Lean MachineI have a '65 Falcon Ranchero with a warmed 289, C4, and an 8-inch rearend. I have upgraded the front to Granada disc brakes, but cornering is less than desirable both in the front and rear. The front has a sway bar (stock Falcon V-8) and the rear has stock leaf springs. I replaced the shocks, but it didn't seem to make a difference. What can I do to reduce the amount of "lean" when turning corners?Bob LudwigOverland Park, KS
Body roll, or lean, is also often referred to as sway, and is countered by-you guessed it-an antisway bar. You mentioned that the Ranchero already has one in front, but it's probably about as big around as your pinky. Ford was pretty stingy with sway bars in the '60s, and when they were used, they were usually so small that they had a minimal effect. We've had success with aftermarket bars on '60s and early '70s Fords, seeing dramatic improvements in some cases. Addco makes antisway bars for seemingly everything with an engine and four wheels, and many of its products are marketed through specialty vendors as well. Since the Falcon is narrower than its sibling, the Mustang, the bars selected should be specifically designed for the Falcon.
You said you replaced the shocks, but you didn't say what type they were. If you're running air shocks in the rear, as is common on car/truck hybrids like the Ranchero, you may be experiencing another problem. Often, the T-fittings used to plumb the air lines for air shocks malfunction and allow the air chambers of the two shocks to be linked. If this is the case, during cornering, the body roll compresses the shock on the outside, forcing air from it to transfer to the shock on the inside, which then extends that shock to create exaggerated body lean. If you have air shocks, plumb each separately and use a tire pressure gauge to fill them evenly.
Pudding SkinnerI own a '95 Chevy 4x4 fullsize pickup with a 5.0L V-8, four-speed overdrive automatic trans, and TBI induction system. This combo hasn't got the power to pull the skin off rice pudding! I intend to swap out the engine with a late-model 350ci Vortec-head engine or put in my 400ci early-model engine. I would like to keep the EFI, so as not to blow the budget. What problems lie ahead?Bob RedmondMarshfield, MO
You could use the 400, but that would require a new flywheel, as early engines with two-piece rear-main seals have a different crankshaft-mounting flange. Also, the 400 is externally balanced, requiring a specifically weighted flywheel. For these reasons, let's look at using a late-model 350. This swap would be relatively straightforward, and the power gains should be significant if spec'd right.
Using Vortec heads is an excellent idea, as they're cheap, efficient, and offer substantial performance gains over conventional factory heads. The only obstacle here is that your existing intake manifold will not bolt up to the Vortec heads. Vortecs use a unique intake bolt pattern not found on other Chevy cylinder heads. The intake bolts go straight down through the manifold, meeting the cylinder-head mounting surface at an angle, somewhat like the arrangement used on Ford small-block V-8s. Some machinists have devised ways of re-drilling Vortec heads to accept conventional Chevy intakes, but this will result in a port mismatch that will diminish the power potential of the head swap.
Fortunately, GM Performance has recently introduced an aluminum intake manifold for TBI systems that mates with Vortec heads. The manifold (PN 12496821) is a street-performance-oriented dual-plane type designed with light-truck use in mind. Your existing throttle body and associated components will bolt up, but some recalibrating should be done since these pieces were intended for a 305. Since Chevy offered the TBI system on 350ci engines from the factory, fitting the throttle body with the larger 61-lb/hr injectors used in 350 applications (305s use 55-lb/hr units) and the corresponding PROM chip would likely get you dialed pretty close. However, to maximize the potential of this combination, you might consider consulting with Turbo City in Orange, California, which specializes in performance-tuning GM TBI systems. Turbo City can burn a custom chip for your combination and can also offer some guidance in selecting a camshaft for the new engine. As a general guideline, the cam selected should not have excessive overlap, and if using stock Vortec heads, lift should be kept under 0.480 inch. If a higher-lift cam were to be used, the valveguides in the heads would have to be machined for extra retainer clearance-a simple procedure for a qualified machine shop.