Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

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Daniel Jones
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by Daniel Jones »

> my buddy said that someone told him the 460 is a PITA swap in that car.

460s were offered in later years of that car so a swap could be done using OEM parts if you can find them. However, you may be looking at a transmission swap as well since the early MEL bellhousing won't work with a 460.

If the car currently has a 430 MEL and matching transmission and he doesn't want an overdrive, it might be cheaper/easier to rebuild what you currently have versus doing an engine and transmission swap.

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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by DaveMcLain »

Daniel Jones wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:08 pm > my buddy said that someone told him the 460 is a PITA swap in that car.

460s were offered in later years of that car so a swap could be done using OEM parts if you can find them. However, you may be looking at a transmission swap as well since the early MEL bellhousing won't work with a 460.

If the car currently has a 430 MEL and matching transmission and he doesn't want an overdrive, it might be cheaper/easier to rebuild what you currently have versus doing an engine and transmission swap.

Dan Jones
There were some Lincolns that used the 460 along with a C6 that had that weird bolt pattern. From my understanding it was done possibly on the commercial chassis type applications to get more clearance at the rear of the engine for some reason. I doubt it would be necessary to make a swap work. Also the early 460's used a power steering pump that was mounted on the front of the crank snout and I think that was also the way it was done on the 462 engine used in the late '60's Lincoln cars.
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by nickpohlaandp »

Daniel Jones wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:08 pm > my buddy said that someone told him the 460 is a PITA swap in that car.

460s were offered in later years of that car so a swap could be done using OEM parts if you can find them. However, you may be looking at a transmission swap as well since the early MEL bellhousing won't work with a 460.

If the car currently has a 430 MEL and matching transmission and he doesn't want an overdrive, it might be cheaper/easier to rebuild what you currently have versus doing an engine and transmission swap.

Dan Jones
I think you might've missed the part where I said the car doesn't have an engine or trans. The guy selling it has a 460/C6 to go with it, but that's not the correct setup for a '62 Lincoln. Herein lies the conundrum. I'm not too worried about it either way because ultimately it's up to my buddy who wants the car. I'm just trying to gather a little info to pass along to let him know what he (we) could be getting into.
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by prairiehotrodder »

if its just a cruiser i'd skip all those engines. Drop in a 351W from the latest years they were made and it should have a factory roller cam. Probably could find a good running complete engine for $500. Buy a carb style intake for it and a baby C6 or an AOD. And start cruising.
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by Daniel Jones »

> I think you might've missed the part where I said the car doesn't have an engine or trans.

I did. Sorry about that.

> The guy selling it has a 460/C6 to go with it, but that's not the correct setup for a '62 Lincoln.

IIRC, the 1968 Lincoln 460 had some unique features like a crank mounted power steering pump and integral fan belt pulleys. I can't imagine that there would be any interference issues with the later front dress arrangement but you might want to verify that and also the compatibility of the power steering pumps. Wasn't there also a balance change in the later 460's that used a hatchet weighted crank spacer like a 428 SCJ did?

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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by MT Jeff »

prairiehotrodder wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:49 pm if its just a cruiser i'd skip all those engines. Drop in a 351W from the latest years they were made and it should have a factory roller cam. Probably could find a good running complete engine for $500. Buy a carb style intake for it and a baby C6 or an AOD. And start cruising.
This, might have to trim the springs due to weight reduction but it would handle better and maintenance should be a breeze.
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by grant6395 »

You could always purchase kasse's MEL from this years engine masters. What an engineering marvel. The man is nutz. 🏁
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by cjperformance »

grant6395 wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 11:57 pm You could always purchase kasse's MEL from this years engine masters. What an engineering marvel. The man is nutz. 🏁
Hey can you give me a link to that?
Always liked the FE/FT/MEL , kind of like the steam engine of BBF's. Just cool.
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by Carnut1 »

What it really needs is a very high strung 306, 5 speed, and 6 series gears. Perfect crusing vessel.
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by Truckedup »

Racerrick wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 2:38 pm
nickpohlaandp wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 11:59 am

Once again, Ford has not disappointed on being the most complicated manufacturer of car parts on earth. Why in the world did they make soooo many different engines??? Seems like they were grasping at straws to figure out what worked.

Ok, whatever.
Thanks in advance for any input.
LOL Ford has so many engine? GM is the retards with the piles of motors... 3 generation of Olds engines plus the 215 aluminum, then Buick with 4 generation of engines. Pontiac, Chevrolet and Caddy all of which produced big blocks. Did GM really need 5 different big blocks 6 if you count the 409? . I would swap a stroker Windsor into the Lincoln
For the record, Chevy alone was about as large a manufacturer as Ford, add in the other divisions of GM and it was many times the size of Ford from 1949 until the 70's
From 1937 until 1955, Chevy had one 6 cylinder engine design, 216-235 . From 55- 70's Chevy has one small block, two big blocks, W and Rat and two inline 6's, 235 and the L. And Corvair... In the same period Ford car brand had four "small" blocks V-8's, flathead ,Y , W and C, three big blocks ,FE, MEL used in T birds and 385, and four inline 6 designs,flathead, 223, 240-300 and the 144-250.... I'm leaving out 4 cylinder engines for both...
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by woody b »

Put a LS Chevy engine in it, with a 4L60 trans. Gotta make something fit anyway.
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by Krooser »

I remember riding with my parents in my Uncle Mike's new '59 Lincoln with a 430... he was running about 120 mph on a local two lane when he fell asleep after drinking a few too many 'boilermakers'...my Aunt Ann had to keep poking him to stay awake!
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by PackardV8 »

Krooser wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 1:10 pm I remember riding with my parents in my Uncle Mike's new '59 Lincoln with a 430... he was running about 120 mph on a local two lane when he fell asleep after drinking a few too many 'boilermakers'...my Aunt Ann had to keep poking him to stay awake!
Would have been unfortunate if you all had been killed to make it happen, but at least the wreck would have destroyed one of the ugliest cars ever built.

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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by DaveMcLain »

PackardV8 wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:32 pm
Krooser wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 1:10 pm I remember riding with my parents in my Uncle Mike's new '59 Lincoln with a 430... he was running about 120 mph on a local two lane when he fell asleep after drinking a few too many 'boilermakers'...my Aunt Ann had to keep poking him to stay awake!
Would have been unfortunate if you all had been killed to make it happen, but at least the wreck would have destroyed one of the ugliest cars ever built.

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They are sort of weird looking but I don't know if its worse than a '60 Mercury. A customer had one of those with a 312 and it was kind of neat.
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Re: Ford MEL engine? Whaaaaaaaaaa???

Post by Schurkey »

The goofy sloped asymmetrical bellhousing bolt pattern on the 460 was so the transmission could clear the A/C box on the firewall of the '68 Lincoln Continental.

I believe that the MEL had a similar bellhousing pattern for the same reason--clearance problems in the Continental.
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