OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Tip & Curb Side Finds Mustang 80 Series.

Even if the casting has some slight differences, it still holds up, even the VC-160 MKIII had differences in casting for both base and cowl depending on which line the cast was done.

No I was referring to crankcase.The crankcases are completely different.I had a look but couldn't see I will have to pull the cowl off to see.

Hmm...now you have me curious, perhaps a few photo's of these crankcase differences?

I sure can I forgot to take photos of when I had it apart,but I'll point out the different parts. As I have finished fixing and putting the bottom end together. I just have to hone the bore finish cleaning the head and piston and put it back together. I will take some photos to show you the different's. Also I still haven't looked at whether the green cowled one has the 70 or 80's style crankcase. I'll get it done some time this week. Pictures I mean.

OK I finally pulled my finger out of my bum and did the work that was needed to be done.
This was the result:





You can also see first one here,

and second one here,

Now it appears that I could have been right with what I was saying that the one with the green cowl was the model that came after the last VC-Mustang.Which would have ran from 1978 - 1980.When the white cowl which was marked as a series 80 from 1980 to 1982 until this mustang cam out.Like this one on eBay at the moment.


I hopefully can show you some documents to prove this theory however the date's will be a little harder,but I'm on the job and looking for this information.
It's not really my era but I still would like to know.
If anybody has some information about this please add to this topic.

OK just to show you how I do believe that the green cowled version was from 1978 to 1980 and the white cowled Mustang followed in 1980.
Here is the green cowled one from a 1978 sales brochure.

Here is the one with a white cowl in a series 80's sales brochure.It was on eBay but unfortunately I forgot to bid on it (so I missed out),but as you can see it is from a series 80 brochure.

It's not the greatest picture but you can see that the cowl isn't the same colour as the base or catcher.
OH yes thanks Bruce for fixing up the YouTube links as well.

That series 80 brochure would be from somewhere mid 1979 to mid 1980, as mid 1980 saw the introduction of the actual series 80 engine (side starter) I think this was around October.

So yours would be the second series (Or version) of the Mustang after the VC was dropped from the range.Now without knowing your engine number it would be a little harder to date.However if it was to be the same as mine,mine was build in 1979 but wasn't sold until 1980 as the new Series 80's range.
Not to sure about your carby cap it could have been changed or it may well be the original as they did change to that style during the 1980's.
It is know as a full crank as they are using a full crank.
Crank is like the one pictured here.I guess there called a full crank as where the conrod connects there is a balance weight top and bottom and the top connects to the flyweel and the bottom connects to the cutting disc.

A powertoroque engine does not have that,are not know as full crank engines.Sorry don't have a picture of that.
Engine number is on the bottom part of the crankcase opposite of the cylinder,like this.

Post your engine number up if you like and I'll try and date it for you.
Here is some other pictures of what the engine looks like.

Couldn't fathom the reason to drop the balance weights unless to cut costs...

Well I guess Bert it was and it was a complete different design of engine altogether.

Yeah the engine is a lot smaller. So I guess there was no need to cater for balance weights spinning around so the crank case got much smaller.

How did the overcome the lack of balance weights?

Did the use a weighted flywheel/cutting disc?

Mine still vibrates but the newer ones would be like an earthquake in comparison...

Well I guess they just used lighter metals and seeing as there wasn't to much un-balancing.You would find that when the piston is at TDC the weight on the crank is it it's furthest away point therefore keeping it more balanced,so there really wasn't too much unbalanced weight being thrown around.Then relied on the cutting disc,to take up what was left.My tilt-a-cut with it's power-torque engine has as balance weight under it to keep it in check.
I'm not a real fan of the power-torque but who ever deigned it did seem to do their homework on it.

Ok, I'm showing my ignorance but how does the crank bearings get lubricated if the oil is only in the fuel mix?

Or have I never changed the crank case oil in 30+ years...

No Bert that is a great question and if you'd never looked at it before and or told you'd never know.
The best way really to explain is via a scan of a document I have here.

Thanks, well that just answered a life long question!

Castrol GTX has been a good choice even tho I never realised the significance.