Hi all,

I am wondering if anyone knows the lineage of the Ford inline six. When was it introduced? What changes were made over it's life that would make some years more desirable than others?

Thanks
Mark

 

im not sure when it came out.. but its the same block as the 240 which came out in the 60s.. i think... uhh reasons why its been around is relyability... its torque

 

Both the 300 and 240 came out in 64-65, the 240 for large cars, and the 300-6 for the F-600. The 300 was produced up until 2000, as an industrial motor. Lots of parts are interchangable between the 300-6 and 240-6, as they are the same block, just the crank rods and pistons are different. Early 240 heads have smaller combustion chambers and make for a nice upgrade for the 300. The 300 got EFI in 87, with the new body style. Up until then, they used a ~120cfm 1BBL carburetor, and a single exhaust manifold.
If you want any more info, send me an e-mail.

 

The 300 was produced very much unchanged from it's 65 release up until 2000 as an industrial engine, about the only difference was that you could get it with DS-II ignition instead of points.

The 1bbl is rated at 220 CFM at 6"hg, it's 110 CFM compared to a 2bbl, and 55 compared to a 4bbl.....
Evan

 

the 240 came out in 60 something and the 300 came out in 74. the 300 replaced its smaller borther the 240 in ford trucks

 

My sources say both engines came out in '65. I have some Ford truck ads from '65 and the big new items they were promoting for '65 were twin-I-beam front suspension and three new engines, the 240 six, the 300 six, and a V8 (I believe 352, or was it 360). The 300 is one of the few engines Ford made especially for trucks and as far as I know was never produced in cars.

 

The 240 and 300 were offered side by side in the 65-73 trucks, until the 240 was dropped from production. The 240 was the base engine in big cars also(I have a 65 Galaxie with one...)
Evan

 

You said inline six, Ford started putting flathead six cylinder engines in cars and I think trucks also in 1941. 1952 was the first overhead valve six Ford put into production.

 

Good Point! We've got 300s on the brain so much we tend to forget all those other great Ford sixes. The 40s flathead pretty much was the first, although Henry did come out with a six banger in about 1906, but I think that was prior to the Ford Motor Company and few of them were made. Had separate cylinders that bolted to the block. '41 sounds about right for the flathead six.

 

Yes you're right - the 300 isn't the old Ford inline six - let's hear it for the good ole 223!!

 

Actually, the 226 CID flathead six was introduced in '41 as an economy engine to replace the old 60 hp V-8. It had the distributor mounted on the right front crab style ( G series )like the early flathead V-8's and 9N tractor fours. That was changed to the conventional style distributor ( H series ) in mid'47 and stayed that way until the last in '51. There was also a 254 cu. in. big brother to it used in large trucks from '48 (?) thru' '53 (?). In '52, the new OHV 215 ws introduced and was only used in '52/'53. It was redesigned in '54 with a larger bore and relocated distributor, fuel pump, and oil filter location required for the front sump for the new '54 passenger car chassis ( they only look alike on the outside ). With annual changes ( on paper anyway ) in compression ratio, it reached it's pinnacle of performance in '57/'58 and then detuned slightly ( according to publications showing hp for passenger cars ) and used thru '64 ( these engines share a few common parts with Y-Block V-8's ). This engine also had a big brother used in large trucks displacing 262 cu. in. from '61/'64. Then in '65 came the 240/300 we are all familliar with now. And there was also the small Falcon/ Econoline six which began life in '60.

 

Ford sure has had a lot of straight sixes. I think the econoline was a 144 and 170. The 250 was a different block and I suspect it went with the 200, though that might have been a last expansion of the 144/170. Also the 200 or 250 started life with 4 main bearings and was later upgraded to 7.

 

from what i can remember it went 144/170/200 and 250/300 but who cares cuz i my love straight 6

 

144/170/200/223/250, all small sixes. The 240/300 were the big sixes, and were externally identicle.

 

The 144 ( introduced in '60 ) & 170 ( introduces in '61 ) blocks are the same with different strokes & 4 mains. The very first 200's ( late '64? ) had 4 mains, but these were made for only a very short time before the 7 main block came out. The 200 has a bigger bore than the earlier blocks. The 200 & 250 share the same bore size but the blocks are not the same. The 250 has a larger crankcase ( and maybe taller deck height, but I'm not sure on that ) for the much longer stroke. It also has the small block V-8 bellhousing pattern, which the others do not except for the last couple years fo the 200 ( early 80's ). So technically the 250/ late 200 would interchange with the 240/300 trannywise. These 'Falcon' motors are different from all the other sixes in that they have no side cover for the pushrods. The lifters are installed through the deck, which can be a little tricky, but at least they don't have the usual oily passenger side from the leaking side cover. These motors are also very light and all have the integral intake manifold cast on the head ( the 250 has larger runners ). These are still in existence today in Australia ( though with different displacements ), and are actually a performance motor in their Mustang equivalent the Falcon. They also were made for a long time in Argentina. The heads on both these are far superior to the U.S. version. The Aussie version is a crossflow design and quite sought after here.