First, thanks to everyone for all the help. I do try to find the answers in old posts before I ask something again, but some things maybe I am just not using right search terms.

1) Is there a place I can find the tightening patterns for various parts like the exhaust manifold, water pump, oil pan, etc. I remember you are supposed to tighten things up in a certain order, especially anything having a gasket. I know to tighten across on tires and such, but frankly I am moving beyond anything I ever did in my youth now, and don't want to screw up.

2) exactly how much is involved in pulling the oil pan to check/ clean sludge and throw a new gasket on?

3) I saw on another thread the Ford part number for steering column bearings and sleeves(thanks ND). I was just about to make my LMC Truck order, and those parts were on it, along with the washers and bushings for my column shift (basically replacing all the smaller parts designed to wear while I am fixing it). Is there any reason I should not get the bearings from LMC and get them from the Ford distributor ? I am not really concerned about the couple bucks in difference as much as the additional shipping I can save if I order from one place.

Thanks

 

Parts quality equates to oats. You can get fresh oats at feed stores (genuine Ford parts), or you can get used oats off the road after the horse passes by (LMC made in China crap).

You get what you pay for, buy the best and cry only once.

And, btw: Antique Auto Supply is located in Arlington (817-275-2381), specializes in genuine Ford NOS obsolete parts, as does Parts International in Farmers Branch (888-727-0418).

LMC is a middle-man operation, has next to no parts listed in their catalogs, uses the J. Paul Getty method of making a buck. When you send in your order, LMC uses YOUR money to buy the parts elsewhere.

 

Fair enough. Thanks for the Arlington contact. Again, it was never the cost of the parts per se, it getting eaten alive in shipping on smaller cheap parts. If I can find the parts locally I will get them that way. If I can't, I may see how much that dealer you posted is gonna charge for shipping.

I know that LMC has a middle man markup but most of the parts I am ordering are relatively cheap and not worth ordering from separate places. If the Arlington can get most of it I will order from one place.

 

C3DZ-3517-A .. Steering Column Bearing = Antique Auto in Arlington has FOUR.

B1AZ-3518-A .. Steering Column Bearing Sleeve = Antique Auto has ONE.

Cost factors: How much gas will your vehicle drink while whizzing over to Arlington and back vs what the shipping charges will be from Tousley Ford (White Bear Lake MN) or LMC (KS)?

I doubt you can buy the parts in Arlington as cheap as you can from Tousley. Dunno what LMC wants for them.

I've never been to Antique Auto, but would assume it's like most of these places, has glass display cases full of NOS goodies that the prices of, will drain your wallet in a NY minute.

Was in NC in 2004, so decided to go to DC's place in Concord to buy a few repro parts for '63 Galaxies I couldn't find NOS. Waltzing in the door, there they were, glass display cases full of gen-u-ine NOS Ford parts.

3 hours later, waltzed out with all sorts a goodies, cost me 3,000 bucks. Meanwhile "She who must be obeyed" sat stewing in the rental car. Has no interest in old piles, just money. Wasn't pleased when I told her how much dinero I'd spent.

"It's my money, so I use it when I need to." .. to paraphrase the JD Wentworth commercials running on a gazillion cable TV channels.

 

Just as an update, I went to Antique Auto and got a Dennis Carpenter catalog that he is a distributor for.

I had to order several things that he did not have in stock, but they will be in soon. The bearings apparently he only had one set, and he said that after inspecting them that he was just going to order two that they seemed not quite right. Overall pretty helpful though.

Cost was a bit more overall, but there was a fair amount of offset because of the savings in shipping.