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And just when you thought this would go well, got the rad out (through the bottom) drained oil and got rid of all the fluids, start on the engine, cracked the plugs 1/8th sprayed carb cleaner over night went in today and sprayed lubby lube and removed the valve covers, good thing I bought cams, right side has marks on a few lobes. took the bore scope down to look at the timing tensioners so far I may not have to do recovery there but thanks to a very good article by a talented person on this site chains and tensioners are getting done. then to the plugs left bank, not going as planed and notice anything missing....... Rad out and starting Right cam Something is missing and still in one piece in the engine, quit for the day If you take the ferry across the river from Dawson City just up the road is a campground, you go to the end park and walk up river. you will find three stern wheelers brought up for winter and never left, they are slowly going back to nature Engine room
Well happy March everyone,
Now that the spark plugs are out and I have all the tools to remove anything broken we can start on the engine, so tried the damper and that was fun as all my 3 jaw pullers are too big its off and as a trained professional I did what I was always taught not to do and as I am not reusing the damper it did not matter, steering pump off and water pump and pulleys. I was going to start on the timing and cams then realized I have things on order about a month out and the valve covers are in being powder coated so lets do exhaust.
Right, raised the engine, off with mounts and and brackets, I did find the plastic caps off on bottom of both engine mounts and will be interested if that was the noise I could here in the front end when we hit a bump. I sprayed the exhaust nuts and let them sit a day before pulling the exhaust right side nuts and studs came off with no real issues drivers side was a bit of a *****, pulled the torch out for the rear lower nut and it came off all but three studs came off double nutted and two more off, rear lower even heated and cooled with torch's and air but would not release so instead of breaking it in the head I put a nut on the end measured depth and clearance with the headed and zip wheeled the end of the stud to fit. My sweetie gave me permission to spend Sunday with the Mustang so I figured easy, engine will be back on the mounts with time to spare. well right side was done three times install gasket oriented the correct way from the top two cap screws and fit header, bolt up and go to the drivers side, fit gasket and try and install. please understand that one I have done headers many manty times and on big block 60's Fords, and that I did read the instructions but.... wont fit, oh look dipstick, now to remove said dipstick (for one hour) as it was seized in the block, I got it out in one piece which was why I was trying not to remove it in the first place, ok so now it will go in right? nope, exhaust studs one on each side of the steering shaft, so undo the lower bolt and try and slide the steering shaft out of the joint and its not sliding, half hour later its up and out of the way. in goes the header both hands are leaking and I bolt it back up. go double check the passenger side and look.......the flipping gasket is up side down, quickly remove said header, flip gasket (um from the top again as I am in a rush) reinstall loosely tighten top go under the car and yup you guessed it its still upside down. well, its now in and correct. and a few beverages were consumed. yesterday installed the new mounts and freshly painted brackets. So kinda have a question to anyone how much header to steering shaft clearance can you get a way with, installed my new aftermarket mounts which I really like, tried to do a full 1/2" drop to the engine but it hit the steering shaft so went for the 1/4" drop and I have maybe 3/16 or better clearance, as these are a more solid mount I left it there, I am not sure what future mods will take place so I wanted the engine as low as possible then when I set driveline angle I don't have to re adjust. So, next is clean grounds and power connections and install the starter, driveline angle and then exhaust. before the engine. out with the old in with the new Drivers side front Picture of the day
Good day all, the weekend down and we are a little further ahead,
As this is the performance side guess I should carry on with the upgrades, exhaust is done BBK headers, Magniflow Catted H pipe and Flowmaster FX mufflers are in, I had a bit of a time getting everything lined up and not hitting on the body but its done and on to the engine.
Engine was tore down as far as I wanted to go for now, intake, Cams, Lifters, Timing set and oil pump, Issues found were cam journals had some big pieces of dirt go through them and I had to polish a bit to remove the ridges, Ford Hot rod cams are now installed with the new lifters. Now way back I suspected a lifter noise and was going to change them out but thanks to Houtex write up and colorful experience on the timing set, I purchased the complete kit and decided while I was in there I may do it as well, good thing as not only did the right side cam tensioner have a blown gasket but so did the left, and it had started to mark up the Crank ring, so I believe what I thought was a lifter noise was the timing set. while I was at it I changed out the oil pump to a HV pump as well, suction pipe was a real joy to do with the pan on and may have been the worst part of the job. About as far as I am going. Old cams were really marked up by dirt DS tensioner PS tensioner failed Gskt. All the parts removed. Shiny stuff to go on.
Should have most of this done this week till I run out of parts and have to wait till they show up.
Another week down, weather is improving and I have almost run out of parts, last of what I need to finish is still on order and some since December but towards the end of the week a little more should be here. I did do the Stainless Hyd. line to the clutch with #1 son and that was a royal pain but its in and I believe not leaking. going to do some fabrications this week to stiffen the chin spoiler and mount a License plate bracket as well some interior work. but for now. Ready for valve covers and a manifold Ya, not going back together just yet.
thank you Houtex, valve covers are at the Powder coater, Intake is on the way but the gauges I ordered are on back order and I still need to figure out what tuner to get. Then Vroom, good weather and some nice break in drives.
The idler pulleys are silver horse racing and I got them at American Muscle you get all 4 pulley's they feel alot better than the stock ones, only issue I had is the snap ring eyes interfered with the washers on the capscrews so I used the bench grinder and did a tapered undercut on the washers now they fit great. The Crank and waterpump kit is SR Performance and I got them at the same place, the Damper looks to be really nice, looking forward to running it and see what difference it makes.
Morning all,
Well as the weather is supposed to start changing, this winters repairs and upgrades might start to slow, as I was putting the engine together I saw a good deal on a Sniper intake and decided I really needed it so purchased and waited 15 days. it showed up Friday at 4:30 and man this was just going to complete the look of the engine.....then I opened the box so, as you see below, cant get one till July now they say guess next season, Aluminum Rad and hoses will be months end and I am waiting on gauges so hopefully as the weather picks up I will be ready, 2 years since she has been on the road, will get the alignment and angles checked and adjusted, body shop to finish up then well thinking she need to get out and stretch her legs. Ordering the tuner today, resealing the injectors and clean up the wiring and loom. Below is as of Saturday. As you can see the stock plenum is back on, Look the hole is in the wrong location, label on the box was wrong, was packaged from Holley incorrectly Had to reinstall the stock intake so cleaned it up baffles were a mess and one side was sticking actually had particles on them.
Thank you and yes, I actually was a bit excited, thought all that nice polished intake with the painted engine. might not go fast but we would be looking good regardless, oh well, mods for next year the list is getting bigger.
Wellllll, Sunday she turned over and ran. I let her smoke and burn off all the oil and assembly lube for about half an hour, had not put the tune in but still she was on blocks.
then came yesterday, down set the caster good enough to get me to the alignment shop on Friday for a full suspension go over, the 1.5" drop makes it hard now to get a jack under her. The video was to large to send but she sounds really nice, just like my old 67 Cougar big block maybe even better. Insurance tomorrow, alignment Friday, test drive and change out the oil on the weekend then back to the bodyshop to finish with some things I am not happy with, then start buying for next winter. Then on to the boat for spring makeover and in the water.... First day in the sun Pay all that for an Aluminum rad and you cant even see it. Next project Last project Too many projects
Low profile jacks are godsends for lowered vehicles.. Here's the low profile jack I have for my lowered "06" GT.. 1.3" lowered front, 1.5" lowered rear..
Thanks, I bought one from Canadian Tire might not be as low as yours,3.5" collapsed I believe. Thinking of getting one of the portable car hoists. That way oil changes and just getting under the car will be easier. Haven't seen one in use yet but through Costco or Canadian Tire they are a reasonable price, I can also keep her off the tires over winter as well.
Thanks, I bought one from Canadian Tire might not be as low as yours,3.5" collapsed I believe. Thinking of getting one of the portable car hoists. That way oil changes and just getting under the car will be easier. Haven't seen one in use yet but through Costco or Canadian Tire they are a reasonable price, I can also keep her off the tires over winter as well.
As long as the one you bought from Canadian Tire is low enough to place underneath your car? that's all that really matters. I've also thought about looking into one of those portable car hoists for the very same reasons you brought up as well. I've actually seen one in use, as a car buddy of mine has one in his garage and it functions just as well as commercial hoists at car dealerships and vehicle repair shops. If your garage has the required clearance? I would definitely consider looking into purchasing a portable car hoist if they can in fact be had at a reasonable price
I have the clearance, was going to find an old 4 post hoist but they do not come up so often, the portable can be put in a corner till needed and its 3" collapsed, i am going to see this weekend about getting one.
2/18/21, 06:04 PM
install gasket oriented the correct way from the top two cap screws and fit header, bolt up and go to the drivers side, fit gasket and try and install. please understand that one I have done headers many manty times and on big block 60's Fords, and that I did read the instructions but.... wont fit, oh look dipstick, now to remove said dipstick (for one hour) as it was seized in the block, I got it out in one piece which was why I was trying not to remove it in the first place, ok so now it will go in right? nope, exhaust studs one on each side of the steering shaft, so undo the lower bolt and try and slide the steering shaft out of the joint and its not sliding, half hour later its up and out of the way. in goes the header both hands are leaking and I bolt it back up. go double check the passenger side and look.......the flipping gasket is up side down, quickly remove said header, flip gasket (um from the top again as I am in a rush) reinstall loosely tighten top go under the car and yup you guessed it its still upside down. well, its now in and correct. and a few beverages were consumed. yesterday installed the new mounts and freshly painted brackets. So kinda have a question to anyone how much header to steering shaft clearance can you get a way with, installed my new aftermarket mounts which I really like, tried to do a full 1/2" drop to the engine but it hit the steering shaft so went for the 1/4" drop and I have maybe 3/16 or better clearance, as these are a more solid mount I left it there, I am not sure what future mods will take place so I wanted the engine as low as possible then when I set driveline angle I don't have to re adjust. So, next is clean grounds and power connections and install the starter, driveline angle and then exhaust. before the engine.
Asking for a friend. Yeah, that's it. 
so, as you see below, cant get one till July now they say guess next season, Aluminum Rad and hoses will be months end and I am waiting on gauges so hopefully as the weather picks up I will be ready, 2 years since she has been on the road, will get the alignment and angles checked and adjusted, body shop to finish up then well thinking she need to get out and stretch her legs. Ordering the tuner today, resealing the injectors and clean up the wiring and loom. Below is as of Saturday.
