ever think a 240 or 300 can't be made to run. In all my years of circle track racing, I've seen all kinds of modifications on these engines. Got beat by some of them too. Wildest, best running combo I ever saw had to be on a 1/4 mile dirt track. This fellow brought a modified up there powered by a 300. The engine was all race equipped. The most amazing thing was the cylinder head. This guy owned his own machine shop fabricating business. The head was 2 Boss 302 heads with cylinders cut off and welded back together. The pushrods of course were custom length. That thing was awesome. Won his heat and feature going away.

FORDBOYpete · Post by **FORDBOYpete** » January 26, 2007, 9:04 pm

Jim,
That's the cylinderhead Valley Head service out in the shakey side had on that preparation H Maverick. It Honked! :shock:

FBp

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » January 26, 2007, 9:12 pm

That's another one. This was in an old Ford coupe modified.

cdherman · Post by **cdherman** » January 27, 2007, 8:18 am

Well, they are working on a limited production cross flow head over at fordsix. At about 2k, its not going to be on my engine. But, it just shows that the old 300 is not dead.....