TireSmoke.org

Rods and pistons are installed.

This engine is presenting a few puzzles. Think two more are sorted out.

With the serpentine belt, some Ford water pumps are driven in reverse rotation by the smooth side of the belt. Its obviously important to get matching pump and timing cover. Thought it would be simple to look up a waterpump for the '95 F150 5.8L engine and get the right one. Nope. Parts sellers list both standard rotation and reverse rotation for that application.

The water pump pulley would indicate which pump (ridged pulley for standard rotation; smooth pulley for reverse rotation) IF I HAD ONE. The fan and water pump pulley were broken off in the wreck and not with the truck.

A serpentine belt diagram for that truck would tell me but couldn't find one online.

Posted a question on http://www.sbftech.com and got the answer. Reverse rotation. Pump and timing cover are on the way from Summit. Now to find a reasonably priced pulley.

Second puzzle: how to eliminate the air pump. Delete kits are available but kinda pricy at around $70. Found online posts where guys have just removed the air pump and run a shorter (91.5") belt. Shorter belt is on the way from Summit. Sounds like the 91.5" belt may let the tensioner extend too far and not put enough tension on the belt. If it seems too loose the alternator will get some spacers to tighten it up.

Another thing to thing about -- the throttle lever. Since the truck had a 6 cyl in it, the throttle lever on the firewall extends over to the right side of the engine while the V8 pulls the throttle open from the left side. Modify the existing throttle lever? Find a throttle lever from a V8 truck? Use a Lokar cable? No hurry on that one.

Called Prestige Motorsports AGAIN today. They planned on finishing assembling the heads today but their power is out. (It really is.) Said the heads would be ready on Friday. We'll see ... I'm ready for those parts. Been trying to get a top end kit since early August. Shouldn't be this hard.

Well, Prestige Motorsports didn't have the parts ready. No telling when I'll get them. When they opened up the box and got the heads out to work on them, THEY WEREN'T THE RIGHT HEADS!! So, the heads have still not been delivered (as far as I know) from Dart. And, according to Doug, Dart couldn't care less. Great. I've had money laid out for the top end parts since August (first with Edelbrock now with Prestige) and still don't know when I'll see them. The rotating assembly is installed and I don't want to go any farther till the cam is in.

Went this AM to look at some reasonable priced doors and fenders. They were better than mine but not enough better to make it worth buying them. Did come home with a FREE driver's side inner fender in very good condition. THAT'S THE ONE I ALREADY DID THE REPAIR ON!! I may just use the free one since the repair isn't perfect.

Got what appears to be the correct (reverse rotation) timing cover and water pump from Summit so when (if?) the cam and timing set show up, assembly can continue. Almost ordered a water pump pulley but decided to check out my less favorite junk yard for a pulley/fan assembly first. Think I can buy the assembly for less than a pulley from ebay.

Got the 91.5" serpentine belt from Summit to eliminate the air pump.

Went up to Bullard Salvage this afternoon and got a thru-the-firewall V8 gas pedal/lever off the same truck that donated the small block engine stands. Looks like it will work just fine with a single rod from the lever to the carb. Ford had a God-awful bell crank mounted on the intake but I don't see why. Should need the same sort of throttle rod that WXO used in the '69 Camper Special. Think he had something really neat there. I'll pick his brain.

Also picked got the windshield washer tank of the same donor. Hope the included pump works.

Maverick wrote: Should need the same sort of throttle rod that WXO used in the '69 Camper Special. Think he had something really neat there. I'll pick his brain.

I dug up my pictures of the throttle linkage:

Oh ...... right ....... I forgot you used the "God awful" bell crank. I'll try to do it with a single rod.

If i had known that's what it took, I would have gotten all ticked off weeks ago. After my rant here yesterday, Doug called today and the parts are ready to be picked up. WXO and I will probably make a run to Charlotte on Wednesday to deliver the 300CI six cyl to the buyer ($100 delivery fee) and pick up the new engine parts.

Also, the last part I needed to get before the long block can be assembled arrived today. There are two fuel pump cams for Ford V8s -- one (a 2-piece cam) is about .100" thinner than the other (1-piece) and is required with a double-roller timing sprocket. They're not available from Ford and I had a heck of a time finding one for the 5.0L engine that went in the Maverick. Found a 2-piece cam on ebay and got it today.

OK, on to the next hurdle ...

We delivered the 300 I6 to the buyer in Concord, NC then drove approx 10 miles to Prestige Motorsports to pick up the elusive top end kit. Heads are Dart Pro 1s with 185 cc intake runners and 2.02" intake valves as compared to the Dart heads on the Maverick with 170cc runners and stock (smaller, don't recall the size offhand) valves. Cam is custom grind of a Comp Cam blank, "a little bigger" than the cam in the 347. I'll post the specs if anyone is interested. So, its positioned for a 408 stroker kit if the need arises.

WXO has the only pictures of the trip -- of the six cyl loaded on the trailer ready for the trip. Think he'll add it to this post.

Now that I found the 2-piece fuel pump cam I'm debating with myself about electric vs mechanical fuel pump. Pros and cons on both sides. I'll install the fuel pump cam so the mechanical pump is an easy option if I ever go that way.

Got the (valve lift) cam installed yesterday. Since the rotating assembly is already in place, and the cam can't be supported as it goes in, its a little more difficult to get the cam installed without damage to the bearings. I hooked the engine lift to the harmonic balancer bolt, carefully lifted the engine and engine stand, tipping the whole thing up on its back end. With the engine resting on its rear, the cam slipped in vertically. Then used the lift to put the stand back on its wheels.

One intake manifold bolt twisted off in one of the heads when the 5.8L/351W engine was being disassembled. Got the stub out today with a little help from the oxy/acetylene torch. Had one nibble on the Craigslist ad for the spare parts. I told him about the broken off bolt in the head and didn't hear any more from him. Maybe some of the stuff will sell now. Those E7TE heads are a bargain at $50.

The fuel pump decision was made for me by the new timing cover -- no boss to mount a mechanical fuel pump. Duh!! Its a timing cover for a '95 (EFI) engine.

The short block is assembled, including oil pan, timing cover and water pump. The gasket set had the wrong (standard rotation) water pump gasket so picked up the right one from CarQuest today on the way home from church. Also got a one-piece rubber pan gasket to install instead of the cork gaskets in the kit. The original rubber gasket was nice and dry so gotta go with rubber again.

The '95 engine had an oil cooler between the block and oil filter with coolant running thru it to cool the oil.



I see no need for it since the little F100 won't be doing any towing or hauling (other than A$$) and was thinking I'd just eliminate it and put an oil filter directly on the block. Surprise!! The threaded nipple that mounts the cooler to the block is smaller than what's required to mount a filter. Think its just a matter of replacing the nipple on the block but it takes a bigger (1/2"?) allen wrench than I have. Have to check with WXO. Then its off to the junk yard to find the right nipple.

Set the short block on the chassis and the heads and manifold on the block (no bolts) to test fit things.



Everything fits great but I think there's a problem with the bargain headers. The flanges are warped to the degree that I doubt they'll seal. If one end is touching the head there's a 1/8" gap at the other. Anyone think that will pull down and seal? Think I may have to have the flange flattened by the machine shop. Think there's enough material to take a 1/16" off the middle and get the flanges pretty flat.

Haven't checked the intake and exhaust port matches yet on the Dart heads, Edelbrock intake and noname headers. Expect there'll be some work required there.

The machine shop that prepared the block referred me to another to get the header flanges flattened. That one didn't want to do it either and referred me to two others. Rather than call, this time I took the headers to the one I was familiar with and had the GPS set for the second one fully expecting to make the trip. But, the young man on duty took the headers and shortly after I got home a call came in saying they were ready. Spent some more time on the tubes making room for a 7/16 box end wrench and touching up the bolt holes with a rat tail file and they should be good to go. Even with the machining they only cost about half of what I paid, on sale, for similar ones for the Maverick so its cool.

Borrowed some big allen wrenches from WXO but none fit the oil filter nipple. Think it must be a 7/16" hex. Ordered a set of big allen wrenches, incl a 7/16", from Northern Tool. Should get them by Friday I expect. Then, another trip to the junk yard to find a SBF oil filter nipple. Think there's one on the truck that donated the SBF engine frame stands.

The next thing should be a check on piston-to-valve clearance. Three possible outcomes there. Clearance could be OK, the pistons might need a little work or, if its BAD, a stroker kit would fix it. Hope its either the first or the last possibility.

Just like the 5.0 for the Maverick, the intake piston-to-valve clearance is very close to .080" minimum. There's ample clearance on the exhaust valve, which is the most critical since it gets hotter and expands more. So, no stroker kit for now.

Since the intake is so close I'm thinking about repeating the measurement or declaring it good and going on with assembly. Too cold (high in the 40s) today to work in the garage so I'll give it another day to percolate.

If it is too close, its a matter of .010" or so. Pistons could be cut. I just hate the thought of making chips on top of the installed pistons. Could catch most of them with grease liberally applied on top of the pistons but some would surely get away. Don't want to remove the pistons and rods either. I'll probably go ahead with assembly.

Hope you all don't mind my diary-style entries. It'll be interesting for me to come back and relive all this some day ...

One loose end that's still hanging out is a check on cam timing. I don't have a degree wheel but Senior, Prestige's engine builder, told me another way to check it. With this cam, the intake lifter rise should be .075" at TDC. I picked up a cheapy dial indicator and magnetic mount at Carlisle but CANNOT find it. Been thru EVERY logical place for it at least twice and its no where to be found. WXO is going to look for his. Hope he has better luck. If not, I guess it'll be another trip to Harbor Freight.

Hey Jim, just keep writing, we're enjoying every word.
I agree with you, just put the thing together.

Early Chevys had flat top pistons and it was not unusual to
remove a head and see little valve impressions in the pistons
so if a little clearance is needed, the valves will make it themselves.
Grins, I believe you'll be just fine.

so if a little clearance is needed, the valves will make it themselves.

Many years ago a friend had a '57 fuel injected 283(?). He'd rev it till the valves started to sing. I was always expecting it to come apart a any second.

Yesterday was a good day. Found the dial indicator, finished my Christmas shopping, and got the Northern Tool large allen wrenches.

The 7/16" allen wrench removed the oil filter adapter so preparation is done for a junk yard trip to get the correct adapter.

This morning the newly-found dial indicator was used to verify .075" rise for the intake lifter at TDC. Cam timing is correct.


Have a Dr's appt at 1:30 today and forecast is for 60* this afternoon so maybe things will progress this afternoon when I get home.

While the dial indicator was found and out, and heads were still off, I checked the timing pointer. Its 1 degree slow. TDC mark on the balancer is actually 1 degree advanced from actual TDC. No biggie but interesting (to me at least ). Didn't try to "adjust" the timing pointer to be dead on. Close enough.

Got the heads installed and torqued down and hit a snag while installing the valve train. One lifter is stuck. When putting the 3/4 turn on a rocker stud to compress the lifter some, the lifter didn't compress but the valve started to open.

Ordered a set of Comp Cam lifters from Summit. They should ship Monday and probably be here Wed/Thur. I was a little uncomfortable reusing the old lifters with all the new stuff anyway. Good excuse to replace them.

Did "adjust" the timing pointer with a hammer to set it correctly on TDC.

Lifters arrived Wednesday and got installed on Thursday.



Checked the intake and exhaust ports and gaskets for match on the Dart heads, Edelbrock intake, and noname headers. Looks pretty good. The intake manifold gaskets that came in the Felpro kit look good -- just have to slide the right side back to the limit and the left side forward to the limit. Will probably use some adhesive to keep them in place.

The head-to-header gaskets that came in the Felpro kit don't match well but there happened to be a pair of Felpro gaskets left over from the 347 that are specifically built for the Dart (and one other) heads. They fit quite nicely. I may file some sharp edges off the headers but everything looks pretty good as is. I doubt anything I'd do will make much difference.

Now cash flow is going to slow things down some. Next big purchase will be MDS distributor and 6AL box, maybe in January after the the check book stabalizes after Christmas and other year end bills.

Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a great 2013!!

It seems a shame to cover up those snazzy rockers with a valve cover. Pretty work, Maverick.
Merry Christmas to all.