Six-Cylinder Performance Guide

From '60 to '64, Ford sixes had mechanical, adjustable lifters, withcup-style pushrods and an adjustment screw in the rocker arms. Duringthe '64 model year, Ford went to hydraulic lifters in the sixes, whichchanged the way the valvetrain looked and functioned. These areball-style pushrods designed to mate with nonadjustable, shaft-mountedrocker arms. Simply tighten the rocker-arm assembly and forget it.

Jack Clifford's Performance Products makes it possible to step up totwo-barrel carburetion thanks to these carburetor adaptors, which makeit possible to run the Autolite 2100 or 2150 two-barrel carburetors, asone example, on a 170/200/250ci six. You can run a Holley two-barrel aswell. Weber carburetion is also available from Clifford, but it doesn'tcome cheap.

We like this finned, cast-aluminum valve cover from Jack Clifford'sPerformance Products. It quiets the valvetrain with thick cast aluminum.It may also be stripped and polished, or powdercoated in your favoritecolor. Chromed steel valve covers are available from JMC Motorsports forFord six-cylinder applications.

To stabilize valve operation, shaft-mounted roller rocker arms areavailable from Jack Clifford's Performance Products for the 144, 170,200, and 250ci sixes.

(above & right) One affordable modification from Jack Clifford is this high-quality,ceramic-coated header, a dual-exhaust version that fits well in aMustang engine compartment. It has heavy-duty flanges and thick exhaustgaskets to ensure quiet operation. The ceramic coating keeps heat insidewhere it belongs.

Jack Clifford's Performance Products has all of the goods for valvetrainperformance. We suggest ordering your camshaft and valvetrain as asingle, compatible kit. Double-roller timing sets are only necessary forhigh rpm. A stock timing set, with steel gears, works well for streetuse. It is recommended that you choose a camshaft with between 260 and270 degrees of duration, with no greater than .420 inch of valve lift.The Ford Falcon Six Cylinder Performance Handbook has more camshaftselection information available.

Here is Jack Clifford's single exhaust header, which tends to buzz likea six. If you opt for dual exhaust and Flowmaster mufflers, it'll behard to tell your six from a V-8 at the tailpipe. Would you believe theblack coating is ceramic?

Check out this Hillborn injection setup from the early '60s for Fordsixes. Special attention is required here. It's not a simple bolt-on,but rather for race only.