And do I use RTV on these new rubber valve cover gaskets, or is that just a cork thing? Anybody know the "proper" torque on the valve cover bolts?

 

Instead of WD-40 try half acetone and ATF. Run her up to operating temp than shut it down. Now spray the acetone mix on the bolts so it goes down into the threads as best as you can. Work your way from bolt to bolt and use lots of it. It will smoke and smell bad. than come back the next day and do it again. And again. After several days they should come out with out busting to many.
Another old trick is to use candle wax. Google it.
As for the air system there shouldn't be any fuel in the air. Check your compressor out. Some oil in it yes as the compressor has engine oil to lube it. But to have fuel in there I would think it came from the crank case and all the oil had fuel in it for whatever reason. Get some Air system antifreeze than take the output line off the compressor and pore it in. Run it and it will help clean the air system.
Sounds like it had a bad carb at one time and got fuel into the crank case than into the compressor and so on. Drain the air tank after every run than leave the petcock open so it can drain over night. I always leave the petcock open when not running.

 

I know the FE engines were last made for 76 model years... How much longer did the FT engines get produced for?

 

No RTV on either rubber or cork, use just the gasket itself, maybe a little hi-tack to hold the gasket in place, if needed.

The FT's were in production until '78 (two additional years).

 

Take some thread and tie the gasket on in the bolt holes to keep it in place. Works well on most all gaskets. The thread wont hurt a damn thing if left on. But after all the bolts are started ya can take out the thread if ya want. As for how tight I don't have the specs. But think that on like the GM stove bolt I6 the rocker cover and oil pan was held on with flat head screw driver type bolts. Think how thin it is and ya don't want to bend the cover where the bolt holes are. BUT before ya put it back on lay it on yer vice or any flat steel place like your bumper and with a small ball peen tap the bolt holes back flat and straight. If the bolt holes are indented from getting them over tight they will most likely leak.

 

Wow, thats a clean truck! Theres a landscape company of some sort over in wareham that has a whole fleet (6-8) trucks in the same color scheme and various bed sizes/types. Definately looks like a 391 FT and its got the same big engine complex all my trucks have- a broken gas guage! I love clean-outs like that and hope you have loads of fun.

 

All I have to say is damn that thing is cool. I'd love to have one with a flat bed and a fueled up cummins.

 

Well, i need a new radiator. After the fluid change we replaced the radiator cap because the old one didn't seal right. New cap and now the system gets pressurized properly and leaks.

NAPA didn't have any parts for us (we even pulled the radiator and had them measure it)

Should I keep looking for a new one...or rebuild the old one? The leak we found is just a pinhole leak in the tank for the tranny cooling lines.

 

If the tanks and necks are in decent shape, I'd just take it to a radiator shop and have them fix it. I may be wrong, but that may be a difficult radiator to locate, especially considering it's an automatic tranny.