I let my dump truck sit for 3 years after selling cattle herd. Inline 300 engine. Bad move!
Got it running, ran like crap!
Rebuilt carb, cleaned fuel tank, starts easy, but smoking, no power.
Pulled valve cover, 4 bent push rods on intake valves!
pulled head, after days of soaking with PB Blaster, got stuck intake valves freed up. They wouldn't budge!

Pulled #2 cylinder to look at rod bearing. fair amount of scuffing.
#2 main bearing some wear, few grooves from dirty rebuild in past?
Engine has .040 oversize pistons, .020 oversize rod bearings and standard main bearings, cylinders look good, no detectable ridge at top, can still see some cross hatching.

While I have it apart. I was planning to hone cylinders and re-ring, put in new rod and main bearings. Engine is still in truck.


Questions:

I've heard varied opinions about replacing bearings without regrinding journals. Any thoughts? Opinions? I could just replace the push rods and put it back together.

Can I use the new style rubber oil pan gasket on this old style oil pan?

The faces on the valves look pretty good, maybe some discolored spots. Should I lightly hand lap them with fine compound or just reinstall them?

Any danger of messing up the one piece rear oil seal if I slightly loosen the main journals and spin the old bearings out to replace them or should I just leave the main bearings alone?

Thanks for any and all opinions!

 

I feel it's always best to have the crank polished. But if you can run your finger nail on the journal. And it doesn't catch on any defects, I have used some fine emery cloth in the past to polish the journals in the vehicle. I don't like doing it that way. But when I needed to get the vehicle back on the road quick, it worked. Just be prepared if the clearances are off you'll either have low oil pressure or end up with another damaged bearing.

If the engine has sat for that long and you've got it tore down as far as you do, throw in a new rear main seal. I know dropping the transmission is a royal pain. But my experience has always been the seal you don't replace is the one that's going to leak bad when you put it back together.

If you have the valves out then I would lap them.

Oh yea if that's your original crank hold onto it!! That age engine in a F500 should have a steel crank in it. They are worth quite a bit more then a cast crank. If it has a C5TE or C6TE casting # it's a steel crank. It may also have a dollar sign on it.

 

In regards to the stuck valves. It is/was the old fuel in the tank that was responsible for the valves sticking and bending the push rods. I can't tell you the ins and outs of why this happens, just the fuel goes to varnish and as it goes thru the carb and into engine it finds its way to the intake valve guides and stems and locks them up tighter than you know what. We've read about it happening here and I have experienced it 3-4 times .

I go with fordman75's advice. But, if engine remains in the truck, consider the rear main seal a different job/project. Finish your engine repair and run it and you can replace the rear main later on IF needed

 

Thanks Men,
Just to be clear, though, you would put new bearings in? The journals aren't grooved, just scuff marks.
Will the new style rubber oil pan gasket work with my old pan?

 

What does the finger nail say?

Here's a video about crank polishing (You dirty minded people! )

 

Finger nail says all is well.

 

Yes I would replace the bearings. Just make sure to get the correct size. And I would use some fine emery clothe on the journals before installing new bearings. Just make sure to clean them well after words. And oil the journals before reinstalling the bearings/rods.

Yes the new gasket should work with the old pan. Just make sure the pan rails are flat around each bolt hole.

 

Thanks
I've always used STP as my poor man's assembly lube!

 

Using the old oil pan with the new rubber gasket, should I grind off the raised metal around the bolt holes or use a hammer and dolly to flatten them out or does it matter?

Looks like my head has been replaced. I see plugs where the smog pump lines were. These rockers just get torqued to a set amount without regard for whether valves are open or closed, or torgue them with valves in closed position? What is torque value? Thanks

 

The dump truck is back on the road!

I primed oil pump with drill first. Then, I turned engine to TDC on #1 cylinder, adjusted #1 intake and exhaust till I couldn't turn push rod by hand, then tightened one full turn.
Then turned engine 120 degrees and adjusted #5 intake and exhaust and proceeded through firing order that way. Sound OK?

Just FYI, I tried to use side oil pan rails from a EFI engine. My oil pan bolts would not fit through bolt holes in new style oil pan rails. Installed new style rubber oil pan gasket without the rails. Doen't see any leaks.

Attempted to use new style rubber valve cover gasket. My bolts wouldn't fit through bolt holes in new style rubber gasket for valve cover either. Went with old style composite/cork gasket.

Any thoughts how many miles i should put on this motor before i can haul 5 tons of gravel? Don't want to overload things during break-in.

Thanks one and all for all the advice.

 

Sounds all good. I usually turn the motor until one of the valves is opening and adjust the other valve on each cylinder. I only go about a quarter turn after the push rod stops turning but you should be fine with the hydraulic lifters. If you didn't put new rings in that you're worrying about breaking in then she should be ready to go. I'd call what you did with the inspection and new bearings was freshening up the motor.

I had a similar deal with a 300 I've had for over 30 years sitting for a while and then going thru getting it running again, and one thing I wound up doing was replacing the valve seals. The old ones were pretty brittle/cracked and were causing it to idle pretty erratically because they leaked vacuum. I put in the umbrella type seals, made a big improvement.

My son pretty much nailed the description of these motors, he says if Cummins made a gas powered 6 it would be the Ford 300.

 

I replaced rings and valve seals. The opinions on how tight to go past free play on push rods when adjusting rockers is all over the map. I went with one full turn. Any other opinions? Thanks

 

thats fine

 

New rings = easy driving for about 500 miles to let them seat.