Everything went to ***** today... Driving to college the engine started to knock pretty bad and it dropped oil pressure. Got here. Not sure what's going on with it.

Last time that happened to me I was just really low on oil. (Just got back from a road trip.) Added almost a gallon, which is a lot, and everything was fine. It was running a little rough, but as far as knocking goes I couldn't tell any difference between the normal diesel knock. I'm sure its more noticeable on a gas engine.

When I go on a trip I try to check all of the fluids everytime I fill-up. I don't always do it, but I try. I also try to get receipts and write the mileage on them, so I can keep up with the mpg that I'm getting. A sudden change can mean an issue of some sort.

Understood, I do all that as well. But it was the day after the trip and when I drove to work in the morning, she ran perfectly fine. All the gauges were normal. On the way from work to school (7 hours later) about 10 minutes in to the ride my oil pressure gauge started dropping, fast, and it started running/idling rough. Not to mention a slightly higher reading on the temp gauge. Added some oil and let her cool for a few minutes and everything was fine. That was a little over 2,300 miles ago and only 1,000 miles after changing my oil. All of this happened in under 15 minutes, including my reroute to the part store for oil. That's just my experience. Curious to hear what happened! Good luck BigBlock!

Getting it towed home right now. Don't know exactly what the noise is, but I didn't want to tear anything up worse by driving it.

Just drove it to park it after the tow truck dropped it. Oil pressure was ok around 30-40 with fairly cool oil, but it was knocking pretty bad. Sounds like a nasty internal issue.

Should be obvious, but a word of warning, now that your truck is cool the oil might read normal when really it's super low. It's not uncommon for these trucks to burn a quart or two of oil every 1,000 miles. Especially if your running some crap oil.

Put almost 7 quarts in and have only done 200 miles. Oil doesn't look low. I'll drain it late and see if there's anything in it.

Just checked the oil dipstick. Correct level, but there are a bunch of little shiny metal flecks in the oil...

Looks like I probably have a bearing or oiling issue... I'm feeling pretty done with this right now. Will probably just let it sit until I can afford a new engine with a warranty and I can dive back into the project with enthusiasm.

Don't let it sit! That's how vehicles turn to scrap. And the 7 quarts for the oil pan doesn't include the oil that gets in all the nooks and crannies of the engine. You just did an engine swap correct? If so, its gonna take more then 7 quarts. Did you warm it up before you checked the oil?

I think it's beyond the point of adding more oil. The oil has pretty bad metal shavings in it. It's not a new engine either, may have gotten a lemon. As far as oil in the nooks and crannies, it wasn't new and I got it into the truck within a month or so of the last time it was run so I don't think too much would have ended up getting used up by the odd spots in the engine that oil sits.

Don't worry about it going to scrap. I love this thing too much to ever let it go anywhere. I'm already in contact with a few engine remanufactures and I'll probably have it professionally installed so that I don't have any headache with it.

Talked to someone at a division of S&S Engine remanufacturing and to someone at Jasper.

S&S can get me a new (reman) 460 engine for $2120 including an RV camshaft upgrade ($75). That includes core charge and freight, and no tax because they're out of state. They include the other needed gaskets for the install (intake, oil pan, timing cover,...) and the needed "break-in oil".

Will probably go with an S&S engine. With the RV camshaft and my intake and headers it should make a little better power than the engine I had before (the 1973 460) except it won't burn oil, make bad noises, and have fading compression. I liked the idea of more power, but I really just need it to be reliable and fun so I can get in it and go without worrying about anything.

Talked to a couple of local rebuilders today. Waiting on some estimates. If they're not too bad, I'll probably get the old 1973 460 engine rebuilt by one of them instead of going with a remanufactured. It scares me a little bit on how cheaply the mass remanufactures can shove engines out the door as cheaply as $1500. Hard to have a lot of quality built in.

Still in contact with rebuilders. Also contacted Jasper, and a local Jasper certified installer. Jasper price is around the rebuilders price, and I get a better warranty so that's the direction I'm leaning in right now.

My final decision is that I'll be going with the local rebuilder. I've heard plenty of good things about the rebuilder, and a few people have told me that the Jasper engines have really decreased in quality in the last several years. One mechanic even said that he stopped installing Jasper engines because they kept coming back with issues. He's since switched to using the rebuilder that I'm going to use.

I'll be going to get my old engine (1973 460) from my granddads place (where I swapped engines before, ~3 hours away) on Thursday, and I'll probably get it to the rebuild shop on Friday.

The owner of the shop told me they'd probably have the engine for 3-4 weeks. I'm planning on taking my truck to them too, and they'll also install/tune the engine. Won't take the truck to them until they're done with the engine.

They'll bore the block .030 over, install new bearings, new pistons and rings, check crankshaft (do work if needed), new torquey "RV" camshaft and lifters, complete head job (valves, guides, etc...), mag everything, etc, etc... all the way down to painting the block. He said they'd get it balanced perfectly so it'll run "smooth as silk." Even with the oil burning, and other issues it had before, I could tune it to idle so smooth that I couldn't even feel it running when I was sitting in the truck.

Sounds like a plan! Can't wait to see how she turns out.

Yeah, I'll be glad to get her on the road again. Love driving it. Stuck in the Accord right now... Good MPGs, but no pride... At least it's a 6-speed

Ha! Accord.. fun..

So you mentioned your in school. What for if you don't mind me asking?

Just general education for now. Not completely sure what I'm shooting for right now. Wouldn't mind going into the automotive field, but I'm keeping other options open for now.

Sweeeet, at least you're in.. I'm in for aviation maintenance. Which is regulated a whole lot more then automotive for obvious reasons.. I don't think you're even aloud to own a crescent wrench. (I have multiples.) :-X18

sorry for intruding but I guess you have to sell them to buy the other tools Forr35T.
Trav

Nice! I have put a little bit of though into going into aviation mechanics because there's tons of money in it, but I probably won't end up going in that direction. Not sure I'd get as much enjoyment and satisfaction out of it as in the automotive field. Wouldn't mind working for a dealership or fleet. May get more into diesel stuff, we'll see.

Maybe I'll just sell my soul for Snap-On tools! That's the only way I could afford them.. HA! Naaaa, that won't work.. :-X15 Hmmmmm...

I don't know as much as snap on tools are a soul may not be enough. LOL.
Trav

Yeah diesel mechanics make good money as well.. I chose aviation because I'd like to fly one day and I like the organization/systems involved (Some of the many reasons). Also, if you get your Airframe and Powerplant licenses to work on planes, most colleges accept them as credit to nearly 2 years of college, depending on what you go for. Sorry if I'm Hijacking your thread! :-hijacked

I talk a lot.. Just slap me if I no longer make sense. :-X18

Dropped my engine off at the rebuild shop today. The owner told me they'd tear it down and clean it on Monday and go from there.

The rebuilder got my engine apart yesterday (monday), and they were supposed to be cleaning it up and taking measurements today. Hopefully I'll hear from them tomorrow or Thursday and they'll be ready to start machine work.

Talked to the rebuilder earlier today (Thursday), and they cleaned everything up, took measurements, visually checked for cracks, and magna-fluxed the block and heads. Everything checked out okay. They're about to get started with machine work, and they're ordering parts. The owner told me they're working on it a little bit every day, and it'll be probably 3-4 weeks from now until they'll be completely done.

What are they going to be machining? Overbore?

Align hone, bore, hone with torque plates, head work. The owner told me that the crank checked out pretty much perfect and within spec (not surprised), so they're just polishing that.

Awesome man. Sounds like it'll be rock solid when it's done!

Should be. That's the goal.

Was getting an itch to do something with the truck today since I haven't really done anything to it since I've been waiting for my engine, so I washed it and smoked my tail lights to see what it would look like. The tail lights were starting to look bad from being in the sun so I wasn't loving them how they were.

I think they turned out pretty well. Still light up plenty at night too. Definitely within state viewing distance law.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=138258

Well, I've been doing quite a bit of thinking recently and I've got some future plans for what I want to do with the truck after I get my engine back. Not all of this will happen quickly because I'll be getting over the rebuild bill... but it'll get there.

1. I want to replace my amber grille lights with LEDs. I'll never have to worry about them burning out, and it'll cut power draw slightly which means I get to run more off of the same relay.

2. I want to put some LED fog/running lights on it. I really love LEDs because I don;t have to worry about bulbs burning out, they're bright, and they don't draw much power. I'm also considering using headlight bulbs that give off more of a white light to match the LEDs better. Plus I prefer that type of light to see at night.

3. I want to install some back-up lights. Not sure whether I want to use LEDs or some lights I already have. I'll wire them off of the stock backup lights with a relay.

4. I want to replace the tailgate (has a dent and a few dings), and drivers door (got dinged recently and made a dent...), and get the truck painted.

5. I want to install a transmission temperature gauge so I can keep an eye on my C6.

6. I'm thinking of installing an engine oil cooler as an extra measure to keep my 460 cool. I'll see how temps are when I get the engine back and possibly decide then.

7. May install a power steering cooler to help my PS pump with the 37s. I have a stock one that I pulled off a junkyard truck, but I haven't put it on yet. I want to see how my engine temps are when I get the engine back then I'll decide where the PS cooler will go (may not want to block any radiator air flow, I'm kinda crazy about cooling...).

8. I would like to put a roll-on bed liner in my truck and get rid of that big, heavy, ugly plastic one I've got. It's served me well, but I don't love it.

9. Thinking about getting a headache rack. Don't absolutely love the idea of added weight, but it's a great place to mount lights for the bed and it's good window protection.


Think that's it for now, haha.

Awesome truck dude! Sorry to hear about the problems but it will all work out especially with a rebuilt engine haha. I would definitely recommend a roll in bedliner over a plastic one also. I was curious how your truck rides with the lift kit and solid axle? I put a dana 60 under my F250 that already had re-arched springs and it rides like a brick haha

Well, I've got the solid axle plus an extra spring leaf up front and it rides pretty hard. I've got an extra leaf in the rear too. I'm also using 15 year old shocks tht probably need an update. I'll probably replace the shocks sometime in the next year. I kind of like my truck riding fairly hard. I'm young though, so I don't have pains that pop up over every bump.

I really like the extra rear spring because 2000 pounds in the bed only sags the bed about an inch. And 1000lb trailer tongue load also only drops it about 1".

I also have an extra leaf on every corner and overload springs, do you have overloads? Seems like mine squats a tad more under those conditions but I might be wrong too. I also do not mind mine riding a little rough as I am only a freshman in college. Also, I know they make coil-over stock replacement shocks for the rear didn't know if you would be interested or not, I have them on mine and I like them.

Yup, I've got overloads. I've never actually gotten the overloads to even touch even with about 3700lbs in the bed.

Maybe yours sags slightly more because the rear spring packs are slightly different from the F-250 to F-350. Yours is also a 7th generation truck if that makes any difference in springs (probably not, but I'm not certain).

Don't think I'd want coil overs. Do you have any pics of yours?

Yeah, it'll all work out. Hopefully early October I'll be running it up and down the road again.


And yeah, I bought a cheap used plastic one a while ago just so that I wouldn't kill the bed, but I definitely want to do a roll on liner. Less weight, won't rattle, stuff won't slide around as much, and I think it'll look better.