[QUOTE=EagleChief;17143548]That's basically what I'm looking at doing. We just want to get it running. I don't have the time to knock it all out in one weekend. So, I do a little bit of work when I can. The truck was bought new by my wife's grandfather. When he passed away, grandma let it sit for years. I'm just trying to get it up and going for now. I have all sorts of ideas, but those won't happen for a very long time, if I'm being realistic.

We know we're going to have to put money into it, but I'm trying to do it as cheap as I can. We don't have the funds to just drop a new motor into it. So, I will spend a little here, and a little there. Right now, I'm probably looking at an intake and carburetor... if I'm lucky. The whole truck needs a crap-ton of work, engine and body. But, I'm only worrying about one thing at a time. This is my first time doing any of this, so I'm trying to learn as I go. That's why I joined this forum. I just ordered a repair manual and a "how to" book on rebuilding Ford big Block engines.

EagleChief.
. I get building on a budget. Remove the rocker arms next. Clean them really well and stick them back on. Put them motor to top dead center on number 1 firing order. Stick the pushrods back in. Put on your new manifold & carb. Do not go over a 650cfm 4 barrel. Change the plugs, new wires add oil, fuel. Battery & start this motor.
After you start it watch that it doesn't over heat.
let it run to clean the motor really well inside. Run it for 30 to 45 minutes at a thousand to 1500 rpms. If you have the money and the oil is dirty from running. Change the oil again. I would buy some junk oil & a cheap filter. Then put good oil in it when you change it.
What's next??

 

. How old are you & the wife??

 

That's what I'm going to try and do. Once I get a new intake and carb on (looking at Edelbrock Performer 2105 & Holley Classic 4 barrel, 600 CFM), then I'm going to figure out a way to inspect the gas tank. Probably siphon any gas out of it and see if there is any rust or debris in the tank. If that's the case, I'll swap it out with another one, change the fuel filters, add some gas and try and get it started. Once it's started, I'll run it for a while to clean out the insides, change the oil, and repeat... probably a couple of times.

After that, new tires, check and update brakes, then drive it around the neighborhood.

Long term, I'd like to cut it down to a short bed and lower it a few inches. Then give it a paint job.

I'm turning 39 in a couple of months, wife is almost 37. Ugh... we're about to hit that downhill slope before too long.

 

(sigh) A coupla "young 'un's."

 

Had a few minutes to play with the truck last night. I pulled the rocker shaft off and removed all of the push rods. I have them all stuck in a piece of cardboard so I know that they will all be put back in the correct position. I had 2 cans of brake cleaner that I used to spray everything down to try and get rid of some of that baked on oil. I'm going to get a wire brush(es) and some more cleaner to really get in there and clean things up. But, just spraying down everything without scrubbing, really made a difference. I can't wait to see what it'll look like when I get to scrub it real good.

I sprayed the intake manifold bolts with some PB Blaster, and just for the fun of it, tried to loosen them. Luckily, they broke loose without much fight. So, now I get to move on to removing the distributor, thermostat, and what ever else to get the intake off. Any suggestions on removing that stuff?

I know the distributor has to be seated correctly before I remove it, right? Reading my Haynes Repair Manual, I need to get the #1 piston at Top Dead Center. Looks like that piston is passenger side, front piston. I read through the procedure to get it at TDC, but being a rookie, I'm not real sure as to what I'm doing.

I attached a couple of pictures of the "after spray cleaning" of the parts.

 

EagleChief....
. First of all. When trying to break loose any old bolts... Always, Yes Always use an impact on them. Either a impact wrench or a thumping with your hand maybe tapping the end of the wrench with a hammer. The impact will break the bolt loose. By just putting pressure on the bolt. Trying to muscle it will stretch the bolt and break it off.
. I purchased a 4 barrel dual plane from Jegs. I looked at alot of them. They had a pretty good stockish 4 barrel manifold. I got my Holley Carburator from them also.
. Timing.
. You can put the engine at top dead center either before or after you tear your motor down. Read your manual several times before you attempt doing anything to you motor.
. I would take the paint job out of your thoughts for now. Get everything else finished first.
let me know if I'm helping or confusing you??

 

Removing the distributor...

Rotate the engine to #1 cylinder, TDC, compression stroke.

Your timing marks will be graduated at 10A, 0, 10B, 20B and 30B

You'll rotate the engine until the mark is at 0-but it must be the correct 0, at it comes up twice per revolution of the distributor.

You need the pointer at 0 when the rotor is pointing at #1 spark plug wire-roughly at 2 o'clock when looking from the front.

When you get it rotated to 0, mark the position of the rotor(where it's pointing) on the plastic ring. Also, mark where the vacuum advance canister nipple is pointing.

Remove the distributor, and the rotor will rotate a bit, as it disengages from the cam gear. Mark the final position of the rotor, as you will want the rotor at that position when you reinstall the distributor

 

Boy I hate rust, My enemy
I look forward to following your progress haha

 

You're not confusing me at all. Thanks for the tips! Paint is way out of the picture for a very loooooonnngggg time. Those ideas (lowering, short bed conversion, and paint) are years down the road. My main priority is getting this thing running and driving.

 

This is exactly what I needed!! Thank you! Now, my time to sound dumb... TDC, compression stroke... that is when the piston is at the top of the cycle, right? In other words, closest to the spark plug? I'm thinking when I rotate the motor, I can line up the markings and the #1 cylinder should be at the top.

 

EagleChief............
. TDC is not just just by your timing marks. Your motor can be a 180 out an your marks are lined up. 180 out is you number 1 cylinder is on the exhaust stroke instead of theach compression stroke. Set both of your pushrods into their lifter holes. Turn over the motor. When the intake rod starts to come up and starts to move back down, at this point you are starting you compression stroke. Just as the push rods hits it's down position. Check your number one piston. Keep moving it until it gets to the very topof the cylinder. This is TDC.
Did this make sense?

 

Thanks! I'll update when I get some time to work on it, again.

 

Small update.... Got a few minutes the other day to mess around with the truck. Several days ago, I was going to pull the thermostat and the distributor to prepare for the intake removal. The distributor was frozen to the motor. It was not budging. So, I got the trusty ol' PB Blaster and soaked it down where it meets the engine. While that soaked in, I removed the thermostat housing. I had to cut the radiator hose that was connected in order to remove it... no biggie, I'll be replacing hoses as I go anyway. I got the thermostat out with no issues... other than leaking a little coolant. I did drain the coolant beforehand. Man, it was nasty. After all of the gunk settled in the bucket I drained it into, there was probably a good 2 inches of junk on the bottom of the bucket.

So, I go back to the thermostat. It wouldn't budge. So, over the following 4 to 5 days, each time I'd go to the garage to get something, I'd spray some more PB Blaster around the shaft of the distributor. I went out the other day (Tuesday I think), and tried to move the distributor as it was sitting. IT ROTATED!! Woohoo! This is a big accomplishment for me!!! I was expecting the worse with this thing. After that, I was able to work it out of the engine. Now, I can start disconnecting the rest of the stuff off of the intake and then request the help of my neighbor and get that hunk of metal out of the engine.

Once that was done, I had a few extra minutes to finish cleaning up the rocker area and around the springs. Used a few cans of break cleaner and some wire brushes. Here are the before and after pictures.

 

After a long hiatus in working on the truck, I was able to finally pull the intake manifold off. Man, it was stuck on there good! Used an engine hoist to take it off. Got it hooked on and started lifting it off... it pulled the front of the truck up with it!! I finally got it to break free and out of the engine bay.

Man, this engine is a mess. There was all kinds of gunk up under the manifold. I'm afraid of what the rest of this motor looks like. I'm thinking my next move will be to pull the oil pan, if I can do that without pulling the engine, and try and clean out the crap that's in the motor. I just want to get this thing to start and run. I already bought a Holley 600cfm 4 barrel carb. Was going to order an Edlebrock Performer intake manifold this week, but now I'm not so sure.

I know the best thing would be to pull the motor, which I have no experience doing, and rebuilding it... or, having it done at a shop. But, I'd like to hope I could go ahead and get my intake and install it and the new carb, and try and start this thing and get it to run after trying to flush out all of the crap inside this motor.

 

I would check either Jeg's or Summit before Edelbrock. Make you you get a dual plane. Get rid of those lifters. Either change out the cam & lifters or just new lifters. If it has or had good compression leave the lower end alone.
. I'm doing the same thing to my little 302 in my 73 F100. I'm still thinking whether I'm going to put on a cheap set of Aluminium heads. Already have a new mild cam, lifters, manifold, carb, distributor.
I'm also in the process of installing all independent front suspension and rear suspension.
good luck.