Oh yeah, I knew it wouldn't be just as simple as building it up a bit. I'd be happy to make just a little over 200rwhp, right now I believe it's around 140 or 150, that's with a MC2100 2bbl, stock exhaust manifolds, and a single straight pipe.

 

4V intake, 600vs carb, cam, some better heads and exhaust and your there... but it will still be a dog out of the hole with the stock gears.. do the gears first and see how much quicker it gets to it's limit..

 

That's what I'm planning.. it feels like there's something funny with the rear end anyway, so I believe it's a tad past due for an overhaul. I'm thinking I may be well on my way just with better exhaust, the OEM manifolds and pipes seem really narrow.

 

I agree! The lower gears might also help the city MPG's since it will take less tq to get the beast moving.

 

It actually gets the best MPG in the city, upper teens or maybe even 20. On the highway is where it suffers, tops out at 83 MPH and even at legal interstate speeds of 70, it's pushing over 3k... You can actually visually see the gas hand drop. In the city I can usually keep it right at 1k or a little over.

 

I'm actually suprised that you say it will only go about 83 mph, when it turns 3k+ at 70 mph. What do you have, 4.10 gears?

I have a similar rig as you (1982 F100) but mine is not stock. I would run 90 all day long if I could get away with it.

 

I'm actually not sure what size gears it has in it. I know they're stock, whatever they are. Even my dad's old '83 Explorer would top 90, and that was with a 300 and C6 combo, mine's got a 302 and C4, so I would have expected mine would have had a bit more top end than his.

Here's a link to a video that shows the acceleration: 1980 Ford F100 - One Bad Street Machine - YouTube

It sounds like a race car taking off, but once it hits 65, the needle just creeps on up and the RPM's keep climbing. By the time it finally reaches 83 or so, the tach's over 4k and it just doesn't have enough "oomph" to keep going.

 

Got a buddy who runs and builds dirt track 5.0's, he's had problems with the decks flexing and the gaskets dealing with that in an E0AE block. . A 1980 will be a carbed motor.

 

What kind of compression was he running... The only problem I ever had with that was with some 302/D0OE heads with the eye brow steam holes in the deck of the head... the deck would give just enough to blow the head gasket 11 to 1 .. I got a pic some where, I had to fill the eye brow holes with threaded rod to support the deck of the head... worked too..

thy this link I found those pics.. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/a...?albumid=23139

 

No tellin what he was running for a comp ratio. You know how those dirt trackers like to bend the rules.......................I just chunk these blocks into the scrap pile, too many better blocks to choose from, . Like the D8VE-A3A's which no one seems to know about.

 

check your throttle linkage sounds like it's not getting full throttle and try to adjust the C4 down shift rod, make it shorter or make the bolt on the linkage hit sooner.. I think it needs to rev out a little more before it shifts... I'm so use to shifting at 6000 +- it sounds like it has more in it before it shifts..

 

Double post sorry

 

Usually when I have use of both hands I'll shift it manually, it does rev out a bit more. I'll check the throttle linkage as well, that had actually been on my mind already.

 

What size tires are you running? It sounds like the engine is really laboring...I'm betting that the tire diameter/oem gearing has been changed, the speedo gear isn't correct giving a whole bunch of false indicators (except for the tach)....I think I would 1st verify the tire diamter, the diff gearing, the speedo gear.....then look for mechanical issues......but I'm betting the overall gear ratio is so high, then engine can't pull it.

 

I'm not sure off-hand what size tires they are, just whatever I had that fit, but I'll check as soon as I get home. The speedo has actually been verified that it is accurate... by a state trooper. Clocked me going 73 in a 55, which was exactly what the speedo was reading. I do believe the gears have been left alone since it rolled out of the factory, but it sure isn't a good ratio. It's excellent for city driving, gets close to 20MPG, but I hit the highways as much as I can, and man, running over 3k at those speeds for a while, economy drops to about 8-10MPG and it really starts to burn through my wallet.