Tell me about a Ford 170 I-6.

Inline six, one barrel from a Falcon. Three on the tree.

My neighbor asked my opinion because he thinks it needs rebuilding, it's old. Does it run OK? Yes. Does it leak? No. Have enough power? All it ever had.

Easy enough to pull. Put it on the stand and freshen it with bearings, rings, a bottle brush hone job, maybe gasket match the intake/exhaust.

What else? I know people tend to over carburate when hot rodding, but is there a better choice for gas air mixing?

Is there a better cam for these? The car will have the same duties as before, but I put an RV cam in a truck once, more low end grunt.

What would you do?

Dan

Dan.

I've got a 200 or 250 not sure with a well busted up exhuast manifold. It was in my 65 f100 for a long time. Manifold cracked on my brother 20+ years ago and when i got it i thought is was a 300 but nope. so i put the manifold back on and packed it up tight with furnace cement ran it like that for a year or two before swaping in my 302. Anyway....It's sitting over in the corner. Runs okay, leaks more oil then it burns. Come get it for free!!

For $150 i'll toss in a clutch and presure plate with 10 miles on them. For another $150 you can get the 4 speed over drive trans out of an 80 van. With driveshaft and bell housing.

44

I'll tell my neighbor. Can you get a header for these?

Dan

914Driver wrote: Does it run OK? Yes. Does it leak? No. Have enough power? All it ever had.

Doesn't sound like it needs rebuilding to me...

If he does want to rebuild it, he could try Clifford Performance for upgrade parts - they specialize in six cylinder engines. If I remember corrrectly, the intake manifold on that engine is integral with the head which limits what you can do on that side of the engine. I believe they have a kit where you can add a second carburetor, by boring a hole in the top of the intake and then bolting on an adapter.

I remember one of those Saturday morning car shows doing a 235 six from a Chevy. It was gloss black with brass freeze out plugs. They added two Stromberg singles to it and a bit of a cam.

I'm not beating the bushes for something to do, just helping the guy out.
If it doesn't need rebuilding ....

Dan

Tough old motors. There was a 144, 170, 200 and 250 CID version, all were interchangeable. Yeah, they had the integral intake and the Clifford setup was for 3- 1bbls (the original carb and 2 more, 1 on each end). Honestly, if it ain't smoking leaking etc. I'd leave it alone internally.

I thought only the 144 and 170 had intergal intakes but not sure. I'll count the core plugs and distributor location when i get over in that corner. I know it was the 2ng or 3rd motor in the truck as my brother drove the truck home from Ca to Ma with a 4 cyl fork truck motor in it. he put the 6 in it.

The 240 and 300 six banger truck motors had separate intakes. The 144/170/200/250 passenger car motor had the integral intake.

Jensenman wrote: Tough old motors. There was a 144, 170, 200 and 250 CID version, all were interchangeable. Yeah, they had the integral intake and the Clifford setup was for 3- 1bbls (the original carb and 2 more, 1 on each end). Honestly, if it ain't smoking leaking etc. I'd leave it alone internally.

I concur. As you said, if it's not leaking, down on power, smoking, etc., why rebuild it?

stuart in mn wrote: If I remember corrrectly, the intake manifold on that engine is integral with the head which limits what you can do on that side of the engine. I believe they have a kit where you can add a second carburetor, by boring a hole in the top of the intake and then bolting on an adapter.

"Four 37mm Keihin constant velocity carburetors from Honda 450 motorcycles were attached to stubs brazed to the cylinder head. With these, milling the head .060, and the header, rear wheel horsepower went from 65 to 125."

http://www.bacomatic.org/~dw/engine/fordv8/smallsix/smallsix.htm Lots of neat photos and info, mainly from back in the day when people actually played with these.

I must have a 240 then sitting in the shop. I know it's not a 300 but can't remember what part i bought that didn't fit thinking it was a 300... The brain is fading..

Hotlinked for your pleasure... There was a pretty good article in the May 1960 Hot Rod about hopping up the Falcon six. I have this issue, I'll have to dig it out tonight and take a look at it again.

44Dwarf wrote: Dan. I've got a 200 or 250 not sure with a well busted up exhuast manifold. It was in my 65 f100 for a long time. Manifold cracked on my brother 20+ years ago and when i got it i thought is was a 300 but nope. so i put the manifold back on and packed it up tight with furnace cement ran it like that for a year or two before swaping in my 302.

The Ford 240/300 6 and the 170/200/250 Ford 6 have nothing in common. The 240/300 were used in big Ford cars but mostly in trucks. The 170/200/250 was used in Falcons, Mustangs, & Fairlines.

914Driver wrote: I'll tell my neighbor. Can you get a header for these? Dan

I had one on mine, with dual 2" or so 3 into 1 collectors. Make an adaptor to split the joined exhaust port in the middle if you go with the headers so the flow doesn't get screwed up in the port.

I'd put some kind of electronic ignition on it too, you can recurve (I used a Mr. gasket kit, but any lighter springs would work) a factory distributor from a later smog era car (cheap) or use one of the aftermarket conversions.

I had a 1963 Falcon 4 door in my youth.I paid $35 for the car,flogged it unmercifully.

My brother had the same car with a '68 Mustang steering wheel, 3 on the tree move to the floor.

Its name was Alfredo.

My first car was a 1965 Falcon Futura, 200 six banger three on the tree. The stock shift linkage was crappy when first built and 125k didn't do it any good. It would hang up between gears all the time, I'd have to pop the hood and yank on the linkage. I got tired of that so I bought a Mr. Gasket universal 3 speed shifter. That thing was so poorly designed (and installed ) that it did the same thing. Only then I had to lie on the ground and yank on the linkage. Always made a good impression on a date.

My first car. $70, flat four. Their Moms knew I was harmless nw.

It's a dog engine. A tough old dog, but a dog. Performance it never had, and never could have. There's really no point in trying. The engine has collectors value, especially if it's sitting in that Falcon.

If you're going to play hot rod, get something far better than a 170 straight six.

If you two are hell-bent on doing it, start with the intake. That's a punny little carburetor with a lousy manifold. Almost anything you do will be an improvement, no matter how poorly executed.

He was eyeballing the Supercharged V-6 I've got. No.

I had one of these years ago in a '67 E100. Reliable as a ten pound sledge hammer. She wasn't the fastest thing on the block, but that old truck could sit for weeks in the depth of a Pittsburgh winter... choke knob full out... pump it twice... crank, crank, fire. I can honestly say that the "Stabbin' Cabin" was the most reliable vehicle I've ever had except for the 1st gen. MX5.

My next tow vehicle will most likely be one of these (300cid of course).......... Or maybe a D100 with a slant six. Whatever's right.

The best way to utilize a small ford inline six is to slap an australian cylinder head on it, one with a proper intake manifold. Workhorse engines just like a slant, and take well to boost too.