Saturday, February 15, 2025

Swapping the Engine in the '67 F250 Part 7

I've been really sick again, all last week, with something that shows negative on a covid test but for all intents and purposes is the same. Even now I don't feel great, which is why I'm writing this on a Saturday afternoon, instead of pushing the project forward. 

To recap, at the end of part 5, the engine was pretty much ready to go back into the F250 and, in part 6  I cleaned up the intake manifold and painted it gray. Last weekend I was ready for the next step, which began on Saturday morning with lifting the engine off the stand and setting it down on a dolly:


At this point Amy and Cameron Sheep were off skiing in Truckee, and Samuel Sheep was yet to emerge from his bunker, so I thought I may as well trial install the flywheel and clutch. The first thing to note is the F250 came to me without a block plate (aka separator plate) between the engine and the transmission. The purpose of the plate is to align the starter, and to protect the engine from debris in the event of a clutch blow out.....which means the starter was probably not ever correctly aligned.

I need a block plate that fits a small block Ford V8 with a manual transmission and accommodates the 164-tooth flywheel/bellhousing combination - this is a little bit unusual since most engines use a slightly smaller 157 tooth flywheel/bellhousing combo. I did my best to order the correct block plate:


This is just a trial install, so I just used one bolt to attach the flywheel:


Then I hit the first snag. The bellhousing attaches with six bolts and two studs. The studs can either be inserted into the engine block or into the bell housing...but not both as was actually the case. This came about because the bell housing was previously attached to the other engine block. Fortunately, I was able to punch the extra stud out of the bell housing without damaging it:


With the bell housing installed, it was immediately obvious that I did not have the right block plate....the one I bought looks like it would fit the 157-tooth flywheel. This was a bit disappointing, but luckily not a barrier to dropping the engine back into the truck. It's actually easier with fewer parts as the engine is lighter and less bulky.


After taking these parts back off I went inside for a coffee and trawled the interwebs for the correct block plate. Then I went back downstairs and, since it was now well after midday, I roused Samuel Sheep from his pit, and after a short interlude, we headed outside. Sam took the next few pictures:


Going once...


Going twice....


Sam had to put the camera down after the above photo because I needed a second pair of hands to help align the engine mounts with the crossmember. It was during this exact part of the operation that our neighbor came over to ask if we had seen her cat; she seemed entirely oblivious to the danger of what we were doing....


This is with the hoist removed and the engine is attached to the chassis with bolts at each engine mount. When I got the F250 the engine wasn't bolted down, it was just held in place by the other components...!


The radiator went back next...

 
With added fuel pump, oil pressure sender and extension:


Installed the main drive pulley:


Added the water pump:


Here's a trick for precisely aligning the intake manifold that I learned from one of the guys in BAMA. First, you install threaded studs in the four corner bolt locations; they should be threaded enough to be secure, but should not be tight: 


Then place a tall bead of gasket sealer at the front and rear mating surfaces:


The manifold is them installed by lining up the four corner bolt holes with the studs and gently pushing down. After deploying several more bolts in the other holes, the studs can be backed out and replaced with bolts. Which, after everything is torqued down, looks like this:


The last thing I installed was the radiator fan. However, the grooves on the water pump/fan pulley do not align with the grooves on the crank pulley. It would probably be easier to see this if the parts hadn't all been painted black. I think this issue arises because I'm using the harmonic balancer from one engine with the fan and pulleys from the other one; and something is a different size. As you may recall, I chose not to try and remove the balancer from the original engine because it is so difficult to do. I will need to resolve this issue before I can go any further.


One last thing was to re-install the hood. In truth it's easier to work on the engine without the hood in the way, but I need it out of my garage, and I want to keep the engine dry as much as I can. 


I drilled 1/8-inch diameter pilot holes in both hood hinges and the hood before it was removed the first time. At reinstallation a welding rod on an appropriately sized nail can be inserted into each pair of holes, which makes perfect alignment every time a breeze:

To be continued....

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Swapping the Engine in the '67 F250 Part 6

I've been waiting for two things before I can re-install the engine into the '67: A dry day when I'm not at work, and another person around to help. I probably could do it on my own, but I need someone else to take photos and call 911 if I have an accident! While I've been waiting, I've been working on the parts that I don't necessarily need yet, but they all have to be cleaned up eventually...

The most fun thing to restore was the intake manifold. This is one of the bits that will at least be partially visible, so I wanted to do a good job. This is how it looked after unbolting from the orange engine block:


The filler neck needs cleaning up but should be reusable. When I removed it, there was no thermostat in the recess!


This contraption connects to the brake booster vacuum line....and it will be replaced!



The connection to the heater hose was heavily corroded and very difficult to remove. I had to put it in the vice and rotate the manifold.



I also removed the temperature sender and the carburetor studs, and then I took the manifold into the workshop where I have a large sink and gave it good wash with soapy water.  


The cleaning removed a lot of greasy gunk and some loose paint, but there was plenty of the latter still to deal with:


This is after a good going over with the wire cup on the drill, and a very small wire wheel on the Dremel, which was actually the perfect tool for this operation:


The paint booth is just big enough to accommodate the manifold:


Two coats of primer:


Two coats of Eastwood "brake gray," which I used a lot on the Mustang, and masking removed:


Painted the filler neck at the same time:


Re-installed the temp sender and the studs for the carburetor and I replaced the heater hose and brake booster vacuum line connections:


The replacement fittings came from CJ Pony Parts:


As I mentioned above, there was no thermostat present when I took the manifold apart, which was a bit concerning...I decided to put one in this time, and I was careful to drill a tiny hole in the thermostat and align it at twelve o'clock.


All ready to go back into the truck....


Worked on a few other parts:

starter before

disassembled

in progress

ready to rock!

carburetor before

after

ignition coil before

in progress

after

Stay tooned for the "big" install!

Monday, February 3, 2025

Swapping the Engine in the '67 F250 Part 5

At this point I'm done with the orange engine. I bolted the rusty chrome valve covers back on, which I never liked, installed the oil pan that came off the yellow engine, and mounted it on a dolly. I can store it more easily in this configuration while I figure out what to do with it. 


All of which means it is full speed ahead to re-assemble the yellow engine and get it back into the F250. This is how the engine looked after painting and removing the masking:


The first thing I did after unwrapping the block was change the rear main seal, which I previously did on the Mustang, and the procedure is exactly the same. The oil pickup from the orange engine was installed next and I was careful to add a lock washer where the pickup mounts to the stud at the third main cap:


A quick last look at all the clean parts before I start re-installing them:


Installed a new crank seal at the timing chain cover:


I mentioned in a previous post that a lot of the hardware was missing, and what I do have is not in the best shape. I cut a couple of corners here by purchasing an engine dress up kit - basically a set of stainless-steel bolts.


Installed the timing chain cover with the new hardware. It is important to use anti-seize lubricant when installing stainless steel hardware into steel. Failure to do so allows electron transfer between the block and the fasteners resulting in a solid chemical bond.


The harmonic balancer went on next. I forked out fifteen bucks for a replacement crank bolt instead of trying to fight to salvage the one from the orange engine:


I installed the dipstick tube in the oil pan next - this probably could be done later but is easier to do on the bench.

The oil pan went on next. I was very happy with how the shiny stainless steel hardware looks. Most people would paint the engine after the oil pan and valve covers have been installed. Painting the pan and the timing chain cover separately is a lot more work, but means the bolts do not get painted and gives a custom look which is worth the extra effort. 


The hardware for attaching the engine mounts to the block is typical of the F250: Three original looking bolts and one imposter. If I was making a show vehicle I would have tried to source another original bolt.



After rotating on the stand and removing the rest of the masking:


I'm particularly pleased with the top edge of the cylinder heads - these little bits did not get painted when I built the 351Winsor engine for the Mustang. 


I installed the "Cobra" valve covers that came with the engine. I plan to make my own custom valve covers in the future, but for now these will work. Cobra valve covers are actually quite sort after, so I am confident I will be able to turn them into $$$ in due course. This is as far as I can go with the engine on the stand.


I re-installed the grille on the truck. I don't want to drop the engine in without the grille because it provides a certain amount of structural support.


Re-installed the hood latch pins which I painted off the truck:


And the battery tray:


There were just a few more parts to clean up before I can re-install the engine in the truck:

fly wheel before

after

bell housing before

after.

To be continued....