Greetings Wagon Lovers! Aboz here and Im brand spankin new to this site. I'm lookin at a 1965 Ranch Wagon with a 352 4v engine with an auto trans. Need some tech tips for getting good gas mileage out of one of these. Also have a lead on a 1962 240 straight six engine with a three speed. Will this engine fit on the same mounts and will it by chance mate with a '65 auto tranny? With gas prices hitting $4/gallon by the summer Im lookin to squeeze every dime out of a late model straight six or work with the 352 to see optimum gas mileage....any advise?
Learned to drive on a '59 Squire with a 352, T-85 [OD] and 3:89 gear!! Dad, a Ford mechanic, tweeked it with 406 parts - but that's another story! First thing I'd do is change the carb - find a 600 Holley with vacuum secondaries. That Ford carb is a PIA! Find someone that can re-curve the distributer - all in by 2000 RPM. Can of slick 50 with 10-30 oil, K+N air filter, dual exhaust with 'turbo' mufflers, and a light foot should net 15 - 20 MPG!
Best way to get great gas mileage out of that is to park it. to the wagon train, aboz. Hope you get the wagon you want and the mileage you want.
Welcome to the forum! Aboz hope you enjoy your wagon and I have no idea what gas mileage means, I'll ask my wife she drives a Civic...:2_thumbs_up_-_anima
Welcome Aboz. I've never been able to coax more than about 12 mpg out of my 66 Ranch Wagon with a 352-4v. I try to drive for mileage, so I never stomp on it, and I keep it at no more than 60 mph on the highway. Of course it's never been tuned, I'm not sure if the vacuum advance is working properly, and I probably botched the rebuild I did on the carb. However, I'm lucky if I go through two tanks of gas throughout the car show/cruise season. So I guess the mileage hasn't been much of a concern. I would love to change the trans to an AOD, but the conversion parts to fit to an FE engine is just too steep for the small amount of driving I do with it. And keeping it original is just fine with me. If you want some real world numbers, here is a post from a member who did the Power Tour last year with his 65 Country Sedan and posted his mileage. http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=131830#post131830 Also, I've found some old road test articles for 65 and 66 Ford Galaxies, and it seems that 15 mpg should be about right in the ballpark for highway driving with a big block. I would suppose that a straight six or 289 would do better. Also, if you can find one, the 3-speed was available with an optional OD on these two engines. However, if you are willing to go through the trouble of an engine swap, and you want mileage, perhaps you can find a complete 5.0 with AOD trans to swap in. Good luck!
240 straight six Its those old straight sixes Im crazy about. Just had to let go of my 1963 Chevy Step side with a 1970 250 six. Have a lead on a 1962 240 six with a 3 speed manual trans. What I'd like to know is will this smaller engine fit in the '65 Ranch Wagon's engine mounts and mate with the '65 auto trans.?
To answer your question Fannie, it will be a daily driver. I just opened a restaurant and need it to haul major groceries! It's a 60 mile round trip to the Restaurant Depot and thats twice a week. I'm first looking a a 1962 240 straight six that came from a Murcury Comet. I'm trying to find out if this engine will fit on the same mounts that currently hold the 352 in the '65 Ranch Wagon. Fuel economy will be a priority! The guy with the engine says the 240 should mate up with the aoto tranny but I would need a different fylwheel. I assume thats because I would be going from a manual to an auto transmission
You may get more answer to your questions if you start a thread in the General Tech or General Wagon Discussions. Have we seen you car yet?
You'd definitely be able to put them together and you'd need a different flywheel but as far as the engine mounts go, not only do you need different mounts, but they probably have perches in different places on the frame. This is the case with Ford pickups that used the 240/300 and various FE engines in the late 60s and into the 70s. Are you sure that is a 240 from a Comet? 60s Comets got 144, 170, and 200 sixes, and the Fairlane sized ones had the 250 six, and then later the Maverick based 71-77 Comet had 170, 200, or 250 sixes. The 240 was offered in pickups, big Fords, I don't think any Mercurys ever got the 240 except Mercury pickups in Canada. Correct me if I'm wrong but I bet you're looking at a 170 or 200 and that was never offered in the big Ford wagons, or it's a 240 all right but came from something else like a Custom 500 or an F-100. It'd be custom fabrication to make it work at best if it's the Falcon six. You may have a MUCH easier time putting a 289 or 302 in it. Sure it'll need different mounts, but it'll do better pulling that wagon around and if you stay manual, you'll get good mileage. A 352 is a torque monster while a 289/302 is just about right. Or you could get lucky and find another wagon of some close year with the six and have all the donor parts you need in one place.
Aboz I have a 289 3speed in my 65 and pull 20mpg city with the motorcraft carb... Glad to see your here
