Just wanted to share w/ the other Washingtonians. Picked this one up for $1250 and have put about $3000 into her, but its a labor of love!

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...?albumid=29415

 

Sweet...Projects are what we are about!

 

JDS -- NICE LOOKING TRUCK! Bet she runs good too with your engine mods.

My '78 could use a body like that *wolfwhistle*

I :heart: our sidebed tool boxes, it's big enough for a tool box, jack, cargo net and six-pack.

 

Thanks guys. Yeah, I could not beleive the difference the 4- bbl, intake and exhaust made. Really lets it breath.

 

JDS, i was looking in your gallery at that sweet motor you built and to say that here's a good looking Edelbrock chrome 14" air cleaner for only $26 plus shpg. If your 4V is still a 5 1/8" throat...and the bling looks 'charp on our 400's. This 'ol Motorcraft 2150 needed a 1/2" riser to seal...

 

I Actually have one, but am currently running the stock air cleaner and just picked up the factory "snorkle" to pull in fresh air directly from the front grill. Which do you think would be the better way to go?

 

Good question...you are going to have fun flying down the road checking out which setup has the most oomph.

More pix!


btw, this edelbrock air cleaner came with cutouts and fitting for the pcv recirc from both valve covers into the carb...but i guess yours did too if the same one.

Now if mine just had more Edelbrock parts underneath it...but it's running good.

 

I really can't tell which setup is better as far as power is concerned but I am taking a trip to Eastern Wa. (Curlew) in about a week for deer and bear season and I thought it would be better to get cooler air into the carb.

 

You're right. We rarely get "hot" here on the island, usually 40s-70's with a breeze. I can't prove it with a dyno or time-trial, but I'd swear that the motor had a little more juice after putting on that open breather. Probably my imagination...

With the new capacitive-discharge ignition and plugwires it definitely improved, a good feeling on the seat-of-the-pants Gforces and Donna was yelling Go! Senior Go! down the highway.

I'm messing with the timing betwee either 10* or 12* BTDC to decide which is better. I left the EGR in to stop the pinging but the rest of the e-stuff is gone.

"Senior" sat taller in the driveway too, no 'chit.

 

btw this motor is cool w/ a 170* or less thermostat in it (130? i can't remember what i put in last) with a monsta' four-row radiator and tranny cooler. reminds me i gotta' ask about it in the 79 truck section.

In case the engine heat might have had an influence on open-breather opinion...

Anyhoo it feels better driving here and looks friggin' great...if there's a downside to it then I'll find a snorkel and put the stock breather back on. For $26 it's worth using it awhile and see

 

I think I've got a 170 in mine and it stays very cool. I think I will go back to the open air cleaner just because it looks so much better!

 

It is really sharp...you been driving it a while w stock breather like me, see if you notice a difference too when using the open cleaner.

That hot eastern washington could be a problem with it, i dunno'

 

Stick a temperature probe right at the carb and measure the difference between the setups. There are paper thin digital probes made for PC hardware setups (and cheap) that work great for tinkering with motors. You can slide them in between gaskets and torque the bolts right behind it with no damage.

I used one of these probes right at my upper plenum when building my cold air box for my efi 306cid build (pics in gallery). I tried a few different locations and snorkel shapes before I found one that snagged the coldest air. The colder the air, the denser, and more o2 rich.

Believe it or not, slight angle changes in air direction, deflection, or input location can make a big difference in charged air temperature (up to 25-40* difference). With a temp probe, there is no guess work. The probe and meter cost me $30 with a 12v dc converter.

RexB the power increase probably wasn't your imagination with the aftermarket filter element. I gather you found a way to feed it colder air, from a wider, and less restrictive area.

*note* Be careful with those teeny weeny thermostats... 160* and below do make performance gains at the cost of metal deterioration of your inner parts. If its more than a drag strip truck or trailer queen ... I'd run a 180*.

Just my $0.02 and keep those pictures coming! I love the old 70's F-bodies!

Keep on Truckin!
Mike

 

The temp-sensing thermal ribbons sound good.
I'd like to claim an air channel build but we're having a generally cooler summer...I don't know yet if it will still feel peppier on a hot day but i can hope. Your gallery shows an xclnt mod for that, thanks.

Mine are haulers...I want this motor to last so internal corrosion is a big deal...a quick google didn't find the particulars, would you post a link? And what is your take on this as an alternative...http://www.evanscooling.com/articles/00Sep_DP.htm

We love pics!

a weathered worker, we started out in Florida

 

Well they mention that 50/50 glycol mixtures break down at 225*. If my pickup hit 210*... I'm pulling over. It's never done that... but running an internal combustion motor above 210* for extended periods is not a good idea.

Looks like a good product... Except I'd never run my rig to any temperature where the antifreeze would break down. Same with my expensive transmission (E4OD) ... would never let it get above 200*. I know my ATF is worthless beyond 220* and is severely limited beyond 200* as far as viscosity is concerned. This is not an issue with an aftermarket cooler and extended capacity pan... but its good to know when your fluids lose their worth!!

I have a buddy of mine that builds heads for a Nascar truck team.I get most of my worthless pushrod motor knowledge from him. However, 5.0 Mustang power ran a sweet article following the power demands and demise of identically built fresh 306's running thermo's from 140 to 195. The longevity of any motor under a 180* thermostat was half or less than that (based on compression below 120 psi) of those at 195*. This was at the expense of 6-8 rwhp. Not worth it in my opinion... unless its a trailer queen. The discussion pointed this trait out to the differences in metals within a block and its rotating mass. Between 185-205* the motor had the highest longevity. Anything below or above this had a much shorter life. The 160* thermo had the most power (6-8 hp) over the 195 thermo 'stang but lost compression quickly.

This mag used to sit above the crapper at one of our remote field stations. Next time I head out there, I'll try to scan it. I'm sure someone else out there has posted some results of pushrod V8's and longevity above 210* F.

Many thanks! I bet my Tin snip and scrap aluminum work bests the $300+ intake kits sold on the market... At least I'd like to think!

Hope This Helps!

Mike