Does a Ford 240 have Solid Lifters?

[PhilJohnson]

I bought a 65 F100. Guy claimed it had solid lifters hence the clacking valve train. I have my doubts and was wondering if anyone could tell me for sure if 240s ever came with solid lifters.

[SamEwing]

not stock, but doesnt mean that over the last 45 years someone hasn't installed them.

take the valve cover off and check the rocker arms. If there are adjustment set-screws and jam nuts directly above the push rod, they are solids.
If there is only a nut holding them in the center of the rocker arm they are hydraulic.

the clicking can be from loose torque of the rocker arm or the lifter may need to be cleaned by soaking in diesel and a commercial cleaner formulated for this procedure and manually pumping them to clean the innerds. follow instructions on product container.

dont forget a new valve cover gasket.

[HermitJohn]

Its always a crap shoot whether things are original or somebody mixed and matched or whatever when it gets this old. Like said above, all 240s and 300s came stock with hydraulic lifters. Price a new set lifters. They are relatively cheap and interchangable with the lifters for the 300.

Only difference between a 240 and a 300 are the pistons and the connecting rods. 300 is just a stroked 240. Oh think very, very early 240 and 300 had slightly different size crank bearings than later ones. The 240 head also had smaller combustion area which means if used on a 300 give somewhat higher compression and this is desirable. Far as I know thats only difference. None came with mechanical lifters though I think kits were sold to convert them, probably for racing. I'd really doubt anybody would do it on a mostly stock old pickup. It would be pointless. The 240 was offered in some cars back in the 60s. The 300 was only ever offered in trucks.

Just looked, individual new lifter is $3.22 each at RockAuto.com. Ebay simular, just did search and cheapest set is $32 plus $10 shipping. These are same lifters used on lot Ford V8s of same era so extremely common and easy to find. On old engine with noisy valve train unless really strapped for cash, i'd just put in a new set lifters and be done with it. Easy enough as you have lifter access panel on side of engine. (I so like working on old straight six engines compared to any V8) Check the pushrods that the oil hole is open. That can get plugged.

You do have oil pressure gauge in this truck, dont you. Low oil pressure.....

[PhilJohnson]

Hmmm, well I think I am going to be replacing lifters. I have a tired 300 six with 265,000 on it sitting in my smashed up 77. Been thinking about overhauling it. I like the idea of a slightly larger motor with electronic ignition on it. The 240 gets much worse mileage than the 300 did. I could get 22-24 mpg on average out of the 77, this 65 seems to be getting maybe 15 mpg. It is geared a bit lower though. I have a nice set of cruiser gears in the 77 that might find their way into the 65. Otherwise maybe I'll finally try my gasification idea on this truck.

[HermitJohn]

The 240 may also have that stupid vacuum only distributor that Ford was so enamored with in 50s and 60s, doesnt have mechanical advance. It has to be used with a particular carburetor designed for it. This carb has a special vacuum control port.

As I said 240 and 300 are identical, you can easily change from points to electronic by swapping distributors, just dont get computer distributor. You want a Duraspark II distributor (it will have vacuum advance canister on outside of it) from mid 70s to early 80s). Can use either the Ford Duraspark module to control it or you can use early GM HEI module. The HEI module has advantage of not needing resistance wire and you can use either HEI coil or Ford TFI coil which about same thing as HEI. Much hotter spark. I use the HEI module on both my F250 and Ranger.

Or there is another option. If you have a normal points distributor with both mechanical and vacuum advance (I wouldnt bother with the vacuum only distributors), you can make points last near forever using a TFI module and coil from a computerized Ford. Instead of computer triggering module, you wire it so points trigger the module. Much less current goes through the points so they last forever and dont erode. http://www.gofastforless.com/

[fordy]

Originally Posted by PhilJohnson

Hmmm, well I think I am going to be replacing lifters. I have a tired 300 six with 265,000 on it sitting in my smashed up 77. Been thinking about overhauling it. I like the idea of a slightly larger motor with electronic ignition on it. The 240 gets much worse mileage than the 300 did. I could get 22-24 mpg on average out of the 77, this 65 seems to be getting maybe 15 mpg. It is geared a bit lower though. I have a nice set of cruiser gears in the 77 that might find their way into the 65. Otherwise maybe I'll finally try my gasification idea on this truck.

..............In the 1970's ford made some F100s or F150s(can't remember which) that had a 3 on the tree with an Overdrive unit , infact , there was a light duty and a heavy unit units available . They seem too be a rare bird and hard to find , IF at all . I'd love to have 300 cu. inch 6 banger with 4:10 gears with the overdrive unit ! You can also get a 4 Barrel manifold that was made for these 6 cylinder engines . , fordy

[HermitJohn]

The best overdrive tranny you can put behind one of these is the heavy duty 5spd offered on the 90s era 3/4 and 1 ton pickups. The light duty Mazda 5spd offered on the half tons not so good and if you ever go for the light duty they are well known for seal leaks, replace all the seals. And I think all the 3spd overdrive stuff was light duty and bit awkward to use. Thats why you dont find it often in good condition. The way to judge heavy duty is whether it was offered on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. I dont think the 3spd+overdrive ever was.

You want heavy duty at bargain price for half ton, get axle with 3.08 or close gearing and a 4spd with granny. Granny will get you moving even with a load and the axle ratio will keep rpms down. A T19 might even be better choice. It is a heavy duty 4spd, but 1st gear is a bit higher and fully synchronized so easier to use. Most common with the 6.9 non-turbo diesels but offered on the gas engines too. I have one in my F250 cause it came out of the factory as a diesel, but its quite nice with the big six and being my truck is 4wd, I can use the transfer case if I need creepy crawly super low gear.

I would probably get some disagreement on the Fordsix board, but frankly a 4bbl on one of these is stupid UNLESS you do the custom machine work to let the head breathe and take advantage of the extra flow. You also need more aggressive cam and a better exhaust manifold. This engine is basically a tractor engine and is designed to run low rpm and not flow that much air/fuel. A 4bbl is pointless unless you can use the extra flow that it provides. And that means running high rpm which is exactly what the big six was not designed to do.

The best use of the big six is to do whatever it takes to let it cruise at like 1800rpm where its torque curve peaks and take advantage of all that torque it developes at low rpms. If you want to drive at 3000+ rpm most of the time, you would be much happier with a 302 V8. It developes its peak torque up around 2700rpm and can breathe better to develope more horsepower at even higher rpms. The stock 300 pretty much just makes more noise over 3000rpm, not more power. Course at lower rpms, the big slow six will do its tractor imitation and outpull the 302 by a considerable amount. You want to match the 300's low rpm torque, you need the 302's big 351 brother. The extra displacement will let it match the 300 down low. But of course it is might thirstier.