I generally drill some holes in the bottom of the flange when I fix them, or on a truck I get that doesn't already have the rot. Holes as big as I can get away with, without sacrificing structural integrity.

 

Got an update on the paint job. Its not complete yet, but a good idea of the end result. Not looking too bad!

 

Got the bed liner done, glass and new seals in and got her home for reassembly. Hood, tailgate, bumper and some misc. pieces are still being painted but the large majority is done.

prepping the replacement bed for bed liner




first coat






Final coat




On the trailer home for reassembly

 

Looking good!

It needs some white stripes with that blue..

 

Now that the garden is in, I was able to get some more work done on the motor. Got the crank, cam and all 8 pistons installed. I did have some trouble with the rear main squirting out twice when trying to torque the rear main cap, but 3rd time it stayed with slight film of RTV on the outside of the seal for insurance. Next up is to degree the cam (comp cams 35-512-8) and continue installing valvetrain on up. Also put a torque wrench on teh crank bolt and the rotating assembly is just over 30 lbs break-away friction. probably fine for a street motor, but a race motor it is not.

IIRC due to being a hydraulic roller cam, there isn't necessarily a "break in" for the cam when first run, just the usual piston ring seating. I am thinking about running some break-in oil for the first 30 minutes or so on first start before going to 5W-30 full synthetic which will be its usual fill.

 

What heads will you be using?

 

The engine is getting a set of remanufactured GT-40 heads. Definitely not using the original E7 heads

 

Did the 302 block have a knock sensor? If so, does the 351 block have a provision for this? I'm in the midst of replacing my 302 with an older block bored and stroked to 347 with no provision for the knock sensor. I'm thinking I can just keep the sensor wired and tucked away so the ecu see's it. It's too late to have the block drilled/tapped at this point.

 

What brand bedliner did you use? Looks really uniform for a roll on. Keep up the good work!

 

All the 5.0 blocks have a hole tapped in the rear of the block and use a sensor & the 5.8s don't.

BUT, I've been running my 5.8 on a MAF/E4OD 5.0 computer & complete 5.0 harness with nothing connected to those pins.

It has registered NO codes for over 2 years, so I see no reason to sweat not having a sensor plugged in.

 

Thanks! I used Herculiner with 2-3 coats rolled on.

A question though, Does anyone know of replacement timing cover/water pump bolts that work for the 351w? Aside from going to the junkyard, the only kit so far that I have found is from LMR and it lists for the lightning/5.0. I would imagine it would work on a standard 351 as it SAYS it will replace the factory bolts and retain all accessories...for $100... LMR Timing cover bolt kit

 

It is the most complete set, you will find, still a couple long ones, missing, according to this-->5.8 Water Pump/Timing Cover Bolts & Stud Positions/Dimensions (Inside) - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

But you could use Stainless Steel all thread(stop rust), for those, I used carriage bolts with heads cut off, before GNR22, posted those bolts.

 

Got a lot more done this weekend. LMR timing/water pump bolt kit is ordered, otherwise the front would be buttoned up as well. Beginning to look a lot more like a motor! Got all the roller rockers torques to 19lb-ft and the pushrods are all nicely snug but still can rotate fairly easily. No excessive loading/depressing the lifter or too loose. Valve covers and oil pan are on temporarily in order to keep things clean









I am now starting to look into other parts of the build that would be worth doing, upgrading or replacing for maintenance. Once I clean up the lower intake manifold, I am tempted to replace the factory heater manifold thingy (E8TZ-18B402-C) with a new replacement just to keep anything from corroding through at a bad time. Additionally, my GT40 heads don't have provisions for the Thermactor air injection ports so I am looking into the smog pump delete with an idler pulley to retain a stock length belt. EGR will be retained however.

Since I am also going to go with an oil filter relocation kit, I am now looking into what size oil cooler I can find to add. This is due to removing the factory 5.8L water to oil housing from the engine for reliability and parts availability reasons. There may be a factory cooler from something in the junkyard I could use that isn't an arm and a leg...

 

You can still get a Ford cooler, F4TZ-6A642-A, for $100. You could not worry with it and run the larger oil filter. I have done it both ways without any issue regardless.

 

Are you using Comp Cam spring 986-16? I used them with their 35-510-8 cam on my 347 build. Did you measure the installed spring height? I needed .060 shims to get the 1.750" called for height. If you haven't done so, it's also a good idea to check the RR wear pattern on the valve stems with a sharpie to make sure they're riding in the center of the stem. I did a lot of reading and video watching on how to set valve lash and measure for pushrod length and verify geometry. learned a lot I didn't know! Mine is still on the stand until I recover from a torn meniscus in my knee.