Hi guys, currently in my 71 maverick I have the original 200 I6 and I want to keep it. I do want to increase the horsepower though so I need you guys to help me out and tell me some things that I could do to increase the horsepower. Thanks, Jakob
What displacment I6 170? 200? 250? 250 is the oddball but the two most known inliner performance vendors are Clifford Performance http://www.cliffordperformance.net/ Aussie Speed http://www.aussiespeed.com/ both should have some ford stuff havent looked at either in a while when i did it was for mopar /6 or chevy 250i6 lol
There are a lot of guys who enjoy working on I6 motors. Go here to find lots of products for your 200. www.classicinlines.com Also go to www.fordsix.com for more info. Lastly, pick up a copy of the Falcon 6 Performance Handbook. It doesn't always take 8 cylinders to get around
If you're really serious about waking that thing up?.. there's no substitute for cubic inches.. especially when it's done by using a longer stroke crankshaft. So, in that case I'd say ditch the little 200 and move to the longer stroked 250 since the build costs will be similar for each anyways. If and when you can locate them nearby.. those little I6 motors are dirt cheap. Freshened long blocks are also still available from major rebuilders too. Just make sure you push towards as much compression as you can possibly get(mill the P1$$ out of the head.. and also shoot for 0 deck clearance) whichever motor you go with. With well matched parts and higher compression.. that bigger 250 can approach 300ft/lbs of midrange torque output and make that light little car feel like it has a mini V8 without having to rev it to the moon. You will need to rev the snot out of the shorter stroked 200 to even come close. Then there's all the other parts required for higher power bands(converter stall speed, gears, etc). Longer strokes are much easier on parts and funner to drive on the street anyways.
More power is gonna cost money, and if you're gonna spend money, you should spend it on a V-8 so that you can get the most for your money.
After switching to electronic ignition...play with the ignition advance springs to come in sooner. I have mine set to ramp up to 29* @ 1500...factory had it set at 13* @ 1500. After 1500 rpm it gradually climbs to 32* @ 3000 before it levels out. You will need to take out some of the vacuum advance to prevent pinging. This mod made a big difference in performance. Changing to a 3.00:1 from 2.79:1 also made a difference without hurting mpg. Mater of fact I think it helped a tiny bit in mpg
truthfully if you end up swapping in a motor probably the best swap for the money would be fords lil 2.3L turbo4 but the saying is pretty much true...theirs no replacement for displacement...but theirs a hell of a substitute..and that's forced induction and it can be done to any size engine
Stick some forged pistons in it and a turbo on it. Otherwise, don't waste your time. The sixes are great for daily drivers but they're not good performance engines due to cost.
I agree, tune it up, tweak the timing and ride. Hi Jamie, haven't heard from you in a while...:Handshake
we have one of each, a v8 and an I6 maverick. also have a 62 falcon thats going to get a 200 which is coming out of my old 68. the 170/144 is a total waste of time for serious power. the 200 can be made to rev and do pretty good. The problem with the 200 is it uses the smaller weaker trans/rearend and the head flow sucks ass. you CAN fit a 250 head which flows a LOT more but will need to be milled. a 6 into 1 header (mustang classics sells one) will do wonders and a progressive weber 2bbl. as stated, electronic ignition and jacking the compression to the 9.5 range will help. that being said, the 250 is leaps and bounds better than the 200 due to the longer stroke. I have one in my 76 and even stock it has gobs of torque. a decent cam will help also. Ive looked into turbos for the 200 and i think a lot of drive ability and heat soak issues on the head would be a huge compromise. you can def make your 200 fun and still rock decent mileage. its true, the v8 will make lots of power but upgrading a 200 car to a v8 will require swapping the ENTIRE drive line. this is why i wont do it in my 62 as its my old bastard cruiser car. And, 6's are just different.
