1963 M Code Engine Dyno Results

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Mheiron
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1963 M Code Engine Dyno Results

Post by Mheiron »

Thought this might be interesting to the forum.

I paused before I just stuck this motor back in the car after re-build and restoration.

I had it dyno tested yesterday to break in the cam and check for leaks or problems.

The motor is as stock as I could get it to be. Its a C3AE-6015H block. It has numbers correct heads (6090-C's), carbs and an M-code spec cam.

The motor made 400 ft-lbs of torque at 3400-rpm. Which seems great to me.

HP is derived from torque I learned and it maxed at 287-hp from 4200-4500 rpm

Above 4700-rpm the motor performance fell way off and this is probably accounted for by stock valve springs. I'm not concerned as this should be the last time the motor ever sees rpm that high.

The 6V carburetors seemed to perform flawlessly. Very smooth fuel delivery.

The books state this 6V motor should have made 340-hp so its kind of interesting. I'm unconcerned as the motor will never be raced but seems to perform brilliantly in the range of normal driving conditions.

The engine dyno is at Westside Performance in Houston, Texas. These guys have been around since 1989 and did a great job.

Comments or thoughts are welcomed of course.

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Mark H.
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1963 M-code Hard Top - Being restored
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Mheiron
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Re: 1963 M Code Engine Dyno Results

Post by Mheiron »

Should of mentioned we started with 6 degrees of timing and ended up at 12-deg which made the most power.
Mark H.
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Alan H. Tast
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Re: 1963 M Code Engine Dyno Results

Post by Alan H. Tast »

Good info to know. For comparison I should take my Z-code hardtop with C1AE-E heads, tripower and RV cam to a dyno shop and check it out. Then again, I may not like the results...
Alan H. Tast, AIA
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Aaron65
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Re: 1963 M Code Engine Dyno Results

Post by Aaron65 »

I'd say those are good numbers. Judging by the trap speeds in a lot of those old road tests, I'd say the marketing department had more to do with rated horsepower than the engineering department did back then.
1963 T-Bird Hardtop
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RedBird64
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Re: 1963 M Code Engine Dyno Results

Post by RedBird64 »

I think those are very good numbers - congrats!
1964 Coupe Wimbledon white/Rangoon Red w/black int. Owned for 42 years. It was my folks car before that (second owners). VTCI # 12013.
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Jim Wulf
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Re: 1963 M Code Engine Dyno Results

Post by Jim Wulf »

Mheiron wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:28 pm Thought this might be interesting to the forum.

I paused before I just stuck this motor back in the car after re-build and restoration.

I had it dyno tested yesterday to break in the cam and check for leaks or problems.

The motor is as stock as I could get it to be. Its a C3AE-6015H block. It has numbers correct heads (6090-C's), carbs and an M-code spec cam.

The motor made 400 ft-lbs of torque at 3400-rpm. Which seems great to me.
Mark,
You may already be aware of this, but the 6090-C heads are actually not the correct heads for a 6V Thunderbird 390. The only correct head for the 62-63 Thunderbird M Codes is a 6090-A and the "A" is actually stamped into the head, not embossed/cast as is found in the "B" and "C" heads which were installed on 406 motors. Note the differences in the combustion chamber sizes of the various heads. VTCI member and 62 M Code SR owner Joe Arotta and I have researched this thoroughly in the past couple of months and have come to the above conclusions based on research of available literature, conversations with acknowledged FE motor experts, and observations of known original M Code motors. Here's a chart that accurately outlines the applications for the variously numbered C2SE-6090 heads. We're in the process of putting together an article for The Scoop with our findings.
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Jim W, VTCI 1961-1963 Technical Editor
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ornithology
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Re: 1963 M Code Engine Dyno Results

Post by ornithology »

great to see some real numbers - thanks!
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