how do i tell the difference between the 170, 200 and 250 engines? what do i need to look for. and what motor has the best history?
I'm not sure about the differences between the 170 and 200 but I do know that the 250 is noticeably taller than the 200 and the 200 has a water pump with 3 bolts and the 250 has a water pump with 4 bolts. Also look for the tag on the valve cover on the driver side, if its there it should tell you exactly what it is.
the easiest thing to spot is the starter. on a 250 its below the block next to the oil pan, on 170's 200's its right below the exhaust manifold next to the block thats not 100% definative tho because i think in the 1980's ford made the 200 block with the low starter other then that your going to need to decode the #'s
