2.9L "rebuild" help
 

first of all... thanks to everyone here since I've got a lot of info so far...

So I have an 1989 BII with the 2.9L.. I had water in the oil so I decided to tear into it... I've done lots of body work and other things but never really messed with the internals on my own. I've got the heads off, machined (one was cracked) or replaced and got them back from the shop. Everything's pretty clean and I was getting ready to start putting it back together when..

I got the new gasket set (Felpro part #PT9510 and PT9511 for the two head gaskets) and they dont have the same holes for the water circuits as the old gaskets. Instead of the oval shaped holes around the cylinders they just have little round holes that are only about 1mm wide.
Is this right? I called the parts store and they confirmed that it is the right part for my 2.9L. But didn't know if it would actually work. Anyone have experience with these Felpro gaskets? It seems like they would restrict coolant flow too much.

Next, since this is my first time rebuilding the top end... are there any other important little things I should redo/rework/replace while I'm in there? (other than replace all gaskets, flush coolant, oil, give it a good cleaning)
I think I stopped driving it before the water in the oil caused any permanent damage but is there any way to tell without ripping open the bottom and checking bearings and such? When I first took off the valve covers it looked like a chocolate milkshake... but when there's been no rust or solid chunks of anything anywhere all the way down to the block. I know getting the oil pan off without removing the engine is a PITA and I dont have the means to get the engine all the way out... or the money/know-how to do a full rebuild.
Also, should I have the fuel injectors rebuilt? Do I have to adjustment valve lash since they are hydraulic lifters?

And trust me, I've searched and searched for the last week or so and still not found this info...

I know that's a lot but any help and/or tidbits from the more experienced mechanic would be much appreciated.... thanks

When I did the heads on mine, I unbolted the motor mounts and jacked the engine up far enough to get the oil pan off, and replaced the rod bearings. I should have replaced the mains too, though it's a little bit tougher to do with the crank still in place. Not impossible, just finicky. But mine had been driven quite a ways by the previous owner with the water in the oil, and then sat for a while before he put it up for sale so there was plenty of time for the bearings to get wiped. They didn't look terrible, but not great either. There's a decent chance that yours are okay.

If you didn't have any lifter noise problems before, I wouldn't mess with the lifters. The '89 2.9 should have (as I recall) non-adjustable rockers, so there's no preload adjustment needed on the lifters. You can clean or even rebuild the injectors yourself, there are kits available to do that. Not too much involved with the process really, but I'd probably just clean them.

I seem to recall a similar problem with the Fel-pro head gaskets, I don't recall it being any issue though.

Just as an FYI in case someone else has the same problem...

The Felpro rep said that they designed the gasket to restrict flow to some areas in order to provide better head cooling...

Go figure

Fel Pro does this with gaskets on the Windsor (5.0/5.8) as well. Too much water flows through the original ports and the block doesnt get cooled evenly. With new gaskets, this has been fixed. just make sure you put the proper side up and that the other holes match up and you will be fine.

As far as not building the bottom end, i would be cautios about he condition of your cam bearings. liek the previous poster said if you get excessive valvetrain noise, this is likely due to the already weak cam bearings and oiling system getting even weaker.

Man, I can't spell.
If you have furhter engine building Q's just reply here and I will get back to ya.

I stuck a 2.9L out of a 1990 BroncoII into my 88 ranger.. it had adjustable rockers..i've never seen a 2.9L with non adjustable rockers..must have been something Ford did on the very last of the 2.9's...mine ran very good and quiet for a while.. no noise at idle and maybe a little at higher RPM's..the ticking has been getting progressively worse..it now ticks at any speed..i always keep the oil changed in it, so the lifters shouldn't been sludged up, i also replaced the oil pump and screen before i stuck the engine into my Ranger the engine was clean inside..should've had the cam bearings done before i stuck it in the truck..

thanks for the advice guys....

Well, between school and work i've managed to get the whole thing put back together... sorta

I tried to start it today and it turns over and sounds "normal" but it wont start up. It does have sort of a faint "pop" backfire after I let off the starter but I dont know what that means.

I've checked the plug/wire arrangement and that looks good. I THOUGHT I got the timing set close enough to correct to get it started (put finger in #1 hole, turn crank, wait for positive pressure, put rotor on #1 cylinder). It's getting gas, and I'm guessing since there's a mild backfire that it's getting some spark too.

All I can figure is that the timing isn't close enough... in which case it's off with the upper intake mani again. Any ideas?

Make sure you are getting fuel. Check the pressure at the valve near the intake plenum. Also check for spark (not with your finger in the number one hole - just a suggestion)...

Ok, so I got it to start but I've got some bugs still....

It'll start right up and idle pretty good for a second but then it'll act like it's bogging down and sometimes it'll rev back up and be fine and sometimes it'll die.

Also, it's got a pretty loud "tick". It had THE tick before all the problems but it would usually only make the noise right as I started it up and go away after 30 seconds or so... this tick seems to stick around. My question is.. How do I know it's just the BII tick or if it's something really wrong and I shouldn't be running the engine?...

Thanks again for the help so far...

Ticks could be the PCV valve on the passenger side valve cover, injectors firing, bearings in the alternator. use a screwdriver against the valve covers, alternator casing, etc as a homemade stethoscope to track down more info on the noise.

for the bog-down, search for vacuum leaks by spraying carb cleaner around the base of the plenum, around hoses, etc. and listen for the idle to change.

thanks man, hopefully somewhere between pharmacy school, work and family I can get out there to work on it this week... I'll report back