Big Blue's Transformation

[85lebaront2]

Looking at the left engine perch I would say the mount was moving on it from the look of the surface. Why the F##k did he cut the top piece out of the crossmember, even with the D44 under there he should still have been able to get an 18mm box wrench in to hold the bolts, granted with the engine installed he would have to use another one to turn those lovely prevailing torque nuts.

Those bolts look like hardware store stuff too, the right side ones look better, are those the ones you put in?

[salans7]

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

Now we come up with a plan to un-£π( ¥ this cross member.

Scott's welding skills are going to be very handy for Gary.  😉

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, we need a plan to rectify what  did.  (Check the smiley list near you.  )

Bill - I agree that the left perch looks to have been getting rubbed by the mount.  Which MIGHT account for the clunk I frequently got.  Perhaps it torqued up and then fell back down when doing a tight turn.  

And, they are hardware store bolts.  The right side ones  put in, and the new-looking left side I put in.

Jim - Yes, Scott's welding abilities are going to be very much appreciated.  It looks to me like I can leave the bolt holes in the crossmember and cut just above them.  Perhaps something like this, but with rounded corners:

[85lebaront2]

Do you still have the perches from the "huck", if you do I would use them to sidestep any issues with distortion on BB from .

[Gary Lewis]

I don't know that I saved the perches from Huck.  I think they were riveted in and it was WORK to get them out.  (Reference to Maynard G.)

But it doesn't look like  did more that remove, paint, and re-install the perches, so I hope they are good.

Having said that, I did discover today that the rivet way at the bottom was drilled out from the back side but not punched out nor was a bolt put in to replace it.  

[Ford F834]

Gary I see that you have a donor cross member? It occurred to me that my 89 parts truck may be able to donate one, but it looks like you have it covered. If you do need anything else let me know, I might not always catch it in your thread 🙂

[ArdWrknTrk]

He has the front clip of the D60 donor (from behind the rear perches of the front springs)

What I want to know, is where does he get the energy and enthusiasm of a man 1/3 his age?

[Gary Lewis]

Jonathan - Jim is right.  The kindly man at the salvage said "why don't I just give you the whole thing from rear spring perch forward".  So when I arrived he picked it up w/a fork lift and set it on the trailer in one piece, D60, springs, frame, steering box, tie rods, pitman arm, panhard rod, etc.

But, thanks anyway.

Jim - Thanks, but not to be sentimental I've realized that my days are numbered, and the number isn't very large.  It is true of all of us, but in our youth we tend to think the number is close to infinity.  In my case I've lived at least 3/4's of my years, and the last ones are going to be more difficult than the earlier ones.

However, I have a LOT more that I want to do, so I'd better get cracking.  

[Gary Lewis]

85lebaront2 wrote

I see someone tried to duplicate the electric fuel pump switch with a MOPAR one. That sure looks like a 2.2L carbureted engine oil pressure idiot light and choke heater switch.

It also looks like they used ARP bolts on the intake. Factory usually had studs in the 4 corners so the intake would go down straight.

Bill - Sorry, I missed your post.  Yes, I put the Mopar switch on, at your recomendation.  And, I do think the intake bolts are ARP.  Probably won't get to use them on the lower plenum?  Are they different?  Longer?

[85lebaront2]

I think they are the same, I used the ones off the donor vehicle. The engine builder used ARP 12 point bolts on the new engine, but I had to reuse one of the original bolts where the coil bracket sits.

ARP only shows 1 set for the 385 series intakes as far as size (there are actually 3, Hex Head, 12 point black and 12 point stainless).

[Gary Lewis]

Bill - I still want to get the stainless set created, and would like to use stainless for the plenums.  If so I'll sell the ARP's with the intake.

Are you still interested in a stainless fastener set?

[85lebaront2]

Yes, you might want to send him that one odd intake bolt for the EFI lower plenum to see if he can do anything with it.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Reduced head T40, just like the Windsor's?

[Gary Lewis]

One odd bolt?  I’ll have to go dig them out to jog my memory.

In the near future I’ll get serious on the SS bolt kit. My plan is to list the bolts needed on here and let’s agree which ones are different from carb to EFI. Then I’ll send samples of the different ones to TotallyStainless with a list of the other ones needed as well.

Sound like a plan?

[85lebaront2]

No, double ended, long end 3/8-16, short end 5/16-18. It is located at the rear center location on the driver's side (what would be the back side of the exhaust crossover on a carbureted manifold).

[ArdWrknTrk]

So, a stepped NC stud.

Yeah, I don't think someone who's pulling kits together from stock is going to find anything like that.

[Gary Lewis]

Ahhh!  Yes.  Now I remember.  Thanks.  In a few days I'll start that list and we can cuss and discuss it to get it right.  Then I'll go back to TotallyStainless and get that kit going.  

But, right now we are "out and about".  Had an optometrist appointment this morning, so checked and the D60 was ready.  It is now in the back of Blue.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, UPS is supposed to be delivering something from Sky's Offroad.  

My thinking for the next couple of days is to run the leak-down test on the 460.  That should let me know if the short-block is usable.  Then I'll roll it back in the corner and roll the truck into the shop and start pulling the D44.  And hopefully that'll go well and I can be in a position to address the crossmember.  I'm guessing that catching Scott will be easiest on Saturday, so will see if he's available then.

[Gary Lewis]

Good news, bad news, and no news, in reverse order:

No: The UPS man hasn't come so I don't have the RSK, shocks, & panhard kit.

Bad: The preliminary leak-down tests on Big Blue's engine are really poor.  I'm hoping that I did something wrong and will test again tomorrow with more precision, but it doesn't look good.  There appears to be very little, if any leakage at the valves, but lots of leakage into the sump.  Here's the leakage:  

#1: 47%
#2: 26%
#3: 46%
#4: 34%
#5: 50%
#6: 38%
#7: 19%
#8: 18%

Good: The front diff is home!

[Gary Lewis]

Oh, and one of the things I'll do tomorrow is to accurately mark the balancer.  I noticed that the engine didn't want to stay on TDC with air on it, so I installed the piston stop and checked #1: it stopped at 4 degrees BTDC & 9 degrees ATDC.  That's a total of 13 degrees, or 6 1/2 degrees for the mid-point.

By my calculation the balancer is 2 1/2 degrees off.  In other words, the TDC mark is actually 2 1/2 degrees ATDC.  Right?