Have you ever wanted to own a beautiful, classic 1960's van such as the Ford Econoline but thought that the gas would be way too expensive? There's a reason they were named "Econoline".
The very first models in 1961 had a small engine known as the 144 ci Inline 6 and it "theoretically" gets 30 to 32 miles per gallon. This same engine was available in economy passenger cars such as the Falcon, on which the Econoline is based, and some early Mustangs and can still be found in good working condition.
The engine is not a powerhouse at 80 hp. If you have a need for speed you will absolutely hate it but if you want to get to the beach on a budget or pick up some plywood at the hardware store on the weekend this engine will get the job done.
I'm going to explain, in a few instructable posts, how we pulled out the old broken engine and dropped in a rebuilt 144ci. Luckily I am a member of TechShop so even though I live in an apartment I have a public place with amazing tools, resources and great people where I can park and work on my van for a few days...so definitely "I made it at Tech Shop."
Lets get started.
The very first models in 1961 had a small engine known as the 144 ci Inline 6 and it "theoretically" gets 30 to 32 miles per gallon. This same engine was available in economy passenger cars such as the Falcon, on which the Econoline is based, and some early Mustangs and can still be found in good working condition.
The engine is not a powerhouse at 80 hp. If you have a need for speed you will absolutely hate it but if you want to get to the beach on a budget or pick up some plywood at the hardware store on the weekend this engine will get the job done.
I'm going to explain, in a few instructable posts, how we pulled out the old broken engine and dropped in a rebuilt 144ci. Luckily I am a member of TechShop so even though I live in an apartment I have a public place with amazing tools, resources and great people where I can park and work on my van for a few days...so definitely "I made it at Tech Shop."
Lets get started.
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This will be a general overview of one way that it can be done. The finer points of swapping and repairing these engines can and do fill several books. I'll also cover other ways to restore and spruce up these great vans... before they all meet the crusher.
First you need space and a place where you can leave the van for a couple days. It's possible to do it all in one day if everything goes perfectly, nothing breaks, you have all the parts that you will need to be replaced and you've done it all many times before but it will still be a challenge. You will need to have space on the passenger side of the van where you can roll the engine hoist into position. We took the engine out through the top of the engine bay and out the side doors. There are other ways such as dropping it out the bottom that I hear are just as good, especially if you have a rare van with no side doors.
First you need space and a place where you can leave the van for a couple days. It's possible to do it all in one day if everything goes perfectly, nothing breaks, you have all the parts that you will need to be replaced and you've done it all many times before but it will still be a challenge. You will need to have space on the passenger side of the van where you can roll the engine hoist into position. We took the engine out through the top of the engine bay and out the side doors. There are other ways such as dropping it out the bottom that I hear are just as good, especially if you have a rare van with no side doors.
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My van had a really old i6 170 motor that had a hole in the exhaust manifold. That's the part that is between the motor and the pipes. Also the donut seal/connector between the manifold and pipes can be bad but you or your mechanic probably replaced that with the pipes.
Another common cause can be the gasoline boiling up out of your carb after you stop. My new engine does that as well. Typically this happens because the motor get so hot inside the doghouse that when you stop whatever gas is still inside the carb gets vaporized by the heat. I've found it is difficult to seal the doghouse enough to keep these types of fumes out. They are powerful.
The best solution I've heard about is to install a good Electric Radiator Fan to augment or replace fan on your motor. If installed correctly, and it has this feature available, it will continue to run for a few minutes after the van shuts down and blow all the gas away so it doesn't smell so bad when you get back in.
After I install my motor I spent a day working on the doghouse. I hammered it back into good shape on an anvil, stripped and repainted it with Rust Reformer and Hi Heat Rustoleum paint. When I reinstalled it I used soft rolled plumbers putty or window putty weatherstripping on all the seams and I found a great spongy weatherstripping at home depot for the lid seal around the top. I also used bolts/nuts and metal plumbers tape to seal up any remaining "extra" bolt holes I found that were left over from previous owners and there were a lot of unused holes. Even after all this I still get the gas smell although it it much better while I am driving it and quieter as well.
I would suggest signing up for an old Yahoo Groups account. There are 2 mailing lists full of very helpful people and everyone identifies themselves by region of the country so you can know if someone nearby has parts for sale or needs help. Two really great knowledgeable guys to look for are Jay who goes by Polecat and Vic in So Cal.
Here are the 2 mailing lists.
oldeconolines@yahoogroups.com
Econosrus@yahoogroups.com
Some of these guys have been working on these vans and pickups since they were first made. I'm learning so much from them every day. ;)
One more possibility: Rear windows and doors. If your rear window or door seams are bad the exhaust has a way of getting pulled back into the van while you're driving. Also be sure to shut the windows on the back of the van if they are the type that can be opened. It seems like opening them would help get the exhaust out but it actually makes it worse. it comes in from the tail pipe. Hope this helps.
Putting an OD trans behind it would do no good. Most people don't realize that OD transmissions use a lower rear axle than a standard three speed or old style four speed (top gear is 1:1). Doesn't matter if either the old or OD trans is manual or auto. OD is just a cheap way to add another gear. The more gears the easier it is to keep an engine in it's best power rpm range. OD means the ratio is less than 1:1, most are 0.75:1. 1:1 means for every one revolution of the crankshaft the driveshaft turns once also, so 0.75:1 means that the engine makes 3/4 (0.75) turns for every turn of the driveshaft. The rear axle for a 1:1 auto car might be 3.08 (which means 3.08:1), whereas an OD car is typically 3.50. So you're losing some of the rpm gained. If you don't do this the engine won't turn fast enough to produce good power cruising. You need about 2000 rpm to easily hold a steady cruising speed. Some of the newer engines are being cammed so they produce a lot of torque at lower speeds (especially larger V-6s -- 3.5L or more -- and most V-8s) and can cruise effectively as low as 1600 rpm. Smaller motors have to turn faster to produce power though. The most effective cruise speed for most American in-line sixes is the 2000-2500 rpm range. Foreign I-6s (BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, etc.) "want" to run in the 2500-3000 because they have much shorter strokes than the workhorse US I-6s.
I'm very curious about this topic since thinking about gear ratios, and actually having those options, is new to me again. When I was a teenager I bought a street racer '64 Nova with a slip-posi rear and 4/11 gears. I knew that sounded cool but didn't really knew what it meant till I looked it up. My brother and I were talking about gears ratio options when we were pumping the black pudding that was formerly 40 year old 80/90 gear oil from the rear differential. We were afraid that level of dis repair might have led to damage and require a new pumpkin. So far it has been good. I drained the trans oil on Friday and it ran clear and had very little metal in it. On first drain it too ran black and the magnetic drain plug was furry with metal shards. This week I'll pump out the differential and see what I get after 6 months on clean oil.
Sounds like you did a good job on the gear oil change. You never get it all out. Transmissions (manual and auto) will have a few wear particles in the oil no matter what after a few years, nothing to worry about there. there probably won't be much change in the diff oil, not much to wear in it.
Anyway, I am interested in the mileage you are getting. As I get older, I find myself driving in the far right lane, and that is fine with me. I suppose the real question I have is the total cost / mile, but the cost of gas is probably the simplest metric to get right now.
And what forums/boards were you posting on? I can't seem to find a good one to discuss the old fords.
Thanks,
Mark
I still haven't checked my mileage since there's fixes that need to be done to make everything run properly. If you really enjoy tinkering with old cars then these old Econoline might be fun. It takes a lot of work to bring them back to life and tons of searching , patience & connection to online communities for trading.
If mileage is your primary concern then it's proven to be a very debatable topic. I just love the Mid Century design, have always wanted an early Econoline, need a van for various hobbies, want to go camping in it and really enjoy the process of restoration.
Finding an engine that even comes close to modern fuel efficiency and isn't in the 8 to 15 mpg range of some classic V8's, is a definite plus.
If I were you I'd happily grab that camper but be prepared to put a lot of work and cash into it and endless tinkering to keep it running. They are very primitive machines.
Check out oldeconolines@yahoogroups and econosrus@yahoogroups . Fantastic groups with some serious enthusiasts and mechanics who will help you out.
The other half , some incredibly experienced, level headed Econoline owners, said things like "The 144 is a good little engine. It should be fine and you won't notice that much difference from the 170."
This engine was recently rebuilt by a serious Econoline enthusiast for a show car. It is spotless and sparked up on the 3rd try. Maybe the health of the engine has an influence fuel efficiency? Also my van is empty and has the rear under gas tank weight removed. It weighs only a few hundred pounds more than a Mazda Miata being almost the same length and width.
I have noticed that it revs a bit high which worried me at first. There are a lot of factors that go in to fuel efficiency and perhaps I may be stretching a bit to sell my motor swap based on fuel numbers claimed by the manufacturer.
http://youtu.be/7e7B5xuRKOw
But it is already a good deal better than I expected from a 50 year old engine and much better than a 1970's V8.
Thanks for the detailed info
For anyone curious the right way to do this is to bolt the chain to the top of the motor. There are many threaded holes in the top of a motor suitable for lifting from.
1 star, for the entertainment value. This was featured? Whoever did that either knows squat about pulling motors, or has a twisted sense of humor.
One of the issues with these engines is the cast iron exhaust manifolds on the 144 are cast integrally with the cylinder heads. They are very brittle and incredibly difficult to find good replacements. If you bolt into "the top of the motor" which, unless you mean the top of the block which would require removing the heads, we felt we might run the risk of mangling these parts and ruining a great, rebuilt engine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Straight-6_engine
The reason we pulled the 170 is the exhaust manifold was thrashed and full of holes which is why we just looped the chain around the top and yanked it out.
But anyway, thanks for trolling and being rude.
Try not to feel so right all the time Fred.
I drove it across the country more than once. On one such trip I actually logged over 1000 miles in one day of slow, but sure, driving.
One way to divert the time on such a trip was to open up the engine cover sitting right beside you and see how she was running.
Who needs 300, or 200, or even 100 HP? (My present rig has 116 HP and even carries my "home" on its back).
I do enjoy being so close to the engine and having direct access. It's a lot like a motorcycle in that sense. Sometimes I need to open up the doghouse to help cool it down on a hot day. Soon I will need to get a larger radiator and do a power engine flush.
If interested, contact me at nthom5@yahoo.com