I'm trying to get a 302 out of a 89 bronco(automatic). I have almost everything off of it. It is free from the motor mounts, and the 4 drive plate bolts & 6 block to transmition bolts are all out. It just won't budge from the transmition. This is my first time pulling a motor, so i could be missing something stupid, but i just dont know what else to try. Any ideas\sugestions would be greatly appreicated.

 

the 4 drive bolts are the converter bolts right? some times it just takes some muscle. has it seperated at all anywhere from the bellhousing? if so get a crowbar in there to pry apart. did you remove the starter? have you disconnected the factory Y pipe from the manifolds?

 

Yes, the four bolts are at the front of the tork converter accessed thru the cover plate opining at the bottom of it. The starter and headers are out. It hasen't made even a hint of seperating. If I have gotten everything, is it just rusted in place? Should I attach a winch and just start cranking?

 

Do you have the trans supported? If not it could simply be bidding up on the dowel pins and then it will more than likely bind on the torque converter.

 

Depends on your engine/tranny combo but I recall the pilot hub on the converter tends to get stuck in the crank sometimes. Just takes a little wiggling.

 

Any luck yet?
If not......raise the tranny as far as the floorboard allows. This should get it to seperate enough to work with.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=280534

Look down towards post #19...

Most likely you're just hung up, it needs to be at the right angle to come out. Mine was a stick and yours is auto but thats ok...hopefully it'll help you.

 

Thanks all. I did finnally get it out of the truck. It was just so well stuck to the gasket that I had to put a cable and bar clamp to the front of the truck and crank the crap out of it. That and a lot of banging and swearing. once it sepperated a little (enough to get a pry bar in between) it went pretty smooth and easy.

So I am now looking at doing an overhaul for the first time. Any tips or sugestions? I am planning to replace the rings, berrings, seals, and gaskets. Is there any thing else that should be new when I put it back together?

 

Find a good machine shop and have the block tanked magnafluxed and bored if needed.
Have the heads magnafluxed and redone.
Have the crank magnafluxed and ground if needed.
Have the rods checked and resized if needed.
Machine work will run around $500

After getting the block back from machine shop, do a thourough recleaning using pressure washer, gun bore cleaning kit to clean the oil galley.

I usually recommend having the radiator rodded out. If you have a fan clutch, check and make sure the clutch is working properly. Don't want to overheat your new motor.

Add an oil pump and timing chain set to your rebuild parts. Check the motor mounts and trans mount closely for cracks and replace if needed. Now would be a good time to step up to a rv cam. Replace the thermostat, belts, and hoses and if you have any extra cash then go ahead and replace the water pump.

Not absolutely necessary but anytime I remove a motor with an auto trans behind it, I replace the trans front pump seal. They only cost a few dollars and can save leaks in the future.

Buy a good book on engine rebuilding if this is your first one.

 

Do yourself a favor and get a complete engine gasket kit and engine bolt kit. Replace your bolts, I broke two rather important bolts when re-assembling my engine. I don't believe I overtorqued them (had torque wrench), but they snapped off. I fixed it, but very difficult to fix. Also, you don't want to have to mess with trying to clean up old bolts...just buy a new set and you won't have to go to the hardware store every 5 minutes.

Put all the old hardware in bags and mark them. Keep all your parts 100% neatly organized, I can't stress that enough. You don't want to risk damaging parts, and it gets aggrivating when you can't find what you need. Keep all of your old parts until the project is done, all of them. They can be used for reference or assistance. Hey, they may even need to be reused. After awhile I threw away my dipstick and tube thinking I didn't need it, I had a new one, but the day after I kept going on assembly and found that I couldn't use that oil pan, dipstick, or tube. So I needed the original dipstick and didn't have it because I threw it away. Tracking down a new one was difficult, ford wanted way too much, I ended up finding one on summit that hardly fit, but I made it fit. Ended up being a hassel I could of avoided.

Even your tools, keep all those neat and organized...I didn't and it ended up being a pain and I'll never do it again.

Take your time and enjoy it, don't leave metal parts bare where they can rust. Keep things lubed to prevent rust. If you cover the engine, make sure it can get ventilation. Thats all I can think of for now...

 

it costed just under $700. for mechine work for my 302 .i got it back tues. it takes about 3 to 4 days for them to do your motor.
when you put your motor back together dont forget to get a pisten ring compressing tool it a big help putting them in .
i got my kit though carquest (enginetech master rebuild kit) 200. to 500. dollars depending on what you get in the kit

94 f150 302

 

Excellent advice. Try to save/not destroy anything you can.
I broke my oil dipstick tube while taking off the stock exhaust. Thought I'd get a new one for a few bucks. Ford wanted $70 for a replacement dipstick tube and dipstick. Couldn't find one locally, so I used a piece of the correct diameter brake line form Napa. Six bucks and it had the correct nut to screw into the oil pan. Used a tubing bender to ease it around the headers; had to change the oil, add the correct amount, cut the tube off to fit the correct reading on the dipstick. Total cost, $12. (Of course I messed up the first one and had to re-do it.)

 

My dipstick went through the hole in the block, it wasn't the screw-into-oil pan type. I got it at summit for $11. Wasn't a direct fit but I made it fit with some slight modifications.

Good luck with the project, keep us posted.

 

I just saw a dipstick and tube on a peg at AutoZone for $9. It clames to be for a 302. I'm not sure if it is the right length, but ill let you know, since mine has rusted a nice hole.

Thanks for all the advise. I am currently still dissasembling, and cataloging all the parts. So far the only big pain has been the rust. My current battle is one of the timing cover bolts. It rusted in to the timing cover so tight that it snapped, then it snaped an extractor, so not I have to find the time and pacients to drill out the hardened steel extractor.

I am a little jellous of some of you guys. I would like to be doing the engine upgrades, and turning the Bronco into the mean crawler that I know it wants to be. Unfortunatly I am really just trying to get it back in srevice as a work truck, and my budget is pretty tight. I am not really familiar with the magniflux. Would I be doing my self a disservice if I just honed it and gave everything a thorough cleaning and inspection?

I did get a master kit with an oil pump, timing chain, and cam. I need to get the bolt set. How compleete are those sets? Any sugestions where to go for one? I am also looking for recomendations on headers, since one of mine decided it wanted to come apart in two pieces.

Thanks again for all the sugestions.

 

See, thats where broken bolts get to be a PITA.

I've broken two extractor bits inside of bolts, and it's really hard to get them out.

You've just gotta do whatever you can do to get it out. I have had sucess by drilling small holes near it and basically chipping the extractor piece out. I broke one of my timing cover bolts on my 302 as well, but I didn't have to fix it because I wasn't going to use it. Crap gets between the surfaces and kinda binds them together.

You'll probably have to end with drilling that hole out and install a heli-coil. These are the little things that first timers can get screwed on.

If you want to save a few bucks, I have some 302 manifolds that are in ok shape, let me know if you want them because I have no use for them. I got a set of Ford headers for my 393, they're decent. There's a few options out there, check out jegs and summit, they also have bolt kits. Ebay is a great place for getting good parts cheap.

Are you just trying to get the vehicle back on the road, where build quality is not a major concern? Or are you building the engine to run well for a long time?