Posted by Brian in Oregon on November 30, 1999 at 11:47:06:
In Reply to: Any 300 ford sixs in PWs out there? posted by Lyle on November 30, 1999 at 08:12:42:
I've seen a 41 WC pickup with a 300 Ford six in it. Tight fit, real tight. Don't remember the details, because it's been a few years. I had thought about one in an M37, but so far am sticking to the stock motor.
I absolutely do not care for the Slant Six. I hate working on the underside where the distributer sits; a location very susceptable to water splash. The 300 six is a much tougher engine than the Slant Six. It also is much more powerful than the 302 V-8 and has more pulling power than the 318. It revs slower and appears to be a slug in lighter vehicles, where people mistake acceleration for power. In early 1960's Ford 4x4 pickups, swapping a 300 in with a 4-speed makes a tough truck. Great lugging power.
Be aware that not all Ford sixes are the same. Some have only five main bearings while others have seven. The 300 has a main on each side of a rod. It can take a lot of punishment.
I am not aware of head gasket blowing problems on a 300 six. Can you elaborate on this and what your cure is? The only times I've ever seen Ford sixes, any Ford sixes, blow head gaskets is when they were badly overheated and warped the head.
If I were to put a modern six into a WC, PW or M37, it would be a 300 six. As I said, I do not care for the Dodge Slant Six. I never had any luck with them and found them wanting when compared to the Fords. However, the Dodge V-8's are a different story. In most cases, particularly smallblocks, they are tougher and more reliable than the Fords (though in my experience rather cold-blooded). The Dodge and Ford big blocks are, size for size, pretty much equal for power and reliability in my book. There seems to be no real advantage of one over the other, so if it is a Dodge, then put a Dodge big block in it, not a Ford. I make the exception for the Ford 300 six. (And no doubt some Slant Six fans will beat me up for this, but again, sorry, Slant Sixes and me just don't get along.)
BTW, I recently picked up a 41 Command Car chassis, complete with an International "Silver Diamond" OHV I-6 in it, probably 220 cubies, circa the early 1950's. Evidently at one time someone got tired of the flathead and wanted a bit more power, reliability and power. While good engines, they are a bit dated and tough to get parts for. I had one as a kid (a 1952 IHC pickup), and ran low on oil and caused a bad knock on #6. Being a kid with little money, I just pulled #6 plug wire off, put 50 weight in it, and ran it another three years on five cylinders. Never noticed the difference. (Aren't old pickups great?)