The exhaust system is one of the more primary performance tools available to the enthusiast. Because performance enthusiasts aren’t looking for single exhaust systems, I examine factory and aftermarket dual exhaust systems beginning at the manifolds. Dual exhaust systems didn’t come into play for small-block Fords until the Mustang was introduced in April of 1964. […]
Ford Small-Block Ignition, Starting, and Charging Interchange
Small-block Ford ignition systems are simple to understand and service. Ford designed them that way from the start. In the early years, they were consistent and predictable with only minor changes and good interchangeability. There was a single- point Autolite distributor with vacuum advance and a dual-point Autolite distributor with no vacuum advance unit, the […]
Ford Small-Block Engine Interchange: Induction System
All 221, 260, 289, 302, 351W, and 351C 2-barrel engines were originally fitted with dual-plane iron intake manifolds and the venerable Autolite 2100-series 2-barrel carburetor from the factory. Although some of them have been replaced with aftermarket 2-barrel Holley or Carter carburetors, there’s no better 2-barrel than the 2100. The beauty of the 2100 is its […]
Ford Cylinder Heads and Valvetrain Interchange: Small-Block
Few things determine an engine’s personality more than cylinder heads, camshafts, and rocker arms. Ford V-8s have always struggled to make power because they’ve always been limited by factory cylinder head design. Port size on small-block Fords has always been a shortcoming, even with the 351C and Boss 302 with huge ports. Huge ports can hurt […]
Oiling System Interchange for Small-Block Ford Engines
Oil is the lifeblood of any engine, providing both lubrication and cooling throughout its internal components. The design of the oiling system in Ford V-8s is outstanding, as long as the components are well matched and in good condition. The information that follows will help you achieve these two critical goals. 221/260/289/302/ 351W/Boss 302 […]
Rotating Assembly Interchange for Small-Block Ford Engines
What you use in your engine’s bottom end depends on how you intend to use the engine. If you’re going racing, that’s one thing. And if you’re building a daily driver or boulevard cruiser, that’s quite another. The 221/260/289 all share the same bottom-end components with a 2.870-inch stroke. Main-journal size is 2.249 inches. These […]
Ford Small-Block Engine Interchange Guide: Cylinder Block
The engine block is the foundation on which everything is built. What you’ve got to work with determines the best-possible choices for you down the road in your engine build. The information that follows will allow you to properly identify the wide range of factory blocks that were made, and the distinctive characteristics of each. […]
Ford Small-Block Engine Parts Interchange Specifications
Known in the beginning as the 90-degree Fairlane V-8, for its first vehicle application in 1962, the small-block Ford began its service life modestly at 221-ci with a 3.500-inch bore and 2.870 inch stroke with an Autolite 2100 2-barrel carburetor. What made the 221 innovative was its lightweight gray iron, thin-wall construction, which made V-8 […]
Introducting the Ford Parts Interchange Guide
In 1957, Ford Motor Company ushered in a new era of V-8 performance, which ultimately left tried-and-proven Y-Block and Flathead V-8s to history books and nostalgia buffs. The all-new FE-Series family of pushrod overhead-valve V-8s showed Ford in a new light in the years to follow. In world performance venues like LeMans and Sebring, it […]