Thread: 300-6

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Not tuning but I didn't see a category.
I am starting to plan the 300 Ford six build I have always wanted to do. My plan is twin small turbos and run it on propane.
I am looking for some good accurate info so I don't have to re-invent the wheel to do this. Like what compression ratio and boost would be optimum for a daily driver. What cam would work best, o-ring the block or not, what pistons, how much clearances. Any good info. thanks.
Oh, I plan to used a twin carb Clifford intake and probably efi ex. manifolds.

well first how much boost ?? pistons i would say need to be custom made like je ross cp others you need to look at good rods and main caps crank to .you will be making hi EX heat you will need good valves like inconel for EX cam can be made or you may find something that will work head gasket if cometic makes one ? you will have to check if so no need for o rings if not then a copper head gasket will need to be used head studs would be nice

I read once, way back in the 70s I suppose, that to optimize a turbo you needed to run something like 7 to 1 compression and 12-14 psi boost. Maybe I remembered wrong, does that sound right? Would one good dual stage turbo be better? I was thinking twin small ones to help eliminate spool up time and lag.
I'm not talking about a competition engine, just a daily driver pickup that has enough power on tap to pull good when needed.

First off, some general recommendations from Blower Drive Service. I realize you're talking turbo, not blower, but these are some things to think about in general on a boosted motor.....
http://www.blowerdriveservice.com/recommend.php

This chart shows boost in psi across the top and static compression ratio down the side. The dark grey numbers are the limits for 92 octane fuel. The light grey numbers are for better fuel. I think propane is rated at 104, so I would call or email BDS and ask the limits for propane at whatever static compression ratio you will use. That will allow you to determine your max boost.....
http://www.blowerdriveservice.com/techcharts.php

If using enough boost to require o-rings and copper gaskets, I would call SCE and ask if they make a gasket for the Ford six in their ICS Titan series of head gaskets. These have integral o-rings as well as printed sealant rings sealing the coolant passages between the head and block. Their Titan series (less the o-rings) has the printed sealant rings and would go a long ways to curing the sealant leakage problem. Depending on boost, you would still have to o-ring the head or block though. Containing the coolant has been problematic with o-rings and it appears that SCE has addressed the problem successfully with their gaskets......
http://www.scegasketsonline.com/contact.html

Another manufacturer, Gasket Works, makes thin stainless o-rings which can be used with a plain copper gasket to contain high cylinder pressures, but does not necessarily address the coolant passage issue that I can see. Again, if SCE does not make the ICS Titan series (o-rings and printed sealant rings) for your motor, maybe the best and cheapest way to do it would be to use the Titan gasket that uses the printed coolant seals (but less the o-rings) with the Gasket Works o-rings if you don't want to cut the head or block for stainless wire......
http://www.headgasket.com/contact.html

Don't make the mistake I did once and cut the block for o-rings, then use a conventional gasket with steel fire rings in it. The stainless o-ring wire I installed in the block matched up exactly with the steel fire ring in the gasket and so did not compress. This held the head up off the deck enough to allow coolant to fill the motor. We fired it off and after about 2 minutes of running, this light brown chocolate milk shake stuff began oozing out of the breathers. Oops, plan B.
Depending on whom you believe, the stainless o-ring should stand proud of the surface from 10% to 25% of the thickness of the copper head gasket. In other words, if the ring is standing 0.006" above the head or block deck, the gasket should be 0.060" thick if you believe the 10% rule, or 0.024" thick if you believe the 25% rule. If I ever do another blower motor, I'll do it as I suggested above, with SCE ICS Titan gaskets or with SCE Titan gaskets and Gasket Works separate o-rings if the ICS gaskets are not available.

Originally Posted by willowbilly3

I read once, way back in the 70s I suppose, that to optimize a turbo you needed to run something like 7 to 1 compression and 12-14 psi boost. Maybe I remembered wrong, does that sound right? Would one good dual stage turbo be better? I was thinking twin small ones to help eliminate spool up time and lag.
I'm not talking about a competition engine, just a daily driver pickup that has enough power on tap to pull good when needed.

In my opinion, 7 to 1 would be fine if you were going to boost it to the moon, but I think you'll find that today's conventional thinking puts it at somewhere around 8 to 8 1/2, particularly with a higher effective octane fuel like propane. The motor will pull better with a little higher static compression ratio at no or low boost. I seem to remember that propane is down on BTU's about 20% from gasoline, so you'll need a little help under no or low boost situations. At least that's the way I understand it. Again, call Blower Drive Service to find out the max effective boost for propane. That will allow you to determine the static c.r. to build into the motor.

you would not need the use of a copper with o rings if you use a cometic plate gasket if they make one for the 300 they are about the same price of the copper sce oring blocks can be a pain if you ever have to fix it or if you need to deck it at latter date

Good stuff, thanks

That's a good engine, and has been done a lot; lot's of info out there. Clifford Performance, and InLiners International are two sources that come immediately to mind. I "googled" "Ford 300 six", and found a slew of stuff - take a look around.

www.fordsix.com/forums theres a few turbo 300's there and enough turbo knowladge to set the engine up correctly.. you can run all the way to 9:1 on average and still run some boost ( 4-5 PSI at that comp ).. my 200 I6 Ford is set up for 8.8:1 and to run the boost at 8 PSI, which for the 200/250 8.8:1 is considered the optimal comp ratio for a boosted street engine

Apparently I was registered on fordsix once, I am having trouble, says my username is taken and also my email but my pet password won't log me on. email off to admin so I'll have to wait that one out.

fordsix email link no good. Hmm

Just checked into fordsix.com -- my last vist was early 07!

Anyway, depending on how long it's been since you were there, they might have flushed you from the database.

You might try a new registration.

Just curious -- why propane? BTW, I read an article on propane conversion in some auto mechanic site. They claimed that for this particular conversion you had to startup on regular petrol and then switch over. Don't know if that's common or not.

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