Thread: Ford 4 banger

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I don't have any q's but a quick story,

When we were trying to get my ole A model 4 banger goin, we weren't sure about the firing order or anything, but we fiddled and finially got it going, following a few ear splitting backfires,

Once it was going, it would run ok but then get all out of whack, usually following a rev, it would back fire out the carbs, and then out the exhaust, it turns out the rod which drives the dizzy was flogged in the grooves, and gave the dizzy a heap of backlash. Well, after pulling the rod out and welding it up, it went like a trooper, so there you have it, now it just runs sweetly,

I don't like responding to my self, but hey I'll do it anyway.

Does anyone out there, have stories of modifying 4 bangers, or stories involving 4 bangers??

4 bangers 4 eva

Outback

Closest story i have is putting a two barrel and headers on my 69 fiat 124 sport when i was 16. It was always leaking oil into the radiator since it would always blow the head gasket about every month. I replaced the distributor in my 42 jeep with a magneto, mostly because i got the magneto cheap and i think mags are cool. Now the timming will never stay put and my jeeps parked.

I put these on my newbie thread, but it's getting a little long in the tooth, there's a couple more 4 banger sites there, but I thought these were a good read.

more 4 banger sites

http://www.hotforhotfours.com/history_101.htm
http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com...es/135_0312_hh/

Outback

I found an awesome book that deals with the birth of hot rodding in the U.S. "the American Hotrod" .It goes from the 20's street racing, to the salt flats in the 30's and 40's, to the 50's and 60's dragracing. I did find several family friends in the book, unfortunately no family members.

me and my dad are fixing to build a four banger with four turbos four hillborn injectors four msd boxes and four coils and a whole lot more where expecting atleast 600 hp on alchohol and not using nitros the motor will me fully ported and balenced! ill post pics as soon as i take them and how it runs on the strip!

Jeffrey,

that sounds awesome, what's the base engine? Hilux??

I'd love to see the pics,

Outback

Suede, if that's the book I've read, and it sounds like it, that's an awesome book, and it probably is the catalyst that got me into the early engine, esp the A 4 banger. There's some awesome stories in it!!

Outback

I had a 32 Ford pickup a few years ago with the B engine. I couldn't keep the points set. they kept closing and I kept resetting them. After a few times I noticed that the cam was rusty and was sanding down the tab on the points. There was a bolt on top that held the cam to the distributor shaft so I took off the cam and sanded and polished it. Then I noticed there was no keyway or any way to align the cam. It took me two days to get it running right again. I sold it to a friend who put a 460 in it. It seemed to have a lot more power that way.

The only other 4 banger that I had was in a 89 Porsche 924S. A front engine, all aluminum, fuel injected and overhead cam. 5 speed trans. The number of cylinders is the only similarity to the B engine. It was the fastest 4 banger I ever drove and I have to give those German engineers credit. 2nd gear was good til 60 mph. Third would quickly bring it up to 90 mph. and I still had two more gears to go. My 10 year good driving record went out the window that year after three speeding tickets. It got rammed while stopped at a light and the ins. co. totalled it. $1500 for a hood, $600 for a fender etc. I've been collecting parts off ebay to put it back together. I raced a few friends with Chevy and Ford V8s and beat them easily for the first half mile or more. I don't like to drive over 100 mph in that little tin box so I would back off after embarrasing them. I would like to try one of these engines in a coupe or roadster. They have a transaxle that I would try to eliminate.
You have to replace the timing belt on these at regular intervals because they are an "interference fit". If the belt breaks or slips the pistons hit the valves and bend them over. It can also poke holes through the pistons and crack the head. I read a lot of horror stories on the Porsche forum about this. Maybe it's not a good idea to build a car around an engine that could self-destruct without warning at any time. Besides an American made V8 sounds so cool.
AL

here's a picture after it was totalled.

Too bad you are in Maine Al. I know a 924S that's about the same vintage with a dead engine, guy wants 1k for it and I'm sure he could be talked down from there.

Abe