Hello All, It was suggested by a few that I move this thread, so here it is.

Lost my 75 F250 4x4 to a 3 ton oak limb, ( never loan your truck to a tree guy, even if he is your son ). The 1960 F100 I picked up as a project is now needed as my daily driver. I am looking to increase gas milage when possible, increase power when I can but not at the cost of milage. Any thoughts and or opinions as to what I can or should be doing as I am getting the truck road worthy will be very much appreciated.

The truck; 1960 F100 with a 292 2 barrel holley 2300, small valve heads, stock crossover exhaust, t-98 trans, and a 3.70 rear end, 245/70 r 15 tires.

The truck had been sitting for 2 years. I turned it over by hand a few times only to be met with a lovely clanking sound as 2 push rods slid into the valley. I pulled valve covers to find 2 valves stuck open and 2 push rods missing, 2 more rods bent. I pulled the heads and cleaned, soaked , and cleaned some more. I lapped the valves just to be sure all were seating well. cleaned some more and reassembled the top end. Cranking the engine with the starter the oil pressure it at 50 pounds, cold compression tested 130 all the way around.

Thats about where I am with it, I will post more as it comes up.  Thanks, Mark

It has been suggested that I go to a dual exhaust. I had planned on the exhaust but have a question on how to deal with the heat riser for the intake. The original valve was not installed on the exhaust when I bought it. I live in Red Bluff Ca. and it doesn't get too cold here ( 30-40 in the mornings) but it's over 100 degress most of the summer. 

It has also been suggested that I install a breakerless ignition, I have a lot of learning to do about those. Is there a low budget favorite ?

On other engines Ive worked on there was a spacer/insulator block under the carb, This motor did not have one. Any suggestions as to what if anything it needs ?

On my valley pan at the rear of the intake there is what appears to be a pcv valve, it was run into the side of the air cleaner housing with a hose, is this typical ? why the need for the valve ?

        Thanks, Mark

I'll start the ball rolling with an ignition suggestion.  I use Petronix kits in mine, they run about $80 at most places on the internet. (#1281)  Be sure that your dizzy is in good shape before you instal it.  You could go with a CDI box like from MSD (there are others) and just trigger it with the  points, you need your dizzy to be in good shape for this set up too along with a good coil and 10-12v to the CDI. (no ballast resistor) I've seen the MSD street version at Summit for $120. All of this does no good if the timing is off.  Make sure the mark on your damper is right as they slip some times then set the initial at around 12* btdc and total should be about 32-34* around 2500-3000 rpm.  That's what I like to see anyway.

Under the carb. you should have a insolating spacer of some sort, 1/2" bakelite would do.  Keeps you from boiling gas out of the carb. and flooding the engine when you shut it off.

   God Bless.   Tim                           http://yblockguy.com/

350ci Y-Block FED "Elwood", 301ci Y-Block Unibody LSR "Jake", 312ci Y-Block '58 F-100, 338ci Y-Block powered Model A Tudor

tim@yblockguy.com  Visalia, California    Just west of the Sequoias

I would go with the dual exhaust. As far as the heat riser goes, since it is comparatively warm you can do without it, bearing in mind that on the colder days it will take longer to reach operating temperature. If you go with the stock sedan type exhaust manifolds (not sure if there is fit problem with the steering box)you can go with the heat riser, putting it in the same spot as the sedan units - at the end of the exhaust manifold on the passenger side. With headers, you probably will be unable to use the heat riser.



As far as ignition, the cheapest way is probably the Pertronix unless some one has something else I am not aware of.



As far as a heat shield goes, I haven't heard of one for the 2300 2bbl. You might check with Summitt or Jegs to see if one is available.



The PCV is probably a California required retrofit (smog). I'm not even sure there is enough vacuum for the valve to work going into the air cleaner, but maybe. The valves are usually plumbed into the either the lower part of the carb or a separate plate between the carb and intake.













54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

You wont need a heat riser in Red Bluff.  Bakelite heat isolators/insulators for Holley 2300 and Autolite 2100 are the same, and almost always available on ebay.

Mike, located in the Siskiyou mountains, Southern, OR 292 powered 1946 Ford 1/2 ton, '62 Mercury Meteor, '55 Country Squire (parting out), '64 Falcon, '54 Ford 600 tractor.

OK, got both of my pcv questions answered and came out of it with only 1 new question. If a slight weep at an intake gasket causes grief, how can a 1/4" pcv hole in the intake system not make it curl up and die ?

It is usually located centrally and so is more uniformly distributed to the cylinders. The carburetor is tuned to compensate. It is a sort of planned or designed vacuum leak.

When a vacuum leak occurs at a gasket it is not planned or designed and it usually favors one or two cylinders and the carb is not tuned to compensate.


Lawrenceville, GA

I live in Ohio and have been operating without a heat riser for years. Takes about 5 min to warm up and I am even running 3 Holley 94s. I doubt you will ever miss it. I run a Mallory distributor with mech advance. Pretty user friendly. Charlie helped me out recently with a PCV problem. Bottom line the simple answer is probably correct. Although mine is not a true daily driver it is out all winter barring snow. But that is more an issue of traction than the heat riser.

Mike Rizzo

1963 F100 "Rudy"

Daniel Island, SC

I pulled and cleaned the distributer and all seems good with that. I'm going to run the points system for now I will be replacing them with a pointless system in the near future, I want to see how well it runs before I invest the cash.

I also rebuilt the carb, just waiting on a trip to the junk yard for a spacer/insulator block.

It's getting real close to running.

                                                      Mark

I have searched the truck from headlight to taillight and can't find where to plug in my OBD11 reader, Can anyone tell me where it is ?