I am a bit confused. This special bolt, is it just longer or does it have a hole in it? I hope I didn't miss something critical when I first put it together. There is oil up there.. is there one on each side?

 

There is one per side.

If they are the correct ones, it will have a reduced diameter that starts just above the threads and goes to something like 1/4-1/2 inch below the head.

Also, there is a pretty specific procedure for removing and installing the shafts. If you don't have a manual, post back and I can type it all out. (Although I'd prefer not to have to)

 

Look down the hole on the head where the rocker shaft bolt goes in. You will see a diagonal hole above the threads this is the cylinder head oil gallery. The special rocker shaft retaining bolt is necked down and oil flows up around it and into the rocker shaft to oil the rockers. This necked down bolt is a bit longer than the others. The rocker shaft holes need to point down so this oil drains out and back to the oil pan. This oil gallery is the one we restrict to reduce the amount of oil in the upper engine. So much oil is pumped up there sometimes the oil pickup sucks air and starves the bearings at high RPM or is you are a bit low on oil.

 

Yikes! I don't know if my engine had that.. oh man. I'll have to take another look at those bolts, but I'm pretty sure I don't have those in there now. I wonder if the motor has been damaged? I want to go ahead and get a new set of bolts for it (or a correct one from the junkyard). Is it possible I may have spun a bearing?

 

The worse would be no oil to the heads. That would cause worn/failed rocker shafts and stuck valves sinse none of that would be getting any oil. Hmmm we may have discovered the cause of the damaged push rod??? I really hope that when the valve met the piston the valve was not bent and the piston not damaged. Time for a tear down to the piston. Go over the head and be sure the valves move freely, that the seals are not cooked. Man I hate it when this stuff happens. Post back! Please!

 

Well, I can see that there is oil up there in the heads.. whether it dispersed properly is another question. Everything was pretty oily when it came out. I'm pretty sure I had all the bolts that were in there before. Since I am in doubt of the current bolts, they will be replaced with known, correct bolts. I'm pretty sure something happened with my #7 exhaust valve.. it's still stuck open. The head is coming off tonight or tommorrow morning - depending on the weather. I'll know more when it comes off. It is definitely headed straight for the machine shop when we determine what happened. I want to make sure they are thoroghly checked out.. along with the proper bolts to put back. I don't want to take it apart again.

Heh, the oil pump drive shaft is still floating around my motor somewhere. Darn thing fell in last night when I pulled the distributor. Second time it happened.

 

Funny, I must have taken apart an FE at least 10 times, and never once did the oil pump drive shaft fall down into the motor. It usually stayed right in the oil pump.

Isn't there a press-on star washer on the shaft that keeps it from being pulled out of the oil pump? I seem to remember seeing it on at least a FEW stock FE motors...

If it isn't there, then that might be the problem. Or at least, a fix for the problem.

ak

 

Mine doesn't have a press on washer. I didn't get one when I bought a new driveshaft. I wonder if my driveshaft has that capability?

 

I'm pretty sure I've seen them on FE's. It's a little washer with tabs on the INSIDE that hold onto the shaft. The washer sits on the shaft, just below the area where the bottom of the distributor gear rides in the block. That way, when you pull the distributor, the washer keeps the shaft in the oil pump and it can't come out with (and fall out of) the dizzy.

ak

 

Okay, well as yours talking about the oil pump drive shaft falling out, Yes that samething has happen to me many times so the last time, I put the shaft and pump in place with that star washer at the top with about 1/8- 3/16'' up and down play. Now
remove the pump and shaft carefully clean the washer area with some spray carb cleaner let it air dry. Now,I like to use JB Weld epoxy, mix enough to cover around the bottom of the star-washer
and turn the shaft so the washer is at the bottom and wait for it to setup good before installing it, washer up.. And your shaft troubles are over for ever...('_') Now a guy, I knew had the same troubles. It's seams that the M-Shop that did the heads screwed up and did not have the enough Valve-guide clearance so this could be your problem. I have also done this but caught it before starting. The upper end of the push rod came out place and slide just under the rocker arm as, I was tighting the 4 R-shaft grade(8) bolts you can tell this by the 3-little slash marks on the top of the bolt head. Now to check for bended push-rods just roll them on a good flat surface 0.20 is Max use a feeler ga. to check. You should have pre oiled the eng. by using a 1/4 deep socket, with ex-long shaft in a hand drill before you try to start it. check oil at rockers and a oil-ga. Now check to see if all your push rod are oiling and turning after it's running and oiling ok before put on the valve covers. That one long bolt where the oil feeds the rockers looking at the engine driver-side long bolt would be the 2nd one and the 3rd on the left side. Check your oil for a lot of little silver pieces if you think you spun a bearing it will show in the pan... thats my 2 cents
Rich

 

I'll probably end up pulling the pan maybe this weekend if my work area isn't too flooded from Isabel. I will have a look to see if my oil pump driveshaft has a way to be clipped in. It sounds like there would be an "e" clip that holds it in place? If mine doesn't have that, I'll try to locate one and set it in... hopefully ending that problem.

My friend took my head last night.. the one with the stuck valve to take it apart and see whats going on. I should hopefully have more info soon for everyone.

In the mean time, I am wondering where I might be able to locate the proper Ford bolts for the rocker arm shaft that have been mentioned. Is this something I can go to Ford for? Think I might have better luck in a Junkyard? I don't know if the Junkyards have anything that old around here.. they might..

 

The 390 in my Monterey did the very same thing to an intake pushrod, the problem was a wiped cam lobe on the exhaust of the same cylinder. It would let the intake charge in, but after two or more cycles, there would be too much pressure in the cylinder for the pushrod to stand in trying to open the valve against the pressure. Check the cam lobes for wiped ones, if you had one "ticking" after the initial breakin, then one's probably wiped. I've got some extra rocker bolts somewhere if you need them. email me at baddad457(No Email Addresses In Posts!)

 

hey,1970f2504x4 is the motor still in the truck?

 

The oil pump drive shaft does have a press on star washer...let me tell you from ecperieince you should pull the pan and put it on...what can happen is that you pull the distributer...the drive shaft pops out of the oil pump...but just a little...you put the distributor back in and it is "driving" nothing...no oil pressure!!

The press on sar washer goes on far enough up the drive shaft (from the bottom) as to keep the drive shaft from coming out when you pull the distibutor. Must be done from oil pan side.

Good Luck.

 

Well, finally have an update.

The head sat at the engine shop for a while, and it wasn't touched. The guy seemed to think the carb mixture caused it to hang up. A buddy of mine who also does machine work, disagreed. I got the head back from the machine shop and we pulled it apart to measure everything. Turns out the Valve guides were bored out, and it was a pretty crappy boring job. It seemed to be not-as-bored out in certain spots... and had too-tight of a clearance where the valve hung up. It looks like we can hone everything out nice and slap it together (properly, of course.. checking measurements, clearances, etc) Hopefully in the next week or so, I'll actually have a smoothly running truck!!

Oh.. yeah, with the distributor.. when the pan comes off.. that sucker (oil pump drive shaft) is going in right..