The FE manual transmission bellhousing that I am currently using on my 59, is the early, long starter version, with only the narrow transmission pattern. What has me confused, is the casting number, as it does not have either the 3 letter "Exx" style prefix that was used in 58 and earlier, the "575" "boxcar" numbering that most of my original 59 engine parts had, or the later, and still in us "B9" C0" "D1" code. The casting number is CAK 6394 C, which doesn`t match any Ford casting system that I am familiar with, and a casting date of 0K4, which is October 4th 1960, for for a 1961 model year vehicle. Anybody familiar with that CAK designation? Thanks.

I have been running factory Duraspark ignitions for decades, both factory installed, and as a conversion from points. On my FE powered Fairmont drag car, I ran a recurved junkyard Duraspark for over 30 years, with a MSD 6T ignition box, and on my 74 F350, I added another junkyard Duraspark with a factory blue Duraspark ignition module, and in over 25 years, never had an issue with either. Currently, I have a 428 CJ in my 59 2 door sedan, with yet another (recurved) junkyard Duraspark distributor, along with a factory Duraspark blue module. I have been driving the car for about 5000 miles over the past 3 years, and all seemed fine. However, last weekend, a racing buddy from 4000 miles away, came for a visit, so I let him run my 59 at our local dragstrip, while I ran my Fairmont. This was the first time racing the 59, with the fresh 428, and it seemed kinda weak, and he said that above 4500 RPM, it seemed kinda lazy. (on the dyno, pear HP was at 5400). It wasn`t misfiring, just didn`t pull as well as I thought it should. Anyhow, as an experiment, I bypassed the 59s factory firewall mounted external ballast resistor (no idea of the amount of resistance), and ran full 12 volts to the ignition. Next pass, the car picked up 4 tenths of a second, and he said it ran much stronger, so we left the resistor bypassed, and made several more 1/4 mile passes, and then drove it home, and I have been driving it some since seems fine.  However, after doing some googling, I am seeing conflicting information. I have seen some opinions where they say to run 12 volts, other say it needs a resistance of 1.10 ohms, some say 0.7 ohms. Just wondering if anybody actually knows for certain. I have heard that there was "Duraspark 1", and "Duraspark 2" versions, supposedly the small cap models were the 1, and the large 2 piece cap were the 2. Since the only FEs with factory Durasparks, were used on 75 and 76 trucks, and all those that I have seen had the small cap, I ASSume the truck FEs were all Duraspark 1. So... to make a long story a bit shorter, I am wondering if running 12 volts will be detrimental to a long life of my ignition, or if I need to run a certain amount of resistance. The engine runs stronger at 12 volts, but don`t want to fry anything, as 2 hour drives to various car meets is not uncommon. I have heard that later (60s-70s Fords) used a pink resistance wire, at least on a points application, but no idea what factory Duraspark vehicles used.

I currently have the 428 from my 59 all apart, and since the Toploader 4 speed is also out, considering something better on the freeway. My normal rear is a 31 spline Detroit Locker, which I want to retain. Since many of the events around here require at least an hour or more of freeway speeds, I want to have something with overdrive. I am mostly considering either a new Tremec TKX 5 speed, or adding a Gear Vendors overdrive unit to my existing toploader , which is a small spline wide ratio unit. Both the TKX and GV are pretty close in price, although the TKX will require an adapter spacer to use my factory bellhousing, plus a new clutch disc, and possibly a different shifter to avoid cutting a different hole in the tunnel, and a new carpet set, as well as modifying the trans crossmember and mount, and possibly the floor/tunnel to make it fit. I also want to keep my factory mechanical clutch linkage. Has anybody actually install a TKX in their FE powered vehicle, and have some real life driving impressions, and advice on what needed to be modified to fit in an older car.
Also interested in hearing any similar impressions about a Gear Vendors unit, for fitment and function. The car is mainly a street car, but will see dragstrip duty, with slicks, at least twice a year.
Perceived pluses for the TKX is a brand new transmission, likely a bit lighter, plus the Toploader could be sold to help offset the cost of the TKX, or used in another car, but having heard how other Tremecs don`t like full throttle power shifting at the track is a concern, as is concern over shifter position, possible floor cutting, trans mount fitment, and the need for a new clutch, or at least, a new disc.
I love the way my Toploader shifts, how the Hurst Super Shifter looks , plus I already have it, and it works well. But I have to wonder if the Gear Vendor will require tunnel/floor surgery, if the extra length behind the trans crossmember will cause issues with driveshaft /pinion angle issues, and require modifying my existing exhaust system to make it fit. Anybody have any thoughts on either, or both scenarios?

I have the 428 from my 59 torn down, it is standard bore, cylinders are still standard bore, measure straight, but have shadows at the top from ring ridge. Anyhow, figure that it`s time to bore it, and a buddy that did my machine work back when I lived in BC, has been using pistons from DSS, and he likes them. This is mainly a street cruiser, that sees the dragstrip once or twice a year, on pump gas, (91 is the highest octane available here), so I want to drop the compression a little, hopefully 9 1/2- 10.0-1, and DSS shows a .018" dish, plus valve notches, their chart shows 10.20-1 with a 65cc chamber, and 9.54 with a 72 cc chamber, so they should be pretty close with my TFS heads.  They have a 1/16"/1/16"/3/16" ring set, just wondering if anybody has any experience with DSS ? Also, they offer these pistons in 2 alloys, 4032 or 5023, not sure which would be preferable for my application, which has a mild solid flat tappet cam, and will likely never see 6000 RPM. Thanks.

Just wondering how many of you guys are using air fuel ratio gauges for checking and tuning your engines. I am considering buying one, as with modern gasoline and ignition systems, not having much luck getting the spark plugs to show much color. Is anybody aware of a gauge that doesn`t require cutting and welding the headers, similar to how emission testing equipment has a long probe that slides into the tailpipes, with a temporary gauge install, as I would like to use such a gauge to get the jetting good, but don`t really want to permanently mount  a gauge inside the car, plus it would be portable, to go from one car to the other. The headers on my 347 SB Ford, already have a welded O2 sensor bung welded onto 1 header tube on each side, for use on a 5.0 EFI car, but not really wanting to modify my coated FPA headers on the 59. As for the gauge kit, any recommendations, for or against any particular brands or style (digital vs a needle or lights.) Since the Fairmont runs leaded gas, I understand that will cause problems with the O2 sensors life, so ideally, I would like to get the 59s 428 dialed in first. Thanks.

I just pulled the 428 CJ out of my 59, which I have been running for almost 1 1/2 years now, a bit over 3000 miles. I have a Toploader 4 speed that was originally from a 1966 Fairlane with a 289, using a bellhousing from a 1961 Ford car, and the later style 184 tooth flywheel and starter. I know that some guys say that the longer tip of the SB input shaft would bottom out in the crankshaft, and the tip needed to be cut down, or a deeper bellhousing from a PU truck would be needed. At first I did try a C5T truck bellhousing, but that located the clutch fork about 1 1/2" lower than the car bellhousing, causing problems with the factory clutch linkage, so I went with the 61 car bell. Now, when I was first doing this, I did a rough measurement, and found that the SB trans would fit just fine with no modifications, so I put it all together. Now, 3000 miles later, I pulled the engine and trans, as I have a cylinder head issue, as well as need to upgrade my clutch. Anyhow, since I have everything out, I decided to check over the pilot bushing, trans input, and crankshaft hole to just see how much room there really is. What I found is, that from the back of the pilot bushing, to the bottom of the crank hole, is 1.49", at the center, and 1.37" at the outside edges of the hole. On the SB Toploader input shaft, the tip is 1.14" from the end of the tip to the beginning of the splines, which means, that even if the splines were to actually be touching the pilot bushing,(which they do not), there is still about 1/4" of space between the tip of the input and the bottom of the pilot bushing hole. I also measured the mark on my SB input shaft to see how far into the pilot bushing the tip actually went inside, in my case, it was .096", so in reality, I had over .400" of room between the tip and the bottom of the crankshaft hole. Now, it is probably still best to check there measurements on your own combination, but in my case, the pilot hole in my 1UB 428CJ crank has plenty of room to accept a small block input shaft without trimming the tip down, using an early FE (narrow pattern) car bellhousing. Your results may vary.
Oh, by the way, much like the discussion about the input shaft tips, the flat tappet cam and lifter " fiasco" is also not written in stone either. I inspected each of my plain old dumb bell flat tappet lifters (no fancy coatings, drilled oil feed holes, pre-broke in on a machine etc), and they all still look like brand new. So, it seems that not every new flat tappet cam "goes away" during or shortly after break in, if the correct steps are taken. This engine was assembled 5 or 6 years ago, broke in on an engine dyno, and then sat for a few years until I finally got my 59 on the road in the summer on 2020, and drove it over 3000 miles.

I am looking at buying an Innovate wide band air fuel ratio gauge, just wondering if anybody here as much experience with these. Looking at using it more as a carb tuning tool, than something I plan to install permanently, as I would like to use it to dial in both the 428 CJ in my 59 (unleaded premium pump gas), as well as the Fairmont, which usually burns VP C12 leaded race gas. I understand the leaded fuel will eventually foul the O2 sensor, so I would prefer to use it on the 59 first, just wondering where I should weld a bung into the exhaust system. The 59 has FPA shorty/mid length headers, I have heard of some guys just drilling a hole for the O2 sensor close to the tailpipe outlet, but I know when working at Toyota, the factory tended to put O2 sensors quite close to the cylinder head, some only a few inches from the exhaust ports in the exhaust manifold, others still usually less than 2 feet from the head(s). As for the Fairmont, which currently has a 347 SB Ford in it, the headers are long tube FlowTechs, which have a bung already welded into one primary tube on each bank, just ahead of the collectors. I run no mufflers or pipes on the Fairmont, just a short turn down, to mainly divert exhaust fumes from wafting into the car thru the shifter hole. The 59 has a full 2 1/2" exhaust system all the way to behind the rear tires. Anybody know how long it takes for the leaded gas to foul the O2 sensor, and once fouled, is it junk, or is it possible to clean it ? (Carb cleaner?)