FE in 61 full size Ford

Sid

Sid

Well-known member
FE ford going back in 61 Ford,cast iron Daytona headers. I took motor apart to short block then pulled block out. My question is can the engine be set back into the car with the headers on and the bell housing or is it easier to set the engine in then bolt the cast headers up. I know it is a tight fit with the headers on block but I felt like a contortionist when I unbolted them from the engine while still in the car. I don't want to bolt the headers on just to find out they won't clear frame.
 
I would put the headers on after the engine is installed. Headers have twists and turns that can interfere with something when installing the engine. When the engine has stock manifolds I usually put them on first.
 
I would try it with the headers on. Do you have an engine leveler? With one of those I would consider the bellhousing and even the transmission.
 
Put the headers on with a couple of bolts and try it. If it doesn't work, then lay the headers in place under the hood and then put in the engine and bolt them up while the engine is still up a little to make it easer to bolt up the headers.

Sal
 
Thanks Sal...I will probably try to install with headers on engine. When I removed the headers with engine in the car there were a couple bolts on the bottom side that were very challenging to do. just hoping someone had first hand knowledge on the 61-63 Fords header install.
 
the engine leveler sounds like the best way to try and put the engine in the car with the headers on. I am sure that Ford did it this same way on the assembly line. way to expensive for them to do it any other way. But, I could be wrong.
 
I have a Harbor Freight engine leveler. I dropped the whole drive train in as one piece and even with the radiator support in place. It was quite easy.
 
You mention Daytona headers but I've always referred to the cast iron ones as either the long branch types or the shorty types. Would one of those descriptions fit? Also, are you including the transmission or will it be in situ? Long branch types might interfere with bolting up a transmission if it has an automatic. A manual trans bell housing would be less trouble.
 
It is a 4 speed car. The headers are the factory short cast headers. I have since pulled the rad. support so I may sling engine & trans together. As I remember when I pulled engine the cast headers fit pretty snug at the frame. I think I am going to get an engine leveler as I've needed one for awhile.
 
The engine compartments were made for the FE types and were all wide in the 61 to 64 time frame. I'd try it. I had to take stock manifolds off my old 64 T-bird to replace gaskets that blew out and it was a T Total Tight Fit in that car but it had a lot of crap in the way too. The Galaxies, last of the big Fairlanes, and big Mercury cars were spacious as it gets in the engine bay. My experience is mostly with the 63 & 64 Galaxies. The only ones that had more room were the Lincolns in the Ford line but they used those big MELs.
 
However you do it, by all means use copper gaskets. The ones that come with a gasket set or even an over the counter set will likely leak after a time. They are widely available because the issue is common.There will be some on here that will poo-poo this, but a little more money up front will save a lot of work down the road. FE motors are notorious for gasket leaks at the headers/manifolds.
 
I have installed the engine with the factory shorty iron headers attached. Factory long and short iron headers did not use any form of gasket. Standard log style manifolds used steel "heat shields" as Ford called them, you can still buy them. If you have leaks, then get both the manifold and sides of the heads surfaced and keep the bolts tight. Whatever you do, don't use the after market composition gaskets that come in a gasket set.
 
It's too bad they didn't make spiral wound No-Blow gaskets for them like are used on aircraft engines. I've reused those gaskets more than once. They are steel outer frame with the spiral wound stainless steel inner core. Thin copper gaskets blow out too but a thicker solid sheet copper gasket might actually last a good bit but it would have to be 30 or 40 thousandths of an inch thick.
 
craig said:
I have installed the engine with the factory shorty iron headers attached. Factory long and short iron headers did not use any form of gasket. Standard log style manifolds used steel "heat shields" as Ford called them, you can still buy them. If you have leaks, then get both the manifold and sides of the heads surfaced and keep the bolts tight. Whatever you do, don't use the after market composition gaskets that come in a gasket set.
Click to expand...
This guy knows what he is talking about. I have installed the long cast ones on the 67 after engine was in, and the middle/ rear ports are close to impossible. Next time I'll try with them on. I had new manifolds with fresh machined heads and no leaks.
 
The larger car engine compartments changed a lot after 1964. It's not so predictable from 1965 on for Gallaxie, LTD, and larger Mercury cars. On the mid size cars a person would need a shoe horn. Some are better than others though. The Lincolns and T-birds changed over to the 385 series engines in 1967 but the larger Ford/Mercury cars had FE motors as options up thru 1970. 1971 was the change over to the 335 series for most Ford large cars but there may have been a few cars that still had the FE.
 
5851a said:
This guy knows what he is talking about. I have installed the long cast ones on the 67 after engine was in, and the middle/ rear ports are close to impossible. Next time I'll try with them on. I had new manifolds with fresh machined heads and no leaks.
Click to expand...

I noticed that when I pulled the engine out. Top bolts not bad. Bottom ones are a joke.
 
rotorwrench said:
The larger car engine compartments changed a lot after 1964. It's not so predictable from 1965 on for Gallaxie, LTD, and larger Mercury cars. On the mid size cars a person would need a shoe horn. Some are better than others though. The Lincolns and T-birds changed over to the 385 series engines in 1967 but the larger Ford/Mercury cars had FE motors as options up thru 1970. 1971 was the change over to the 335 series for most Ford large cars but there may have been a few cars that still had the FE.
Click to expand...

385 series didn't come out until 68.The 67 t-birds had 390s and 428s.335 series came out in 70.
 
You are correct. I mix it with the intro year for the 5th generation T-birds. The 460 for the big Lincolns and the 429 for the T-birds.

The 335 series was actually introduced with the 351C in 1969 but the larger 400 for the big Ford & Mercury cars came along in 1971 and effectively replaced the 390 at that point and that was what I was referring to.
 
craig said:
I have installed the engine with the factory shorty iron headers attached. Factory long and short iron headers did not use any form of gasket. Standard log style manifolds used steel "heat shields" as Ford called them, you can still buy them. If you have leaks, then get both the manifold and sides of the heads surfaced and keep the bolts tight. Whatever you do, don't use the after market composition gaskets that come in a gasket set.
Click to expand...

I'm with craig on this one. I quit using gaskets on FE engines a long time ago. I use a little red silicon or the ultra copper.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top