Howdy all...

[L\Bronco]

All good advice and Negative, no valve checks. The thing was so sludged up it took a long time to gouge all the crud out of those areas. A bonna-fide 'quaker state motor'.
Filled a gallon jug up over halfway with the residue.
Comp. test was done dry/cold and i Always run the things 4-8 revs+ to make sure a cyl. builds all its going to.
Before I do yank the thing out, am going to drive it some to see if anything changes for the better. Some road time will tell for sure. Put some Rislone in the fresh oil to see if that will help any. Gotta get a muffler on the thing before any road test is done.
No leak-down equipment or Cleavies in the inventory here either.

If you want to help de sludge a bit, throw a couple quarts of ATF in with the engine oil, (you might have to drain a bit of oil first to make room)
Auto trans fluid is very high in detergents but still provides ****. Put a few hundred miles on it if you can, it works wonders.
Cheers

 

[Jimbo26]

If you want to help de sludge a bit, throw a couple quarts of ATF in with the engine oil, (you might have to drain a bit of oil first to make room)
Auto trans fluid is very high in detergents but still provides ****. Put a few hundred miles on it if you can, it works wonders.
Cheers

Hey there L,
Working that direction.
In the meantime, slowly pulling stuff together on the F4 block. A set of AFR's showed up today for that. After doing a test fit to see if there was any chance I could retain the stock valve covers- there goes that idea. The stockers are a no-go with this combination.
Any recommendations on what type of taller valve cover will fit in the limited space between that air plenum hanging down over the right side of everything?
Looks like around 1/2" will do the trick to clear the rockers.

 

[L\Bronco]

Hey there L,
Working that direction.
In the meantime, slowly pulling stuff together on the F4 block. A set of AFR's showed up today for that. After doing a test fit to see if there was any chance I could retain the stock valve covers- there goes that idea. The stockers are a no-go with this combination.
Any recommendations on what type of taller valve cover will fit in the limited space between that air plenum hanging down over the right side of everything?
Looks like around 1/2

Hey there L,
Working that direction.
In the meantime, slowly pulling stuff together on the F4 block. A set of AFR's showed up today for that. After doing a test fit to see if there was any chance I could retain the stock valve covers- there goes that idea. The stockers are a no-go with this combination.
Any recommendations on what type of taller valve cover will fit in the limited space between that air plenum hanging down over the right side of everything?
Looks like around 1/2" will do the trick to clear the rockers.

Ill go see what I have on my mustang in a bit, just packing up to head stateside tomorrow, 3 weeks of drag racing in Seattle and Boise.
I have rollers on my 69 and the covers arent really tall

 

[L\Bronco]

Ill go see what I have on my mustang in a bit, just packing up to head stateside tomorrow, 3 weeks of drag racing in Seattle and Boise.
I have rollers on my 69 and the covers arent really tall

Ok, mine are motorsport, black aluminum cobra covers. They are about 1/2-3/4” taller than the 91 5.8L stockers I have on the shelf.
I think Holley or almost any aluminum aftermarket cover will get your clearance. Emphasis on think!
For what its worth, the old stock covers from a carbureted 302/351w might clear too, they are a fair bit taller than those stumpy ones.
Not sure if theres a clearance issue on the sides of those though. (Something in a distant memory is whispering to me.) (Obviously that mistake didn’t cost enough, or I’d remember!)
Hope that helps,
Cheers

 

[goodO1boydws]

That side of the salvaged engine's block did clean up well, although I'd at least check for high/low spots and warp unless you plan to send it and the heads out for surfacing and a valve job, (and tanking from the looks of that one head) instead of mainly cleaning parts up, lapping the valves and installing new valve seals.

Pulling the locating dowels and running a large machined surface against the deck with abrasive paper or cloth in between, just long enough to establish a scratch pattern, would show you any high/low areas,
You could use the corresponding cyl head for this-and then check clearances with feeler gauges.
And then check the heads against each other the same way.

PS.
I'm a urban transplant, but I'd advise a smile when you say "hillbillys".
There's arguably a much higher % of hicks/hayseeds/hill folk/rurals with good wrench-turning and hands-on trades experience in general than you'll find in urban areas.....while lowlifes/fools/druggies/idiots are a different story-they're found in equal percentages everywhere.

 

[Jimbo26]

PS.
I'm a urban transplant, but I'd advise a smile when you say "hillbillys".
There's arguably a much higher % of hicks/hayseeds/hill folk/rurals with good wrench-turning and hands-on trades experience in general than you'll find in urban areas.....while lowlifes/fools/druggies/idiots are a different story-they're found in equal percentages everywhere.

hey, I'm just a average d uma$$ from Loozyanna- so is all the same to me. Have many life-long compadres there, as I went to HS up near Siloam springs. My sister & her folks live up there, she retired from teaching after 30 years- this was her last formal school year. 'Up yonder' has always been another 2nd home.
There are 'l/f/d's/idiots' in too many places anymore, real trouble is- they get to vote.
My main reason for getting this vehicle & all the investment is for a camping rig. I'm big on going to the Cossatot river or over around the Albert Pike area.
Hank Jr. said it best- a country boy can survive.

 

[goodO1boydws]

Git 'er done.

 

[Jimbo26]

Git 'er done.

Steady sneakin up on it.

 

[Jimbo26]

Rust- had to be a way to get at the stuff in the water jacket. (Even after a trip to the machine shop) These particular vintage 351s seem to be the worst seceptible to the rusty-mud monster.
After a little research- why not vinegar? Plugged the w.p. hole, filled the one side and left it alone to 'brew'.
I didn't quite expect this sort of
reaction.
Guess a good purge out with the water hose after this will get rid of the majority of it.

 

[Jimbo26]

Like somebody once said-
'Its a science experiment!'

 

[L\Bronco]

Like somebody once said-
'Its a science experiment!'

Now all you have to do is hit 88mph when shes done!

 

[goodO1boydws]

Rust- had to be a way to get at the stuff in the water jacket. (Even after a trip to the machine shop) These particular vintage 351s seem to be the worst seceptible to the rusty-mud monster.
After a little research- why not vinegar? Plugged the w.p. hole, filled the one side and left it alone to 'brew'.
I didn't quite expect this sort of
reaction.
Guess a good purge out with the water hose after this will get rid of the majority of it.

There are cylindrical narrow wire brushes about 9" OAL and longer available with twisted wire loop handles to use for cleaning blocks and heads water and oil passages. They usually come in a set of different diameters. Firearm brushes will work too, but those need extension handles.

After the vinegar and water hose blast, try Evaporust.
Leave it in, pour it out and filter it for reuse.

I hope that photo of the block was before it went to the machine shop....

 

[goodO1boydws]

Hey there L,
Working that direction.
In the meantime, slowly pulling stuff together on the F4 block. A set of AFR's showed up today for that. After doing a test fit to see if there was any chance I could retain the stock valve covers- there goes that idea. The stockers are a no-go with this combination.
Any recommendations on what type of taller valve cover will fit in the limited space between that air plenum hanging down over the right side of everything?
Looks like around 1/2" will do the trick to clear the rockers.

I missed the AFR heads post.
What's your budget on this engine project?

 

[Jimbo26]

I missed the AFR heads post.
What's your budget on this engine project?

I'm right up close to it now. When it's installed and running, I'll do the cyphering & let ya know. I left a bit of a open end of things j.i.c. as projects can sometimes go one way or another. Am sure you know the drill.
Anybody out there know when Ford went to Metric pistons? Sorta threw a monkey-wrench in things & have to back pedal on piston rings now.
While I agree that the metric system does make things much easier in many places, there are other areas where things should be left the hll alone!

 

[goodO1boydws]

I'm right up close to it now. When it's installed and running, I'll do the cyphering & let ya know. I left a bit of a open end of things j.i.c. as projects can sometimes go one way or another. Am sure you know the drill.
Anybody out there know when Ford went to Metric pistons? Sorta threw a monkey-wrench in things & have to back pedal on piston rings now.
While I agree that the metric system does make things much easier in many places, there are other areas where things should be left the hll alone!

Its the rings you mean, right?
This may help-he says 1996 is the first year.
The Summit parts links have the dimensions.

302 Pistons with 1.5mm Rings vs. 5/64" Rings - Interchangeable? - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Small Block V8 (221, 260, 289, 5.0/302, 5.8/351W) - 302 Pistons with 1.5mm Rings vs. 5/64" Rings - Interchangeable? - In 1996, Ford switched over to thinner metric piston rings 1.50mm x 1.50mm x 4.00mm (for lower friction?) for all 5.0 including F150 & my 1996 Explorer 5.0 which is going in my...

www.ford-trucks.com

 

[Jimbo26]

Its the rings you mean, right?
This may help-he says 1996 is the first year.
The Summit parts links have the dimensions.

302 Pistons with 1.5mm Rings vs. 5/64" Rings - Interchangeable? - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Small Block V8 (221, 260, 289, 5.0/302, 5.8/351W) - 302 Pistons with 1.5mm Rings vs. 5/64" Rings - Interchangeable? - In 1996, Ford switched over to thinner metric piston rings 1.50mm x 1.50mm x 4.00mm (for lower friction?) for all 5.0 including F150 & my 1996 Explorer 5.0 which is going in my...

www.ford-trucks.com

Affirmative.
Understood, thx Boyd.
This helps to solve one of the bigger questions of universal existence.
Another quandary concerns distributor drive gear compatibility.
I'll be retaining the original '91 distributor IF it will work with the roller cam and not be chewed up.
The distributor out of the F4 block looks to have a standard drive gear, so not that this means anything.
Any sage experience out there?
The '91 distributor is the 'ICM' type, which is kind of a drag, so this may be a opportunity to look at going to the remote-mount setup, depending on the cost of conversion.

 

[goodO1boydws]

Sorry, not in my wheelhouse.

goodO1boydws (not boyd)

goodolboy works too

 

[L\Bronco]

Affirmative.
Understood, thx Boyd.
This helps to solve one of the bigger questions of universal existence.
Another quandary concerns distributor drive gear compatibility.
I'll be retaining the original '91 distributor IF it will work with the roller cam and not be chewed up.
The distributor out of the F4 block looks to have a standard drive gear, so not that this means anything.
Any sage experience out there?
The '91 distributor is the 'ICM' type, which is kind of a drag, so this may be a opportunity to look at going to the remote-mount setup, depending on the cost of conversion.

The issue is the early gears are cast iron to go with the cast camshaft so both gears have approx the same hardness. Roller cams are billet steel and much harder than the cast iron gear, so the dist gear gets worn faster and metal goes through the oiling system. The standard practice is to replace with a steel or bronze dist gear to keep it from wearing prematurely.
Summit sells them but they are a bit pricey. you could swap gears from the newer dist to your 91 if the shaft size is the same. (they made a bunch of shafts.)
The dist itself will be a bit different, the F4 will have one wide window in the reluctor to indicate #1 for sequential injection sync. (Ford called it signature PIP)
Your 91 is bank fired so all the windows are the same.
The gears will look similar, but I believe the F4 dist gear is steel, or some cheaper hardened material (You know Ford)
Hope that helps
Cheers

 

[Jimbo26]

Okie doke. Will give it the fine eye once everything is dissected.
May try to look up the Ford part # on that drive gear and do a 🖐 Hail-Mary on the parts system. Thx.

No-go with the FoMoCo parts system. They list a complete remfg. distributor, but thats all.
Wouldn't know where to begin to find the rebuilder that would be able to source the right part.
Roadblocks, always the roadblocks. Makes for some negative waves.