Alright guys I got myself a new truck to add to the herd... 1988 F-250 351w (sd) with a C6 tranny (I'm pretty sure on that anyway...). I gave all of $125 for it and drove it home! (4x4 works as well) Well the ol' girl is tired... I have tranny and engine leaks. I lost 2qts of oil on a 75 mile drive home so I figure it's time for a rebuild!

I have never done a rebuild before so I need some help... (I've always just stolen another running engine and done a swaps before now)

1.) what special tools am I going to need? I have all the general stuff (sockets, pliars, wrenches...) Just need to know what I will need if I do all the work except machining of course...

2.) Can anyone recomend a good rebuild kit?

3.) probably going to do the "junk yard parts" swap to MAF... I know Conanski told me to do the swap to MAF later but if i want to switch to a cam with more power I thought it might be better to do the MAF during rebuild and reinstall... Any comments on MAF conversion during a rebuild?

4.) Also how hard is it to rebuild a C6? I have never done the tranny stuff myself but figured I could break a couple fix-it virginities on this fix-r-uper project. Also is there a good manufacture for a rebuild kit for these C6's????

 

How do you know it needs a rebuild? Just because it leaks oil doesn't mean it needs a rebuild. I would put a gauge on it and see what the oil pressure is and then do a compression check. You never know, you might have a healthy engine that just needs a few gaskets.

This book will answer most of your questions: Amazon.com: How to Rebuild Small-Block Ford Engines (0075478568918): Tom Monroe: Books

I also suggest that you decide how much you want to spend FIRST and then decide how you want to spend that money.

 

Cant say much about the C6 rebuild as I have yet to do much inside a auto trans.

The motor and tools, well how much do you plan on doing yourself? I have gotten very lazy as I get older and I just tell them to build me a short block ... and call me when its ready.

Short Block : your block is built ready for heads, intake, pans and, electrical ( dizzy, sensors, ect. ) They will install cam, cam bearings, main and journey bearings, crank, rods, pistons, rings. timing chain, make sure all your clearances are good and set.

Long block : Add pans, intake, electrical. Short block + heads.

If your doing everything yourself Im sure I will forget a tool or two here but here it goes:
Torqwrench Get the click kind, ring compressor, feeler gauges to check for ring gap, Ring cleaner, if getting over bored you will need to press the wrist pins to change pistons, plastic gauges to check bearing clearances, Cam install tool ( not needed if you are good at installing cams. I have used a long a@@ bolt in the past ) cam bearing install tools ( not sure what they are I always have them installed for me ) freeze plug install tool ( once more I have them install them for me ) I get a few very long smaller like pipe cleaners to clean out oil passages, Lots of rages as I happen to like to wipe and re wipe then re wipe parts to be sure things are clean.

Back when I would do a full rebuild I would not let people in the barn unless the motor was covered with a clean sheet or something. I'm not a very **** person however my first rebuild 390 ate two sets of journey bearings, spun them melted the 4 pieces in to one lump chunk, and destroyed to rods. After that I am a little crazy around a open motor.

So its how much you want to do... how much you want to spend.

 

I thinking the engine is burning oil as well as dripping it... By the rate of the oil leak and the color of my smoky tail pipe I'm thinking head gasket as well as rear main. Thanks for the book link andym... I will order it today!

well as everyone else I have a dime when i need to have a dollar to spend... So, I want to do as much as I can myself, but like I said it's my first time doing a rebuild and don't know that I'll have anyone around to help me... I have a good machine shop near me but it's $60/hr! I already have a feeler guage and a clicking torque wrench (thanks grandpa for the 50's-60's craftsman hand me down!). I thought about just doing the seals and gaskets that it needs but thought that if i was that deep in the engine it might be easier to pull it and do a rebuild (230K on engine). My only problem starting is finding a friend with a engine hoist and engine stand (my previous buddy with them moved two states away ). My only other thougths is that i wanted to switch to MAF from junk yard parts to... That would give me the ability to add a few more performance enhancing parts on that SD can't handle...

How much would a short block rebuild cost me?

 

what do you guys think about this rebuild manual???

I looked at the one Andym sent and seems like this one might be more up to date... I don't know if I need efi information but it seems like the other one might be carb only...?

Rebuild the Ford 289 302 5.0 5.0L 351 351W 351C 400:eBay Motors (item 380190391990 end time Jan-20-10 10:40:46 PST)


Does anyone know of a small block rebuild with EFI information??? Just want to make sure I have all the information I can get... knowing me i'll make a small error that was covered in another book...