Hot Rodding the Lincoln

[cudak888]

The Edelbrock Performer 400 4-barrel conversion for the 2V 400/351M engines have been intriguing me for a while - and since the '78 Mark V has had an intake manifold gasket leak on it for a while, I decided to try the conversion out myself.

List of parts (as it stands now):

Edelbrock Performer 400

Holley 1850-4 #4160 (wrong carb though; might have to swap)

Felpro 1240 intake gaskets

Holley 108-51 carb base gasket with heat shields

The setup:

I'll also need to get some brake line to flare and bend to connect the PCV. I did this once before on my Mustang's 351C with excellent success:

I pulled the Mark V's original Ford (steel) 2V intake today, and almost castrated myself in doing so. 70 pounds of worthless iron, in my book.

Underneath, the replacement valley pan gasket - Ford's wonderful idea of preventing boiling oil on the bottom of the intake due to EGR. Note the gap at the bottom of each intake port:

My guess is that the rubber end gaskets kept the valley pan gasket from seating at the proper height, leaving a gap at the bottom of the intake ports.

At any rate, I was able to install the Fel Pro 1240 gaskets with no problems - the adhesive cork at the ends worked beautifully, and I tacked the gaskets with the slightest dot of Permatex High-Tack gasket sealant on each side to hold them in place. RTV'ed the corners, and slid the manifold in without breaking my back. It went in perfect the first time.

A hellish rainstorm prevented me from getting any farther, but here is how it sits at the moment. Forgive the poor lighting.

FYI: No timing chain or camshaft swaps planned. Can't afford to have the Mark V out of service.

-Kurt

 

[MotoArts]

What's wrong with the carb?

CFM-wise, it should work perfect on a stock 400 in a behemoth like the Lincoln ::thumb::

 

[cudak888]

What's wrong with the carb?

CFM-wise, it should work perfect on a stock 400 in a behemoth like the Lincoln ::thumb::

Motorcraft 2150, 300cfm. Nothing technically wrong with it in terms of specifications, but I just don't quite care for them as a carb. I suspect the original intake may be on the restrictive side as well, and the EGR port on it doesn't help vacuum issues.

Plus, I got the intake cheap

-Kurt

 

[MotoArts]

I meant the 1850.

The heads on the 400 are the downers. The exhaust port has a "belly" in it that can't be removed; it restricts flow. The belly is a water jacket.

Can be swapped for standard OC 2V Cleveland heads for more flow, same compression. You can use the Edelbrock intake also.

Aussie 2V's on a stock bottom end would be my choice for a driver, if I were going to do heads.

I once tried advancing the stock cam in a good, tight, original 351M in a '78 F150.

Didn't do a thing... mileage or performance was still meh.

Cam change probably won't do much without a compression increase and headers either... save your money.

 

[cudak888]

I meant the 1850.

The heads on the 400 are the downers. The exhaust port has a "belly" in it that can't be removed; it restricts flow. The belly is a water jacket.

Can be swapped for standard OC 2V Cleveland heads for more flow, same compression. You can use the Edelbrock intake also.

Aussie 2V's on a stock bottom end would be my choice for a driver.

I once tried advancing the stock cam in a good, tight, original 351M in a '78 F150.

Didn't do a thing... mileage or performance was still meh.

Cam change probably won't do much without a compression increase and headers either... save your money.

EDIT: Almost forgot - the Holley has manual choke and doesn't have a Ford auto trans kickdown linkage. Granted, if someone can sell me a 600cfm Holley base with kickdown...

The whole thing is a budget build - improving where only a fix was needed. Quite frankly, the car isn't worth $500 as it sits, in my opinion, but it does its job.

Didn't know that the head change would keep the same compression; good to know. Couple of 2V 351C's around here for cheap too.

Good to know about the timing chain; won't bother with it then!

-Kurt

 

[auron73mach1]

say what?!?! if thats the case I'll give you 400 ;p

 

[cudak888]

say what?!?! if thats the case I'll give you 400 ;p

After the Eddy conversion, it's $750

-Kurt

 

[auron73mach1]

hmmm I might just have to make a trip to florida for that price

 

[cudak888]

hmmm I might just have to make a trip to florida for that price

Save your money and offer $3,500 to this guy, he'll take it. Vinyl roof and trunk padding are dealer-added, but it is a very well cared for example:

-Kurt

 

[wwhite72]

Please take a good look at the pics of the pan gasket leaks at the bottom of the intake ports that cudak888 was kind enough to share. This is the source of the manifold leaks that so many here have been trying to find. When we get questions on bad idle or "rich" conditions and i say "intake manifold leak"...THIS is often the problem that owners cannot grasp. If there was a manifold leak there would be a lean condition right? Well not if the pan gasket isnt sealing and allowing oil to be sucked into the intake ports. You cannot get a smooth idle due to fluctuating vac and the oil seeping into the fuel produces smoke out the exhaust. This seems to be diagnosed as a rich condition and owners spend days adjusting the carb! You will not find the leak by spraying WD-40 around your carb/intake (that has got to make a mess and may remove paint?). Im guessing your vac gauge readings will be off as well? You have to remove the pan gasket and reinstall the intake correctly. I'm no genius but i have made this suggestion a few times to no avail. Owners continue to fiddle with the carb for weeks! so, thanks cudak888 for the pics! While we can see why Ford would look to the pan gasket to aid in a dry intake manifold design, it produces more tuning problems over time than the performance enhancement it was designed to provide. I have posted here in the past that my engine builder refuses to use the pan gasket because of the leaks. The aftermarket Air-gap, tunnel ram, funnel web intake designs reduce the "hot oil on the bottom of the dry intake manifold" issues. I can't fit them under my hood. But i have a 375hp street car with auto trans. it's not that big a problem. Im guessing a cooler intake with cooler air/fuel mixture could reduce potential for pinging? Maybe after i get a nasa hood i'll install the air-gap intake and do some testing on my timing advance. I expect it will show a measurable increase in performance.

 

[MotoArts]

EDIT: Almost forgot - the Holley has manual choke and doesn't have a Ford auto trans kickdown linkage. Granted, if someone can sell me a 600cfm Holley base with kickdown...

The whole thing is a budget build - improving where only a fix was needed. Quite frankly, the car isn't worth $500 as it sits, in my opinion, but it does its job.

Didn't know that the head change would keep the same compression; good to know. Couple of 2V 351C's around here for cheap too.

Good to know about the timing chain; won't bother with it then!

-Kurt

No problem with not using the mechanical kickdown. The modulator will take care of that. I never bothered dillying with those rods myself... if ya need 2nd gear when giving 'er the boot, just manually select it on the column if desired. Badda bing, problem solved.

If needed, I believe the choke spring housing can be transferred from another Holley. Haven't done it, haven't really needed to. Especially in FL, probably wouldn't need it anyhow. The Tiger hasn't had a choke on it since changing the carb (have tried several) back in 1980-ish.

Only thing with the timing chains is wear. I've seen lots of them that were as floppy as a dog chain around the gears. If yours is good, no problem. Putting a fresh set in is never a bad thing. But only if needed ($$$$). Again, no big deal either way, as long as it's not ready to jump the gears, run the pants off of it as-is.

 

[cudak888]

No problem with not using the mechanical kickdown. The modulator will take care of that. I never bothered dillying with those rods myself... if ya need 2nd gear when giving 'er the boot, just manually select it on the column if desired. Badda bing, problem solved.

If needed, I believe the choke spring housing can be transferred from another Holley. Haven't done it, haven't really needed to. Especially in FL, probably wouldn't need it anyhow. The Tiger hasn't had a choke on it since changing the carb (have tried several) back in 1980-ish.

Only thing with the timing chains is wear. I've seen lots of them that were as floppy as a dog chain around the gears. If yours is good, no problem. Putting a fresh set in is never a bad thing. But only if needed ($$$$). Again, no big deal either way, as long as it's not ready to jump the gears, run the pants off of it as-is.

I'm not the type of person who likes to leave mechanical doo-dads unconnected. I'll be mounting a spare (though ugly) 4160 base with kickdown on the carb.

Both of the 400's I've owned ran terrible without choke on startup - warm weather or not. Maybe a quirk of the 2150 than anything else, for the Mustang's 351C/4160 - as you say - doesn't really need the choke.

My father replaced the chain about two years ago when the nylon gave out. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to intervene before he installed a stock set (with the 5 degrees of retarded timing). Ah, well...

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Installed the donor baseplate on the carb today, and got halfway through the automatic choke swap until I realized that the donor's fast idle screw and mount are now long gone. No choke for now.

(I use a marine spark arrestor for initial tests and startup. Good backfire protection without obscuring the carb adjustments).

I tried firing it up, but the fuel inlet port started leaking. One of the aluminum/rubber ring gaskets is chewed up beyond use - and the rebuild kit doesn't come with any :dodgy: .

That didn't tick me off half as much as when I realized the press-fit, Holley plug on the REAR bowl is leaking. I do have a spare bowl, but I'm tempted to JB Weld this defective piece of crapola.

-Kurt

 

[MotoArts]

Yep, JB works for that leaky plug.

Scratch it up to give the JB some tooth to bite, degrease and fill to level with the body.

Been there... :s

ps. I usually put a little schmear of grease on those little transfer tube o-rings to help keep 'em from self destructing.

Once nicked, they're toast.

Very frustrating, yessir... I feel for ya man...

 

[cudak888]

The conversion is complete and has been road tested. The idle stumble from the leaking pan gasket is no longer - idle is smooth, and startup (without any choke) is better than the 2150 with the blended heat pipe and electric choke.

Hard accelerations are much improved, and though the acceleration doesn't kick you in the pants, the power sneaks up on you very quickly once you're rolling (enough that you start asking how 4,500 pounds of steel can get moving as if it didn't weigh a thing):

My favorite part of the conversion is that it looks just a little bit more like a 351C, now that all of the excessive vacuum lines are history.

Only problem is the Summit fuel line extender that I bought. It sits beautifully, but forward of the fuel line. For the moment, I have an ugly, S-shaped length of fuel hose wrapped back on itself just so it'll work:

On another note, during the tests, the car smelled of raw fuel. I could not find a leak, neither in the fuel line that I installed to the carb, nor a leak from the Summit fuel line and filter adapter. Nothing at the base either. I figured the carb was prone to the smell and ignored it - until I tried starting the car (cold) this evening and immediately smelled raw fuel once again.

This time, I bothered to look at the fuel pump (should have thought of that earlier). Half of it looked clean as a whistle. Started the engine, looked down there with a pen light, and found the pump spewing fuel out the vent hole onto the oil filter, drenching (and cleaning the grime off) everything in its path. Blown bladder. Good thing I have a new spare kicking about.

It's a miracle that I didn't have a fire during the road tests.

-Kurt