Oh boy... there is a reason why this is my project, and not my daily driver! But I made some progress over the weekend. I installed my new cam bearings, new cam: Comp Cams High Energy 268H 66-248-4, the original (polished) crankshaft, timing gears, the rear oil and coolant gallery plugs, and (3) of the (6) 0.030 over pistons.

I had a really tough time getting the connecting rod lower-bearing-halves off of the connecting rod. They had been sitting since the machine shop installed the wrist pins / bearing about a (cough) year ago. They torqued those nuts down way harder than the factory torque recommendation! I eventually had to get out the bearing installer, expand it onto the bearings, and use that as leverage to break the nuts free (picture below). Even then it wasn't easy! I said a few choice words under my breath about whoever torqued those nuts down for me...


After that, the actual piston installation went pretty smooth. On the 3 that I've completed, I checked the ring gaps in the cylinders before putting them on the pistons. Everything checks out, and I have the rings clocked according to the FSM. I know it has very limited use, especially (and hopefully) for me - but I also purchased the 4.030" specific piston ring compressor / installation sleeve. I really love it so far, as they have gone in without a hiccup - but I don't have any other experience to compare it to since this is my first time.




I do have one question regarding the rear-most crankshaft main bearing cap: how to seal it properly with RTV? I have the instructions from the FSM, but the picture they show and my bearing cap don't match. The geometry and grooves are slightly different (oil slinging groove, etc.). So I didn't really know where I should apply the RTV on the cap. I applied it to the block just as they showed in the FSM, but it also didn't really make sense to me because part of it isn't even in contact with the cap (see pictures below).

Any suggestions? Or is what I did okay?

 

Your cap is a one piece rear main seal cap the diagram is for a 2 peice rear main seal cap. you want to put a small bead of RTV inline with the seal on the cap/block
See below pic on where to put it. it is in red. Be sure to seal the cap to bottom and sides.of the block.

 

Perfect! Thank you Matthew. I will remove this bearing cap, remove the RTV that I applied, and re-apply based on the photo you provided.

 

Just a suggestion after you torque the main caps down and check thrust go ahead and turn the crankshaft by hand and see that all is well before buttoning it up the oil pan and everything.

 

Does this look better for the rear main cap?

 

Also, I have (2) different rear main seals (can't remember the reason why....)

One is from the rebuild kit I got from EngineTech (the orange one), and the other is from a FelPro kit (the red / darker one). The seal from FelPro is manufactured by National (stamped on the seal). Any experience with either? Is there a big difference in performance?

Or, is there a 3rd option I should use instead?

The biggest differences I see are:

1. The EngineTech seal has a larger "depth" (measured from face of block)
2. The EngineTech seal has a (I'm guessing) rubber overmolded on the OD which is press fit into the block / cap. The National seal isn't overmolded, but has some sort of coating which appears to be sprayed on the bare metal of the OD (maybe some sort of Loctite?)
3. The sealing lip of each has a slightly different geometry to the other. Not sure if that makes a difference.

Any thoughts? I searched online and saw that generally people recommended National - but that was for other applications (not specifically the 300-6) Here are some pics of the differences. Thanks!

 

Nothing special here; installed my rear main seal, tans inspection cover, and flywheel. Started sorting through the next parts to be installed, cleaned some of them up (including the main engine bay wiring harnes... FUN!). Also did some touch up painting on some parts that got banged up during the move.

 

I do have a question about my engine bay wiring... I was cleaning the wires (to be able to identify the color code) as well as the connectors. Everything was covered with crud since the it hadn't been cleaned in 30+ years. All of the retention clips for the connectors have been snapped off from impatient disassembly years ago, I see some bare copper at a couple wire ends just before entering the connector, and of course the pins themselves have a good amount of corrosion.

I am considering re-terminating the wires and replacing the connectors (both male and female). My question is: am I okay to re-use the existing wires? Or should I basically create a brand new harness with new wires, pins, connectors, etc.?

I could use my current harness as reference for lengths, pinning, etc. if I make a new one. I am able to identify the base color of each wire, but some of the hashes, dots, lines are difficult to see (worn off). But using Gary's site for electrical, I think I should be able to identify everything confidently. The benefit I see with a new harness is that I won't worry about any unseen internal damage to the original wiring (breaks, corrosion, etc.). The downside is, I won't have the original colors to reference in the future - so I'd want to document everything - more work and higher chance of mistakes. I was also planning on testing the existing wires for resistance.

Any thoughts?

 

It's a tuff call.
If you start splicing new wire to old you could have a failure point at the splice.
You may also have to go back into the cab to get so called good wire.
Then as said you now have different color wires, what maybe 3 or 4 different colors that you can buy but have say 20 wires to replace, so you now use that same color 3 or 4 times.

If me and depending on how bad the harness is and money I had I would replace the whole thing with a kit like Painless but I don't have that money.

So I would reuse what I had and fix as needed.
If you wanted to replace male/ female plugs weather pac are nice and easy to install with the right tools.
The ones you can't replace clean them the best you can and reuse.
The broken "safety" I would not worry about them. If you feel they will come apart use a small wire tie to hold them together.
If some wire is showing at the plug end use liquid electrical tape it comes in different colors and can be brushed on up into the plug.
Dave - - - -

 

Too much work to rebuild one if you ask me, I think you're best off repairing what you have.

I wouldn't necessarily replace any terminals unless I had to, I'd first try soap + water followed by electrical contact cleaner a file/wire brush. Dielectric grease in the connectors on final assembly (to repel water).

 

Thanks guys. The liquid electrical tape is a good idea for the bare copper at the connector. The corrosion really isn't too bad on the terminals that I've cleaned up so far. I will try to re-use them even without the safety clips. I don't expect they will come apart with the way I drive, and I can use the wire tie as suggested just in case.

I do need to replace the Nomex I cut off of the Engine Temp Sender (it was soaked with oil, beyond cleaning) and I want to buy some split loom for the rest of the harness. Do I need nylon (hi-temp) split loom or is the "normal" stuff okay to use? I'm guessing the normal stuff is okay - it had a pretty high temp rating, anyway - and nothing will be close to the exhaust (only the sender wire, hence the Nomex).

I took a few pictures of the harness before cleaning (just for my own reference). Someone spliced in new wire for the Oil Temp Sender - I will probably put heat shrink wrap over these splices. I also found my electric choke assist wire zip-tied and hidden... I always assumed it was cut off / missing



Splice under zip-tie

My lost electric choke assist connector!!!

 

Gritty hand cleaner does a good job on grease like that.

I use the normal loom stuff, nothing fancy.

 

Your build still hibernating? I need one of you guys to get back to work on your trucks so I have something to do while I'm waiting to work on mine. I was reading a build thread the other day about the mis-adventures of el guapo. I started not feeling as bad about my truck when I was reading all the rough patches he went through. Then nothing, story ended in the middle. Run into that a lot here. Threads die and members disappear. Having said all that, I'm just letting you know that I'm going to need a little closure, so post more pics soon, give an update or two.

 

Haha my thread isn't dead (see my signature) but how the heck has it been 4 months since my last update??? And sadly, not much to report. I've been removing parts, cleaning parts, taking inventory of parts, and ordering new parts! Including an Offy DP intake with heating adapter plate from another member here (thanks!). Spent like 1.5 hours scrubbing the bell housing. I know it will get dirty again, but I don't like handling oily / dirty parts with my hands all the time. I also removed the engine perches from the frame crossmember, cleaned them up, prepped and painted with POR-15. MAN I like this stuff so far! Makes me wish I had used it on the frame way back when. Might still do it, and remove the bedliner a section at a time from front to back as I'm working on the truck. Let's see, but I have it in my head.

 

That little storm did a number to people out on the cost. Even places more in land, Kinston, still show signs of the storm.
I am about 30 min SE of Raleigh and we were luck and only lost power for a day but had a generator for the Frig & a light or 2.
As long as the family is ok the truck will be there when you have time for it.

It is still winter (Feb) during the week it is nice and some what warm but weekends have been cold & rainy so not much getting done on mine either with no heat in the garage.
Dave ----