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Time for an update. The starting has been great after charging the battery and changing DS-II modules, so I advanced the timing from 4 to 10+ degrees BTDC and it still starts well.
Then I cleaned the front of the engine and everything around it to figure out where the oil leak is coming from.
At that point I took the truck up to see John, my body/paint man. He was really impressed with it. In fact, he's pretty sure that it only has 68K miles, not 168K or 268K miles. However, the truck has been repainted at some point and there are several places that have been "repaired", like over the rear wheel wells. But, he reminded me that I have the repair panels for that from when he decided to do the whole bedside on Dad's truck instead of just the wheel wells.
The bottom line is an guesstimate of $4,500 to repaint the truck, and that assumes I remove the trim, bumpers, bed liner, etc. However, he doesn't think it needs to be done any time soon as our climate is quite dry so it won't deteriorate very quickly. His recommendation was to go work out the minor details and enjoy the truck.
We are supposed to get some rain over the weekend, so today I put a garage door seal on in place of the hard and ineffective original seal. I'm going to write it up and put it on my web site with pictures from various times when I've done this as I think I have some pics that will tell the story.
But, here are some of today. First, here's a pic of what I used:
And here's the preliminary result on Big Blue. But what you can't see is that there is a big bead of Permatex's Black RTV between it and the cowl. So I won't close the hood until tomorrow until the RTV has had a chance to set.
But, you might say, the seal is wavy. So was Rusty's when I installed it, but here's what it looks like today:
Since I started driving Big Blue I've noted that there is a vibration in the cab that suggests there is something in the drivetrain touching either the cab or the frame. Looks like it is both. Here is a pic of the driver's side header touching the perch. So, do I put a dent in the header or shim the mount to raise the engine a bit?
And, here are a couple of pics showing a bolt on the back of the head that has been touching the cab, as shown by the thread indentations shown in the second pic. Anyone know what that bolt was for? I'm guessing they swapped the heads left/right and this is part of a mount for something.
I noticed today that the clutch isn't fully releasing when the pedal is all the way to the floor. So I removed the carpeted mat, and it is still dragging. But, the factory shop manual says there's no adjustment. What are my options?
And last, I cleaned half of the underside of the hood. Can't remember which side I cleaned. But, the stuff that came off was oil. I did determine that the PCV system is working, so this appears to be more proof of a front main leak leak.
Gary,
Check the plastic retainer connecting the clutch pedal bellcrank to the master cylinder pushrod.
If that $3 part is good check for firewall flex.
Chris - I don't see a way to use a hammer on the headers w/o removing them, and I don't want to do that. At best I might be able to get a pry bar in there, but you can't even get a piece of paper between the header and the perch, so getting a pry bar in there isn't going to be easy. I'm leaning to a spacer between the perch and the mount, but I'll have to see how much clearance the fan has to the shroud. I wonder if 1/4" is enough?
Jim - I started to go to the parts catalog, but then remembered I'd seen a nice page on linkages here. So, do you mean 7526?
As for the stud, I think a hacksaw is in the offing - unless it'll back out pretty easily. However, I'll have to have it out before I jack the engine up to shim the mount as it will hit the firewall with any movement.
For the hedder hitting, maybe check the condition of the motor mounts, if they are soft or cracked the engine may be torquing over causing (or worsening) the hit (on accel or decel depending on which side). If you can jack the engine up maybe try denting the hedder then, and set it back down. I found when I shimmed the motor mounts for the 351C in my truck for hedder clearance, I think I used 1/4"because 1/2" was too much and caused other interference. Alternately, if you have an oxy/acetylene torch, you could heat the hedder tube up red and try to drive a pry bar in.
Yes, the mounts may be soft. In theory I should pull them and check them out. But, for the moment I may just shim it. I could use a washer or two either between the mount and the engine or the mount and the perch.
Yes, the mounts may be soft. In theory I should pull them and check them out. But, for the moment I may just shim it. I could use a washer or two either between the mount and the engine or the mount and the perch.
Good luck with that! Before I would pull them out to check, I would just buy new ones. FWIW, Darth's are original 1986 mounts, I don't think they go bad on 460s that easily. Darth had a loose oil filter adapter bolt, sprayed the front on my Omni coming back from Gordonsville VA with it on a towbar.
Good luck with shimming? Do you think I can jack the engine up enough, with the shroud off of course, to get the bolts out of the mount and then put washers behind them?
I realize the mounts have a big stud that goes down into the perch, so it would take a lot of jacking to get that to come out of the perch. It seems easier to pull the mount-to-engine bolts instead.
Gary, I don't think you can get to them with the engine on the perches, correction you cannot get to the mount attaching bolts on a 460.
Mount before installation.
Bolts installed, note they are in a recess.
Remember, these are a whole lot bigger than the Windsors and 335s. They also extend down a ways under the pan flange.
Now you know why I never wanted headers on Darth. The stud may be plugging the old Thermactor passage, see if the other side has one in the same location, passage runs just above the exhaust ports from end to end, back ends were open for the tube, front was plugged with a threaded insert.
Good pic. But, if I pull the nut on the stud and jack the engine up might I get to the bolts? Or, might I be able to get the stud out of the perch enough to get a washer under it?
And, you may be right on the stud. I'm hoping to cut it off with a hacksaw.
I could use a washer or two either between the mount and the engine or the mount and the perch.
Instead of a washer, I'd suggest a flat plate with a slot to clear the stud. To fit a washer, you'd have to raise the engine quite a bit to get the protruding stud to clear the perch. Plus you'd have fun aligning the washer while lowering the engine.
With a slotted plate, you'd only have to raise the engine a little bit.
I'd also suggest raising the front of the frame a little and resting it on jack stands, to unload the suspension. Otherwise as you raise the engine, the loaded suspension will lift the frame and make it trickier to get the small gap you need. It's a lot easier to judge the gap if the frame is stationary.
But, the stuff that came off was oil. I did determine that the PCV system is working, so this appears to be more proof of a front main leak leak. 
So, do you mean 7526?
