7 bent push rods

Have gotten 10 lifters out. All of them were sticking. Huge difference before and after cleaning. One took about an hour to work the inner piston out of lifter body. Two more still in the block. Slowly working them up and out.

Don't know how engine still ran.
One lifter retaining clip vaporized. Working over a card board box, putting back together, shot out of lifter, bounced off my finger, and its gone. Have an ever widening radius around where I was sitting. Looking for it. Assume, if it comes to it, I can always pick up a used one from ebay or JY and just use the clip.

Disc under top outlet port. Noticed that some have the inner circle facing up, some have it facing down. I'm putting back together whichever way it happen to be for each lifter, curious if it matters. Don't think it does.

Should I replace timing gear now or can it wait until cam is changed down the road?

 

Looks like you are having fun. LOL

Any clip from a Ford .875" lifter V8 or otherwise should work.
If you can find a circular snap ring that fits from a hardware store.

The timing gears should be all metal not fiber so I would leave them be for now

 

This reminds me of my '81 when I first got it.

I drove it for a few years before doing any real engine refreshing. It clicked and clattered terribly. I was young and inexperienced, so just figured that's how old engines sounded.

Finally, one day I got around to the lifters, and as like you, it took hours to get them out of the bores. The oil buildup was so bad I had to actually take the guts of the lifters out while they were still in the block, and then I could finally get a grip on them and work them up and down to cut through the old caked oil. No bent pushrods, but they were all clogged and the rockers were dry. No wonder it made noise.
Then, again in my young inexperience, I just dropped 12 new lifters in, put it back together and drove off. No break-in whatsoever, and this is with new lifters on a used cam. No idea how it survived but it was fine.

It was SOOOO much quieter, and I drove it for another 5 or 6 years.

These engines are notoriously tough for a reason. I think mine had about 250,000 to 300,000 miles on it when I got it.


Looking forward to hearing how it runs once you have it all properly oiled again.

I'm not sure if it was asked above, but I saw you had pretty extensive wear on the rocker arm tips. How are the valve stem tips?

 

Bit of wear on some of the valves with rocker slop. Some have grooves, most have at least uneven scaring.

$300 truck. Only supposed to last me couple months to a year. Lasted 15 years. I figured if the engine blew up, just get one out of junk yard. Didn't think it would last.

Only reason I stopped driving it was radiator just let go, with the virus, driving wifes car. Figured it would be a good time to hunt down all the squeaks, creeks and rattles.

 

I think if it'd be worthwhile to at least smooth them and remove any harsh edges, so they don't score new rocker arms.

 

Fine tooth file with a couple flat magnets to catch metal dust?

 

No, second thought, got an old stone set in garage. That should polish with causing too much shrapnel.

 

Comp cams quality isn't good. Some new pushrods bent, holes off center. Between originals and some new got a set that looks ok.

Will need to shim rocker arms. First couple arms put on have a gap between rocker and valve stem. Found .125" hardened steel 3/8 shims. That's worth about 3 turns. Also set of grade 8 nuts to double up.

Shim them and treat like standard adjustable (take up lash at TDC then 1 turn)?

 

If anyone comes across this and is trying to get old lifters out of a block use carb cleaner LOT OF IT!
Spray between lifter & block and let it work down, move lifter and spray some more and re-peat till out.
Dave ----

 

Appreciate all the advice.

Run around with the pushrods. New Comp Cams replacements were bent. Few other issues.....

Double nut the rockers, got all lifters cleaned up, new pushrods, 1.75 rockers, rebuilt carb, cleaned up cast flashing on head, intake, FI exhaust, setup with roughly equal length 2" mid pipes to Y with single 2.5 exhaust, Dynomax muffler. New radiator, flowkooler pump, robert shaw thermostat, fan clutch, ........

Sounds a little angry.

 

How well does it run?

 

Sounds great in the driveway!

I've got to finish off the radiator brackets and get my column back together before can take it out.

 

@pmuller @AbandonedBronco

Thanks for your advice on this last year. Been 18 months, valves rattle intermittently, truck keeps going.

Got a rebuilt head to drop in next couple months. (along with an Offy DP intake, 400CFM 4100 carb and looking real hard at a modest cam).

 

Always glad to help.

Good to hear it's still running and that you have future plans for it.
Keep us posted on the progress!

 

Glad the engine is working for you.
Cam cores are on shortage, I know big surprise. cams should be available again in mid January but get your order in because the Ford 300 six cams are gone in just a few days.
Use the Schneider 131H (13910) .464”/.464” 208/208 262/262 112deg cam or the Crower 266HDP (19213) .456”/.461” 210/213 266/274 112deg
Schneider can regrind the stock cam to the 131H specs.