Well, fortunately, this new set of lifters is all the same size!



I wouldn't have thought of it unless the manufacturer had suggested it, but I first cleaned all of the parts with mineral spirits. I couldn't believe how filthy the towel that I wiped the spirits off of all the parts was. Even if parts come out of sealed plastic bags and look clean.... they're NOT!

So, moving forward. Coated the bottoms of all of the lifters with the break-in lube that came with the cam. Then installed them.





The different lengths of all of the push rods. I kinda wish I had bought the 10.08" pushrods from Trend so that they'd all match. But, $50 more for matching pushrods is not really worth it.









Next, I gave all of the pushrod tips a light coating and then installed them along with the rocker arms.

Adjustment was pretty straightforward. Instructions said to adjust the intake valve just as the exhaust starts to open and adjust the exhaust just as the intake is about to close. Pretty easy to do when you can see the lifters moving.

The lifters weren't pumped up (which the manufacturer suggested) so I tightened the nut down until the push rod no longer moved up and down and then gave it another half turn. Erson cams suggested around a 0.02" and 0.08" of gap between the rocker arm tip and the valve tip, so I picked 0.04" and adjusted each nut until it was just a bit too tight for the feeler gauge to fit, and then backed it off until the gauge slipped through. I liked knowing that each valve was adjusted exactly the same.


Here's my issue though. Before I read what the instructions said, I coated the sides of the lifters with break-in lube. I then read that you're NOT supposed to do that because the viscosity of it can prevent the lifters from rotating in their bores, which will destroy the cam lobes. Not something I want!
So, I removed all of the lifters and wiped it all off and did my best to clean the lifter bores in the block.

However, after installing and adjusting all of the valves, I rotated the engine over a number of times and none of the lifters appeared to rotate.

I want to do everything I can to prevent any chance of lobe failure, but I know I can overthink things. Should I take them all out again and clean them even more? Maybe coat each lifter/bore with ATF?

Thoughts?

 

Well, as always, it pays to double check your work!

So, last night I went back out and went back over the valves. I took all 12 lifters back out and wiped them clean, as well as the lifter bores. It just wasn't sitting well with me.

Then, going back over the method for setting valve lash, I realized I had it backwards. I had mixed the instructions for solid lifters and hydraulic lifters in my head.

With solid lifters, you use a feeler gauge to check the distance between the rocker arm and the valve tip. Then, with hydraulic, you can measure the preload (my spec sheet says 0.02" to 0.08"), which is how much the pushrod pushes down into the lifter. But, I was measuring the rocker arm to valve tips on my hydraulics like you would solids.

Man, I had them totally crushed down.

So, they're set up right now. And, as I turned the engine over, I was able to witness all 12 lifters rotating in their bores.

I feel a lot better about it, and am ready to start buttoning it up!

 

So last night, I started putting the covers on.
The first thing I did was rented a harmonic balancer installer and puller. I've never used an installer before but man, did it make the job easy!



The main reason for installing the HB was to properly line up the seal on the timing cover.

After installing, I noticed that even though the cover was on straight, it still had some wiggle room, which, if rotated incorrectly, would create a lip on the oil pan mating surface where the timing cover meets the block.

My initial idea was to bolt on the oil pan to line it up, so I tried that.



However, after tightening down the cover and then removing the installer, I noticed that the cover was NOT very well centered.



This would have chewed up the seal in short order.

So, I took it all back apart and pressed it on without the oil pan in place. Then, I just used my finger to feel when the cover was rotated properly to remove the lip on the mating surface.



The alignment on the seal looks much better.




Next, I installed the thermostat, housing, water pump, and pushrod cover.



Then, randomly as I was then sitting there waiting for the RTV sealant to dry a little bit before torquing things down, and reached up and just started messing around with the water pump, rotating the pulley. It then dawned on me that there were no threads on the end of it and it's the wrong one!! I grabbed a non-clutched water pump.

So, I'll be bringing that back today and someone else will be receiving a nicely painted water pump.
Looks like I have more painting to do.

But either way, it's getting really close. I need to get the water pump on, and then it's just my valve cover and oil pan, which I'm waiting until the last minute to do, just in case I need to access anything in side. I may, for peace of mind, put a little more break-in lube on the cam, since I've turned it over so many times while adjusting the valves.

After that, the pilot bearing, flywheel, clutch and pressure plate.

Then I think it's ready to go in...

 

Wow! Thanks for sharing your journey!

 

You might consider whether to buy a w/pump with stamped steel impeller, or one with a cast impeller. There has been much talk about which is the best, which lasts the longest. Recently a member found the cast type at Napa.

Personally, I've been using the stamped steel type for 6+ years. You have a choice, and, hopefully, the money to make the choice.

 

I don't know if I've ever heard much on stamped vs. cast on the impeller. I couldn't find any differentiation on any of the ones listed on the parts sites. Either way, the one I got was new with a lifetime warranty, so I have that going for me I guess.

Spent most of the day in the garage yesterday, really trying to finish up on everything.

First things first, I made my new water pump match the old one.









Now, I have the thermostat housing, timing cover, water pump, and harmonic balancer installed and torqued down. Well, the HB isn't torqued yet, I'll have to do that after I install it. Pretty difficult to hit 150 ft/lbs without rotating the engine.



Next, due to how many times I'd rotated the engine over while setting the valves and getting pushrod length, I reapplied break-in lube to all of the cam lobes. They were still coated, but it gave me peace of mind.





All done on the inside so it's time for the oil pan.







I remember this last time I bought this oil pan for my '84. The two holes on the timing cover simply don't line up. Everything else about it is just right. Ignore the gasket o-rings since those can move around, but you can still see the metal holes in the cover behind them.





Clamped the oil pan to the work bench and then ground out the holes. Took about 10 minutes, nothing major.



However, as I was torquing everything down, disaster struck when the bolt on the timing cover started to do the dreaded "pop" as it tightens and then loosens again. Pulled the bolt out and all the threads came with it.



I was getting ready to go drop down around $30 on a tap and die set when, about half way out the door, I remembered that I stripped a hole in my last engine about 6 - 7 years ago on the pushrod cover, and that they used the same bolt and thread pattern as all the holes on the face of the block. (Pretty much everything for all the covers, accessories, etc. are 5/16 - 18 course thread.) Went over and dug to the bottom of my tool box and there was the Heli-Coil kit I bought back then.

First things first, I fashioned up a blockade to keep any and all aluminum shavings out of the engine and then drilled out the hole with the supplied bit.



Cleaned up all the metal shavings and then cut the new threads.



Screwed in the helicoil



Better than new. Kinda wish I had done all three.



Oil pan installed and torqued down. Thanks again to Brian-153624






Finally time to take it off of the engine stand so that I can put the clutch and flywheel on the back. I put it down on a palette and then tapped the pilot bearing in.




Now, on to the next obstacle I need to deal with. The harmonic balancer ONLY has a timing mark for the passenger side timing marks, not the main ones on the timing cover. What's up with that?? It's not installed, but I still have that little plate with the passenger side marks on it. I lined it up with the bolts, and even at TDC, the timing mark on it was way off. Like at around 16°.

What would cause the timing to be off like that? The only thing I can think of would be a defect in the balancer. When the #1 piston is at the top, it's at the top. There's no ifs ands or buts about that.

Either way, I wish I'd realized this issue BEFORE I put the timing cover on because I need to make myself some timing marks. If I had the cover off, I could perfectly line up the alignment mark on the crank gear with the mark on the cam gear and know that it's at zero.

But, now that it's all sealed up, I can only really go by looking at other stuff. Initially, I played around with the rotation until the #1 piston looked to be at the top and then made a little nick on the pulley.

Then, I realized the flywheel bolts on the back were a good way to tell. I rotated the engine and used a straight edge to verify they were perfectly lined up. It was about a 2° - 3° difference than eyeballing the piston, and I imagine a bit more accurate.



Tomorrow, I'll pull the balancer off and use a dremel cutting wheel to make a proper timing mark.


Last but not least... this picture makes me happy.



For over a year now, I've been reminding myself every time I see it to NOT forget to put that spacer plate on before installing the flywheel and clutch, and, if nothing else, at least before installing the engine. I've had it in the back of my mind for a year, and after we moved into our first house last June, I moved that plate and put it in a new spot where I could see it whenever I went out into the garage.

I even made it the first picture in my photobucket gallery so whenever I opened it up, I had a visual reminder.



And there it is, bolted to the engine. I can forget about it now, my job is done.


So, there's really not much left to do! I'm still waiting on getting an intake/exhaust Remflex gasket that isn't ruined, and it should be here Tuesday. Then, I'll cut it to match the ports on the head. After that... I should just about be ready to go.
Very close.

 

Very nice.

I'm curious whether you use a 10" or 11" clutch.

I stripped the same bolt hole on the t.cover. That's odd. I wonder how many guys have stripped that one.

Good job, AB!

 

I got an 11" clutch, which, if I remember right, was stock on the Broncos due to all being four wheel drive. Could be wrong.

I wonder if there's a weak spot on the timing cover in that hole. As I said, I kinda wish I had done all three. Granted, if all goes well, I won't be taking the oil pan back off in a long time.

 

Just pick up a spare timing cover and do it to all three on that . Then if there is an issue in the future just swap covers. And if you don't have a spare cover I'd be more then happy to sell you one.

I'm personally not a fan of red in general, I'm a Ford corporate blue guy myself. But the red and black is looking good.

On the dampner I like to make a mark on the front face of the outer ring and the center hub. That allows me to keep on eye on things and make sure the outer ring hasn't spun. I've had a couple that had the outer rings spin. When that happens the timing marks are pretty useless.


Hopefully you'll get a good undamaged gasket this time.

You are getting soo close! Do you plan to drop the engine in first and then install the manifolds? Or completely assemble it then drop it in? I get a little paranoid with the aluminum intakes. So I like to wait to install them until the engine is in place.

 

Not a bad idea on the timing cover. Although, I figure if I ever strip another hole, I can just fix it at the time. Granted, I have cracked a cover before, and it'd suck to not be able to find a replacement. Might not be a bad idea to have a spare.

As for the color, Ford blue's never been my favorite, so I wanted to personalize it with something I like. I decided to go with Ford red since that, at least, is somewhat "original". I'm a big fan of the color scheme, and so is my wife, so I guess that's all that ultimately matters. And, again, the garage fluorescent lights really screw with the red in the pictures and give it a pink look.

Good idea on making marks to be sure the inner and outer rings of the balancer are lined up with each other. I'll do that.

In the past, I've always installed the engine, and then the manifolds. It just seems like it'd be easier to deal with. However, I might try installing them first and see how that goes. With the port and polish, I definitely want to be sure they're all lined up properly. That's easy with the intake, since it has alignment pins, but the EFI manifolds don't. There's a lot of wiggle room and room for error on those. And it'd be a lot easier to get them lined up when I'm not leaning over the fender. But, we'll see.

 

The current engine drove its last mile today. At least in my Bronco.

 

You can stick a long ratchet extension in one of the crank lightening holes to lock it in position so you can torque the damper bolt to spec.

 

Guilty as charged I remember this happened to me when I went threw my rebuild.

 

Let me know if you need an extra hand.

 

At the moment, I have that on my to-do list for when I get it installed. Should make it easier.

Will do, thanks!

So far, things went really smoothly today.