Build Thread 1978 Mercury Cyclone. The pig is in the pen.

84Ttop said:

@madmike1157
Food for thought....http://bangshift.com/blog/mad-scien...er-and-mounted-them-on-a-ford-inline-six.html

Click to expand...

Yeah, I have done alot of reading on that swap. I woulda considered had I not been able to get the head I presently own.
The fact that I support an LS swap in it's entirety makes doing something like that the perfect salt in the eye to the purists:

** ME: "But it IS a Ford engine, in a Ford body........NOW you're gonna dink me for using a glued together head that you can't buy anywhere in the world, because it used to be on a Chevy?????"

Wouldn't work anyway.
The bore spacing between a 300, and a 250 is different, and a 300 uses a 4" piston whereas my weenie 250 is only 3.68."

All things considered, I think I'm about as "out there" on this build as I care to get, so I'll keep what I got.

Well, so as not to give the impression that I've been dic kin off, it's time for an update.

I'll be glad when all of the engine modifications are done so I can send that thing off for machine work. The block is gonna get bored .180 and all 6 cylinders sleeved. Now I don't know about you, but the thought of boring a thin wall casting 180 thousands to install the 3/32 sleeves had me a little un nerved. Despite the fact that I have been advised it will be OK, and that the end result will actually be stronger, I decided to "short fill" the thing w/ hard block. Now on a six banger like this one, that is a job easier said than done, as there are only holes on one side of the cylinder to pour the cement into and you have to work that goop around w/ a mixture of a coat hanger and tipping this way and that. All while trying to keep the crap inside the engine, instead of going out the remaining holes that have to be left open (i.e. the water pump)





Now I left the two high end freeze plugs out to guage how full I was getting the thing. The bottom of the open holes are the same height that the W/P hole is, and at this level, half of the cylinder is now surrounded in cement.

I also finalized the plan for the side cover. After tapping all of those damn holes, it became apparent real quick that the 1/4" bolt would pull the threads right out of the side of the cast iron. So I through bolted the thing from the inside. The top course are 1/4 x 1" button head capscrews, and the bottom course are actually made up of 1/4-20 all thread that i welded a nut to after running the threaded rod through the side. Once cool, I poured epoxy on top of the nut ( that actually sits in a little well cast in the side of the block that was just full of oil sludge) So to kill two birds, I effectively locked the nut, (which was jam threaded against the inside of the block anyway) and filled a pocket notorious for catching crud.



The frank-n-cover plate is 3/8" thick.


And sits on the block like this. There are 15 additional bolts on the top plate that ties the bottom plate to the deck of the block. I hope that this works.

I also painted "Medusa's head" w/ the very high heat VHT paint formulated for exhaust. It has to be baked on three seperate intervals for 30 minutes each at 250, then 400, then 600 degrees w/ a 30 minute cool down in between.

The wife caught me w/ the thing in the brand new oven stinkin the place up to high hell.

I think the freakin thing turned out cool as hell.

Maybe by Tuesday, I'll be done w/ the engine so I can get it to the machine shop. I got 6 more studs that have to be epoxied into the side of the block, and it'll be good to go.

84Ttop said:

That manifold did turn out so bad a$$!!! How much epoxy is in this motor? Just curious...

Click to expand...

The plate that adds deck width is epoxied on. Because the actual block bevels in at the top where the plate bolts to, there are varying thicknesses of the junk along the top. All of the bottom stud nuts are buried in epoxy as well. Other than that, the last six studs I was talking about penetrate the water jacket, and I don't want to take a chance that they'll leak. Because they could leak behind that cover plate, (into the engine) and I'd never know it.

Noobz347 said:

Click to expand...

laugh it up,.........just wait till you see what I pull out of that furnace.

Took the engine block back to the machine shop for the .187 overbore so that my sleeves can be installed. Even at those scary numbers, the machinist told me that there'd still be cylinder wall left even after all that cutting.

I told him to take pictures.

7991LXnSHO said:

How much would the right block and shipping have been? This is neat but what a pain!

Click to expand...

There is no "right block". The entire Aussie crossflow engine still would not accommodate the mechanical roller cam w/o the major surgery to the side, and it still could've had a worn out cylinder like mine did. Additionally, the bellhousing on the Australian engines have the starter on the American driver's side of the engine, so you gotta source an Aussie trans to go with it.
It's just like any major surgery.

An enormous pain in the ass to go through before, during, and after........ but hopefully worth it all in the end.

And it is about the build for me. Hopefully the car will be so awesome afterwards I wont be able to part with it.
BUT.......
Let me have some major dissapointment with that expensive assed Ford six banger,........and it'll be Hello LS-1.

jrichker said:

Maybe you might try this...laminated, & hammer welded engine block...


Crosley used a similar technique to make 4 cylinder overhead cam 44 cu in engine during the period 1946-49. The engines were a favorite among the power boat racers during the 50's.

Click to expand...

Uhh no, I think I'm at my limit for crazy sh it on this build. Thanks anyway.

rdharper02 said:

Yeah, its kind of like a sickness. But unlike Van Gogh, Mike still has both ears. So we'll just let him keep going. Wait, Mike.....you still have both ears....right? Never mind, just keep building cool stuff.

Click to expand...

I still have both ears alright,...I just don't hear that well out of the left one courtesy of the #1 105mm howitzer on the FA battery I part of back in the 80's.