'71 Thunderjet questions.....

Just added a 750 edelbrock and a Weiand Stealth high rise intake to my '71 429. I've also added long tube headers and soon to add electronic ignition conversion kit, probably Pertronix, use them now in my FE no complaints.
429 is in a '65 F100 with auto trans.
Any special tuning I need to do converting a 2V engine to 4V?

I was told engine had been rebuilt and has flat top pistons. I did a compession check and it has 200-210lbs compesssion on all 8 cylinders.
Truck will be a weekend warrior work horse, hauling dogs, trash, yard waste......and Ass.

Thanks for any info.

Sounds like you have a pretty good engine there, with that much cranking compression. Be carefull to listen for any kind of detonation, and run some pretty decent gas in it.

schmitty wrote:Sounds like you have a pretty good engine there, with that much cranking compression. Be carefull to listen for any kind of detonation, and run some pretty decent gas in it.

Oh I plan on it, 93 plus octane boost. This is my 3rd time owning a 429 and I had a 460 a few years ago. I know all about detonation. Funny thing is with today's gas prices you can't say you've been running cheap gas.

Stone cold: How did this Thunderjet engine wind up with a 2 barrel on it, weren't the Thunderjets all 4 barrel?

Wayne (SAWDOFF) Pearce

Wayne Pearce wrote:Stone cold: How did this Thunderjet engine wind up with a 2 barrel on it, weren't the Thunderjets all 4 barrel?

Wayne (SAWDOFF) Pearce

Their where 2V ones.... Not a whole lot of them around.

Wayne Pearce wrote:Stone cold: How did this Thunderjet engine wind up with a 2 barrel on it, weren't the Thunderjets all 4 barrel?

Wayne (SAWDOFF) Pearce

I just assumed all the 429s from that era were thunderjets even with the 2V. Did some research and some say only the 4V ones were TJs. Only difference being 10.5 to 1 compression for the 2V and 11 to 1 for the 4V. It is a 71 model. Last year for the high compression and it does have the DOVE heads and now a big 4V so I'm calling it a ThunderJet with a capitol T.

Motor was in a '71 F250 I gave $900 for and drove home. Man I bought it from had a wicked 38 altered Anglia drag car and said he had plans on putting a blower on the 429 for it but decided to sell the whole truck. Glad he did.
Anyways don't know what the 429 was originally in.

Wayne Pearce wrote:Stone cold: How did this Thunderjet engine wind up with a 2 barrel on it, weren't the Thunderjets all 4 barrel?

Wayne (SAWDOFF) Pearce

All 429 longblocks over the era were the same, at least all of those 2-barrel engines that I've dismantled were the exact same longblocks as the 4-barrels. Regardless of what they say about compression ratio for any given year the pistons were all flat tops and the heads were all the same as well, 2 barrel carb or 4 barrel carb.

The 429 4 barrels were standard in the T-Birds and called the Thunderjet. In other cars, such as the Country Squire wagons and LTD's they were 2 barrel 429 engines.

Paul

I learn something new every day, thank you.

Wayne

The 1970 LTD with the 2V carb. , that may dad owned , required premium fuel. I think Ford just changed the carb. and manifold.

"The 429 4 barrels were standard in the T-Birds and called the Thunderjet. In other cars, such as the Country Squire wagons and LTD's they were 2 barrel 429 engines."
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An option ?

Lem Evans wrote:An option ?

You should know. Yeah, every 1969 Country Squire I saw over the years had an FE in it, the biggest being the 390. LTDs, too.

Then in 1990, a guy I know showed up with a 1969 Country Sqiure with a "429" badge on the front fender. First one I ever saw. Then he bought a '28 Model A. Suddenly I hated that guy.

So I would think that the 385 Series was an option in those models, indeed.

Paul

Paul Kane wrote:

Lem Evans wrote:An option ?

You should know. Yeah, every 1969 Country Squire I saw over the years had an FE in it, the biggest being the 390. LTDs, too.

Then in 1990, a guy I know showed up with a 1969 Country Sqiure with a "429" badge on the front fender. First one I ever saw. Then he bought a '28 Model A. Suddenly I hated that guy.

So I would think that the 385 Series was an option in those models, indeed.

Paul

Sure was my third car was a 69 Country Squire with a 429. One of my favorite cars that was wrecked, not my fault. I also had a 69 LTD that had a 429 that spun a bearing and since I was stupid I sent it too a junkyard, god I should shoot myself.

Working at a Lincoln Mercury dealer while in high school, I saw a TON of 429 2V engines in Mercury Montereys. The Park Lanes and Marauders mostly got the 4V.