This is killing me guys. About a month ago my teflon (plastic; thank you Ford) timing gear on the cam stripped out and trashed my engine. It's a 1988 5.0 V-8. I found a rebuilt 302, but as it turns out, it's an older block. I have been a month fighting the weather to work in, and solving one problem after another. I put my own intake on it to maintain fuel injection. I have had to over come EGR and AIR problems to make those systems work. Now I am confronted with the problem of the water pump. It has an older clockwise water pump and timing cover on it but my belt system will turn it counter clockwise. I would simply put my old timing cover on it but there is no hole in the block for the oil dipstick. I cannot figure out a way to re route the belt to reverse the rotation of the water pump. Obviously the timing cover on it has the oil dip stick. I heard rumor of a kit or template to drill the hole for the dipstick in the block. Does anyone have information about this? Does anyone have any ideas about what to do. I have been fighting this at least a month and I am at my wits end. About one more thing with this !*&^% engine and I'm pushing the whole thing in front of a train and buying a Dodge! Please help. Someone??? Anyone???

 

B.C. Broncos used to sell a bi-directional water pump for the 302 to allow early Bronco owners to swap to a serpentine belt and accessories without the headaches of dealing with all that. Haven't been to their website in a wile so I don't know if its still available.

 

Get the right water pump, use the correct timing cover.

 

Search for a Ford 302 bi-directional water pump. Drilling should be your very last option.

 

well your in for some more fun. i suspect that the cam in that motor wont work well with the efi in your bronco so be prepared for that. Also if its a pre 81 motor the flexplate you swapped over from your previous motor wont work on it either because the imbalance is incorrect.
Not sure where you are located but perhaps you should pull that motor and find a truck 5.0 from 85-96 and then you wont be fussing with all this stuff.

 

Thanks for the info guys. I am absolutely ready to try and get my money back on the motor. I hope the guy I got it from understands. I am just finding way too many problems with this to make it worth my time and I have put a lot of time into it already and it will be alot more time if I give it back just to put it back in the order I got it.

 

where are you located? i wouldnt count on the PO taking that motor back but i am sure you could sell it to offset the cost of getting the proper engine.

also consider a 5.8 swap its actually less involved then what you have already been thru.

 

I spent quite some time looking for a compatible engine without any luck. There are plenty if I wanted something with 150k plus miles already on it. I'll check with the guy who rebuilt this one to see if the cam he put in it is compatible with the EFI and see if he can answer the flex plate question. If I can surmount these problems, I could just drill the timing cover for the front mount dip stick can't I??

 

Located in Oregon.

 

I have also been told that a 5.8 will not work either due to bolt patterns and all that. Any input on that? I've got an AOD behind the motor FYI.

 

smack who ever told you that real hard

i used to own an 88 bronco, 302/aod and did a 5.8 swap about 4yrs ago now. loved it and wasnt to hard. do a search in this forum for 5.0-5.8 swap there are plenty.

what part of oregon? i would recommend going to a wrecking yard and get either a complete 5.0 from a bronco/f150 or a 5.8 from a bronco,f150,f250,f350. by getting the motor complete you talking almost a simple drop in and hook everything up and drive.

what tranny do you have in your bronco.

 

I have an AOD behind the motor. I have been told by one mechanic that it won't work and by the guy I bought the motor from that it depends upon the year of the motor as to whether the a 5.8 will bolt up to it. If I had more time to do the research and better digs to work in, this project would be a lot more of a project but this is my only set of wheels. I have a friend from work to thank, and thank a heap for a loaner while I work on this problem. Being alot more savy about the electrical would help to as far as swapping in a 5.8. For now I just need to get this engine working or get my money back on it and get mine rebuilt so that I can get back on the road.

 

Then your better options is to buy a reman late model 302 and sell both engines you have right now.

 

I live in Eugene, Oregon by the way. Why, you wanna come up and help me with this swap???

 

Can you explain to me why the cam may not work well with the EFI? I have a hard time comprehending this problem.