All,

After replacing the oil pump in my '85 F150 (4.9L/4spd w/Overdrive) the low oil pressure and nasty knocking noises after warm-up continue to persist. I've decided to obtain a used engine (found a 4.9L out of an E-150 with 42k original miles on it) and I've got some questions about removing the engine.

Will I need a special "truck" engine hoist or will a "normal" hoist be able to clear the radiator support?

Any ideas on how much a long-block 300CID I-6 weighs?

Should I drop the tranny?

How do I pull the engine out (i.e. what do I attach the chains to)? There are some threaded bosses on the head - Do I want to use these? Wouldn't pulling it out by the block be safer?

Since the engine is coming from an automatic van I'll need to use my flywheel and tap a new pilot bearing onto the crankshaft of the new engine. I'm also going to get new belts, hoses, gaskets, and a thermostat (the clutch was replaced 8K ago)

Any other gotchas or snafus that I'm missing? Besides stuff like the TPS and emissions equipment, are there any other differences between the E150 I-6 and the F150 I-6?

Thanks very much for your help!

Scott

 

>Will I need a special "truck"
>engine hoist or will a
>"normal" hoist be able to
>clear the radiator support?

I pulled my I6 and replaced it with a 351W. I used a standard floor hoist (I have a 2WD), but I pulled the radiator just to make sure I didn't crush anything with the engine.
>
>Any ideas on how much a
>long-block 300CID I-6 weighs?
>
>Should I drop the tranny?

I don't know what it weighs, but I pulled mine without the tranny. However, I think it would have been easier with the tranny. You need to lift, pull forward, lift, pull forward (or push the truck back) several times before it clears.

>How do I pull the engine
>out (i.e. what do I
>attach the chains to)?
>There are some threaded bosses
>on the head - Do
>I want to use these?
> Wouldn't pulling it out
>by the block be safer?

I wrapped the front chain around the exhaust manifold and the rear chain all the way around the bottom of the engine. If you pull it with the tranny, you could use one of the tranny bell-housing bolts. It should be fine threading a bolt into the head. When I dropped the 351W back in, I just used a carb plate and lifted it by the aluminum intake manifold and I had the tranny attached.

Everything should swap OK. I'm not sure what the I6 looks like on the van, but make sure the sump (rear on the truck) and motor mounts are the same as the truck motor.

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

The 300 weighs in around the same weight as a 460; if you are renting an engine hoist (or buying one) get the heavier weight rating, just for ease and peace of mind.
You do not need a "truck" engine hoist if by "truck" you are thinking "Caterpillar" or "Cummins" engine. These are light truck engines and are also used in cars.

I would pull the engine/transmission assembly together; for me it's just easier to pull the driveshaft, speedometer gear, transmission mount and/or crossmember, electrical connections, and clutch link whilst lying on my back, and then separating and reconnecting engine and transmission out of the truck, on my work bench, standing up, in good light, with my tools handy.
Make sure you position both engines side-by-side and transfer all the exterior parts from old engine onto new engine.

The above post's idea of paying attention to the oil sump location is a good one...take that a step further and look carefully at the new engine's oil pump pickup location; in fact, oil pumps are cheap, now might not be a bad time to replace it.

Same preventive maintenance idea applies to front and especially rear main seal, and throwout bearing, clutch, and flywheel, and pilot bearing. If I did nothing else, I'd slap in a new rear main seal.
Ed

 

My '91 Helms/Ford shop manual goes to great lengths in a 300-6 exterior-view exploded-diagram to show a factory "lifting eye" made of 1/4" thick plate bolted to the #1 and #3(from front of engine, passenger side) exhaust manifold studs at the top of manifold--my '91 F-150 has this.

There is no dedicated factory lifting eye at the rear of the head but I would guess you'd be safe fastening a length of chain to a manifold bolt on one side at the rear of the engine, crossing the over the top parallel with the firewall, and fastening to the largest boss on the driver's side you can find with a Grade 5 bolt.

Rig some sort of sliding setup, front eye to rear mounting, because you're going to have to angle and re-angle the engine assembly several times. Jeg's and Summit both sell crank-type engine tilters, and boy do they work well.

One last thing: Is your '85 truck presently a carbureted model with a mechanical fuel pump? Is the new engine an EFI version?
I ask this because the carbureted engine has a mechanical fuel pump mounted to a boss on the side of the engine, the boss having two small threaded bolt holes and a large oblong hole for the fuel pump rocker arm.
The EFI version of the 300 still has the boss and two threaded holess but no large hole for the rocker arm because the EFI used an in-tank high pressure electric fuel pump an no mechanical pump, which means you will have to rig an inline low pressure electric fuel pump--no biggie, but it could be a stumbling block.
I'm by no means sure, but I think the intake and exhaust manifolds are directly interchangeable, and were it me, I'd keep the EFI dual-outlet exhaust manifolds and get a complete dual system bent up; otherwise, just hook everything up stock.

The EFI engine also uses a serpentine accessory-drive system; again, I think all the earlier accessory mounting bosses and threaded holes are there--generally, later engines tend to be fairly easy to retrofit earlier chassis because the factory knows that fleet users keep their vehicles on the road longer than private users, and one cost-effective method to do this is replace a worn-out/defective assembly with a factory new unit.

Ed (again)(at length)

 

Thanks very much for your suggestions. I hadn't planned on replacing the rear main seal, but hey, while i'm there...

The new engine is coming from a van with a carb - so this isn't an issue.

I'm going to rent an engine hoist AND a load leveler.

My engine doesn't have the lifting eye you speak of but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Thanks!

Scott

 

i had |6 in mine i pulled it with a normal engine hoist and had trans still attatched it barly cleared {depends on your tire size} they dont weigh all that much im big blocking mine check it out at FORDMUSTANG.radpages.com

 

Looks rough.. I used a rental hoist on a 72 302,auto..Both came out fine ( that was 1984-1985 ) laid 3/4" plywood on the ground. Seemed easy. It didn't look hard so I did it. Put another same deal back in..302 is a shorter motor. Weight should be close to the same .Now it's 2025 and want to deal with 300-6 and they look like monsters in a 1984 truck. Will remove trans & bell. And still looks huge..Have a harbor freight hoist and don't believe it Can handle it on concrete without the trans & bell..Has me spooked out big time. Feel like I need to spring for a $700. Gantry crane.. That 300-6 looks like a monster .How is 2025 different than 1984 -1985 ? The rental hoist had straight forks on the ground. HAR FRGT has angled v forks, seems too lightweight..younger back then .72 now..Maybe age is the problem (?)

 

This was an old post but sounds like you have new ??. So the long block is around 400#s add tranny and your around 750#s. From my experience it is a lot easier to remove without the front core support and pull it with a chain fall lift. To lift it over the core support, you will need a truck height lift and some short tight chains. I tied in the back to the transmission bolt holes about midway each side. The front left went low to a bolt holes for the alt supprt, the right went low to the bolt holes for ac/power steering support.