I finally got the gas tank out. The baffle is rattling around inside so time for a new tank. If there are any thoughts on a poly tank vs metal I would like to hear them.

Because of the way it is organized This site is hard to find specific solutions without digging through a lot of posts. I am going to try and help make the searches easier at least for what I post.

I learned some things taking out the tank that might be helpful to others who don’t want to remove the cab. Here is what I did....

• If you can remove the nuts from the tank straps do so, otherwise cut them off or use a nut splitter if they are too rusted.
• Loosen the bolts on the running board bracket at the rear of the tank, running board bolts and frame bolts. You do not need to remove the front bracket.
• Disconnect the fuel line using a crows foot flare nut wrench as per my previous post and the fuel sender wire and ground.
• Put a Jack under the back of the tank so it is lightly supporting the tank.
• Undo the 2 running board bolts and the 4 bolts holding the bracket to the frame making sure the tank remains supported.
• Remove the rubber trim around the filler neck and reach in to separate it from the tank. I just cut the rubber connector instead of messing with trying to reach the nuts on the clamps which turned out to be seized anyway.
• Lower the Jack about 1/2 way until the tank starts to come clear of the top of the bracket.
• Wiggle the bracket around until it comes free. The tank strap is still attached at the top so it takes a little twisting and tugging. If you can reach the Cotter pin and the retaining pin is loose enough to tap out or pull out you can remove the strap and then the bracket will just drop out by itself.
• Now that the bracket is free lower the tank just a little more and move to the front of the tank. Slide it rearward until it comes free from the front bracket and slide across the Jack until it is centered enough that you can lower the Jack the rest of the way and lift the tank off.
• That’s it, easy peazy. I assume this is the same for other years where the tank is mounted under the cab on the drivers side.

Have fun!

Key Words:

gas tank removal
removing gas tank
gas tank running board brackets
removing filler neck
dropping gas tank
dropping tank

 

Big day today. Engine is ready to come out! Will definitely be out this week. My neighbor is going to use his Bobcat to pluck it out and is coming in the AM to set up a plan.

@Harrier thanks for the tip on that retaining pin. I definitely would have screwed that up. It is just floating in there and as you said easy to lose track of. Thank you!

I nearly nominated myself for a Darwin Award. I took out the transmission by myself. Someone on here said it was about 100lbs and I figured I could manage it with a Jack....not so much! I am not the man I used to be. I got it out without any injuries. It rolled off the Jack and slid down the back of it to the floor, no damage done. I was at least smart enough to be sure I wasn’t directly in the line of fire.

Looking forward to the next phase of cleaning everything up and getting the replacement engine ready for install.

 

Glad I could help. It's such a little pin and so easy to lose track of.
Also, be sure to cover the top of the transmission. I had the shift lever off for a while and every time I saw it I told myself I should cover it. Well, one day I was working on the wiper motor and dropped a screw. I couldn't find it and was close to dropping the transmission to look for it in there. Fortunately, it managed to drop all the way to the ground and I found it before dropping the transmission. Pretty quickly covered it with a rag after that.

Let me remind you, we love pictures. Be sure to take pictures of the engine removal and share with us.

 

First thing I did was stuff a rag in there!

WILCO on the pics.

 

Here are just a couple of pics, pre removal. It certainly explains why the engine is seized! I have never seen a top end like this that has been sealed up. Check out that corrosion.....No oil anywhere. When I removed the oil filter there was almost no oil in it. The pan was full. I am guessing a bad oil pump?

I will spend some time on it once the other engine is sorted out and in the truck. Very nervous about the compression test and finding out I have a bad replacement motor.....

 

Took the rocker assembly off so we could get at two head bolts to lift out the engine. Here’s are some more pics of a crack on the assembly at the #4 cylinder and one push rod. The push rods were stuck in place. I still have 3 that won’t come out.

How do the top end oil tubes come out. I got one end out but the long part that goes into the head won’t come out. Pic also below.

 

Yeah I'm not fixing that motor. If by some miracle it looks OK when you pull the head great, but don't hold your breath.

 

I'm with fatfenders on this one , the odds of it being salvageable without a bore job and having everything else replaced is slim .

 

I have no expectation that this motor is salvageable at all. I am guessing my biggest problem is going to be how to get rid of the block. I have a replacement motor that was said to be running well when I got it, I am just hoping it has decent compression and there are no issues there.....I am not up for a multi thousands rebuild on an IL 223 and I really don't want to go down the path of a V8 swap and all the additonal expense and labor that comes with that....I will know later this week I hope!

 

Believe it or not I am strongly considering building one for my next truck build with a couple hotrod parts to make it less boring. Those motors are around not locked up. And I just checked, cast iron is selling for 16 cents a pound. You'll find somebody to haul it off. I'd still pull it apart for the experience and you can snag some useful parts.

Don't let me bring you down with my negativity, but I really have rebuilt about 100 engines and I'm pretty sure I see a money pit here. You'll know when you get the head popped off. If absolutely everything needs work you scrap it and move on. Plenty of other things to do on the truck if this derails you a little while.

 

I rebuilt my 215 I6. Actually rebored it to 223 cid to take advantage of cheaper, more available, replacement parts. It cost about $2300. The valve train, head, block, crank, and cam were worn but didn't require any unusual repairs or expense to get them back into good shape. My truck was used and abused for sure in its lifetime, but I must say, the engine internals didn't look as rough as yours.

I don't have any experience with flat head V8's, but I'm satisfied with my lowly I6 and don't regret the money spent to rebuild it. It has comparable power to the V8's available at the time, and as 'fenders mentions, they can look pretty cool with a fancy finned aluminum intake and twin glass bowl Holley 1904 carbs.

Good luck.

Jim

 

You're a bad Fordman if you don't appreciate a Ford flatty's nostalgia. But the design is flawed by even early 1950's standards. The intake and exhaust port design make it impossible to get real performance without spending a fortune. The V-8 flatty was cool for sure but no big performance upgrade from the Flat 6. It's a rare thing when somebody daily drives one for long. You have to want it and make sure everything is as like new as possible. OHV was a huge step forward.

 

Fenders, you've seen right through me! I was never a Ford man (or boy for that matter). Growing up my dad had a 55 Olds with a 202 hp Rocket 88 that went 108 mph. Sure I learned to drive stick on the Ford Panel, but the Rocket 88 was my much preferred ride. When the original 55 Olds wore out sometime in the late 60's, my dad found another one with 17,000 miles that he drove into the 80's. Then came a 1965 Olds 98 LS that was running and driving until he died in 2003. My first car was a 1959 Plymouth Sport Furry with dual exhaust, a four barrel, and swivel bucket seats. My last car was a 2001 Olds Aurora 4.0. Lately I've been driving Jeeps. The only Ford I've ever owned is my dad's CG panel.

Jim

 

If I wind up in a rebuild, which I hope I don’t then some cool stuff will have to be added. I have a Holley Sniper on my Camaro and the reliability and consistency can’t be beat. Never going back to a carb on a performance car.

I would have to put a one barrel Sniper on the 223, upgrade the distributor and probably change the cam....but now I am spending money I hope I don’t have to...

Fun to think about though!

 

We better stop derailing this build thread I am enjoying. I'll wait for the results of the teardown and try to talk him into finding a replacement 223 if necessary.