The Ford Barn

German guy · 04-06-2025, 01:50 AM

I have initiated installation of a 6.1:1 head and have spent quite a few hours scrubbing scorched-on carbon off of the pistons faces, valves, and combustion areas. Apparently it was running far too rich for a long time before I bought the car.

Long story...but...the car was owned by my predecessor for less than a year and driven less than 250 km in that time. He admitted that he did zero maintenance at all over that period. (aaaaagh!!) He had the car from a friend who was unable to drive it due to health issues for three years prior...so it had been sitting for at least three years after a complete restoration and engine rebuild when it was rescued from a 47 year nap in a barn. It was a pretty good cosmetic restoration and even won a few awards at car shows (which are nowhere near as exacting as they are in the US). I asked about the GAV at the time of purchase and was told that it is the choke...and indeed, it was frozen in the full open position and only functioned as a choke. After learning what the GAV is supposed to do I managed to unfreeze it and make it functional. Still can't figure out how it was running at all in the full open position because I find that it runs best at about a quarter or half a turn. That could explain the extreme carbon build-up (black fuzzy plugs) after very few km driving. Now that I can run a leaner fuel mix I should expect less carbon build-up but...should I also be considering going to a hotter sparkplug with the new head? I am currently running the Champion W16Y plugs. Would the W18Y be a better idea? I have already installed the "Zipper" distributor with the "Flamethrower" hotter coil.

I am finding it best to do all of my own maintenance and upgrades after walking into my local classic car garage and catching the "Pre-war expert" mechanic hammering a stainless steel adapter piece into my cast iron exhaust manifold and having the cheek to try to charge me 300 Euro to weld the resulting crack shut. All he was asked to do was replace the manifold gasket and replace the brake linings!! Now I am in the market for a cast iron header because I do not trust welds on cast iron in high heat locations. This project of replacing the exhaust manifold with a header begs the question of going to a higher performance carb and an intake manifold that mates with the new header while not requiring adding a fuel pump. I suppose that pretty much requires keeping an up-draft carb...or? It needs to look convincingly authentic as German registration inspections are quite exacting for cars registered as "historic" and getting the reduced tax "H" license plates. As long as the header is cast iron nobody will notice. I even had to take out the LED headlight bulbs for inspection!

Any suggestions/comments will be appreciated.

04-06-2025, 01:50 AM	#1
German guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2023 Location: German/French border Posts: 104	HC head conversion advice I have initiated installation of a 6.1:1 head and have spent quite a few hours scrubbing scorched-on carbon off of the pistons faces, valves, and combustion areas. Apparently it was running far too rich for a long time before I bought the car. Long story...but...the car was owned by my predecessor for less than a year and driven less than 250 km in that time. He admitted that he did zero maintenance at all over that period. (aaaaagh!!) He had the car from a friend who was unable to drive it due to health issues for three years prior...so it had been sitting for at least three years after a complete restoration and engine rebuild when it was rescued from a 47 year nap in a barn. It was a pretty good cosmetic restoration and even won a few awards at car shows (which are nowhere near as exacting as they are in the US). I asked about the GAV at the time of purchase and was told that it is the choke...and indeed, it was frozen in the full open position and only functioned as a choke. After learning what the GAV is supposed to do I managed to unfreeze it and make it functional. Still can't figure out how it was running at all in the full open position because I find that it runs best at about a quarter or half a turn. That could explain the extreme carbon build-up (black fuzzy plugs) after very few km driving. Now that I can run a leaner fuel mix I should expect less carbon build-up but...should I also be considering going to a hotter sparkplug with the new head? I am currently running the Champion W16Y plugs. Would the W18Y be a better idea? I have already installed the "Zipper" distributor with the "Flamethrower" hotter coil. I am finding it best to do all of my own maintenance and upgrades after walking into my local classic car garage and catching the "Pre-war expert" mechanic hammering a stainless steel adapter piece into my cast iron exhaust manifold and having the cheek to try to charge me 300 Euro to weld the resulting crack shut. All he was asked to do was replace the manifold gasket and replace the brake linings!! Now I am in the market for a cast iron header because I do not trust welds on cast iron in high heat locations. This project of replacing the exhaust manifold with a header begs the question of going to a higher performance carb and an intake manifold that mates with the new header while not requiring adding a fuel pump. I suppose that pretty much requires keeping an up-draft carb...or? It needs to look convincingly authentic as German registration inspections are quite exacting for cars registered as "historic" and getting the reduced tax "H" license plates. As long as the header is cast iron nobody will notice. I even had to take out the LED headlight bulbs for inspection! Any suggestions/comments will be appreciated.