1) Any tips before I drop the engine into the bay? (The block is a recon, never been started) I was going to check compression, anything else?
2) Any last tips before I turn the key? I'm going to ohm/voltage check all sensors & actuators. Any good way before starting it to make sure the engine is oiled up good? I did buy an oil pressure gauge & was going to hook it up.
Its been a long time coming and a lot of learning for me, but the V8 is about to go into the space where the V6 was: :)
(http://members.aol.com/synton88/both.jpg)
Pull the distributor and get a long hex shaft the same size and shape as the oil pump drive shaft. Put that shaft into a power drill and stick it into the distributor hole, making sure it engages with the oil pump. Spin it until you start to see oil coming through the pushrod holes (you'll have to pull a valve cover). This will ensure that the engine is pre-oiled and all of the oil galleys are full. This will minimize any wear from cranking it for the first time.
Whoops - didn't notice the valve covers and distributor are already off. This'll only make it easier :D
make sure you have it set to about 2k rpm and run it there for about 20 minutes. check for leaks right away and have an extra fan to blow air through the rad, your not moving and new engines build alot of heat. if you have a fire extinguisher(sp?) keep it handy in case of a gas leak. i'd also check the torque on the headbolts if they were on the engine when you got it, better safe than sorry.
So, this thread's a few days old. Did you put it in and run it yet, Bondo?
yeah, really, a little late for me here but anyway
run the engine at about 2krpm for about 10min to break in the cam.
as the engine spins with the high rpms, the cam lobes will temper with the new found friction and heat. If you baby it , the cam lobes are soft and will wear down easy on first startup before finding that sweet spot and finally breaking in. if its an old cam, dont bother.
It's in but not ready to run yet:
(http://img100.exs.cx/img100/8559/Joe1.jpg)
(http://img100.exs.cx/img100/5749/Joe2.jpg)
(http://img100.exs.cx/img100/2960/Joe3.jpg)
(http://img100.exs.cx/img100/2303/Joe4.jpg)
who's the team there?
I think the oil pump spins in reverse so the drill should be run backwards to pre-oil-prime the motor (won't hurt if I'm wrong, you'll get lots of oil on the spinning shaft if you are spinning it the correct way). Seeing that you have a roller cam that has hardened lobes and roller lifters, cam break-in isn't really a big issue. Double check that the distributor is installed correctly - I can't tell you how many times I thought I had it in correctly only to find out it was wrongly installed.
That's Joe and I under the car, with Karl (Cougars 2 Go) taking a break behind the camera (that's his white Cougar in the distance). The third picture is Joe (bondocougar) with a hammer :sawzall: - i'm on the other side providing moral support. :cheers:
I'll let Joe go into the details, but I think we made pretty good progress that day. Watch out for those valve covers! :brick:
Thanks for all the hints as well as my installation team, it would have never happened without help! :bowdown:
The distrib definitely is counterclockwise as opposed to the clockwise rotation of the harmonic balancer. I found you can lift up the distributor slightly, enough to disengage the cam and just allow the oil pump to spin. Saw the oil coming over the lifters!
That distributor initial location is what worries me most. I sent for a $8 Top Dead Center spark plug looking thing from Jegs to put in the #1 hole to help, although I'm worried it could damage the piston if I rotate the camshaft to strongly. :dunno:
dont worry about TDC.
remove valve cover
watch the rockers on number 1
spin crank by hand
let number 1 I valve open and start to close,
when this happens start watching your harmonic
place a screw driver in number one hole
the piston will push up on the screw driver
as the piston reaches the highest point, look at the harmonic again
as you keep slowly turning, harmonic will be on ZERO DEG TDC
stop here
install dizzy / rotor / cap
tweek which tooth the dizzy is on so it agrees with the cap
done.
it is impossible to argue anything other than than perfect when you align the concept of TDC if its done like this. theres no if ands or buts about it.
the only possible explanation for if its gonna still be out of time is if the cam and crank dont agree when the timing chain was put on and that aint gonna be your fault.
you can be off a tooth or two on the dizzy and it can still be brought up and running by advance of the base with no serious issues.
you can not be off a tooth on the cam to crank and get away with a good start,
Darn :brick: I just gasket sealed the valve covers on.
You think I can get close enough by just watching the screwdriver in the #1 for its peak?
I got other troubles anyway:
1) The 87 XR7 V8 harness I put in has a connector that does not mate with the 88 V6 EFI LS body harness. There are two connectors by the brake master cylinder where the ECU harness interconnects with the body harness. Only one mates. Looks like I'll have to do some wire tracing. :wtf: I thought you had to do this only if you used a Mustang ECU harness!
2) The tranny column shift is very tough to move for some reason
Oh oh, had the same problem when I rewired the 88, I guess Ford in thier infinite wisdom changed connectors between 87-88. Maybe one of our wiring experts can help. :ies:
yes and no......there are 3 instances where the piston is on tdc and you gotta pick one of them as correct.
intake stroke - where piston starts from the top moving down sucking fuel / air in. Intake valve opens and stays open until piston reaches bottom.
compression stroke- this picks up directly after the intake stroke. intake valve just now closed, exhaust valve is closed. fuel and air gets compressed. piston continues to move up until its at the top then plug gets fire and kabooom happens piston moves down because of the explosion, continues till it reaches the bottom.
exhaust stroke- directly after combustion/compression stoke. exhaust valve opens up, piston moves up and pushes waste out to the world. piston reaches top and the exhaust valve closes and guess what? the intake valve opens and it repeats this process again.
your camshaft is the boss and tells everyone what to do, the crank just simply spins around with all of its journals 180 deg out of phase with eachother.
turn the crank by hand while you hold your thumb over the empty spark plug hole
Gotta be kind of agressive when you rotate it because as you do so you will feel and hear air pushing from around your thumb.
this means your on compression stroke whichi is just prior to when the sparkplug gets spark.
when you hear this air,,remove your thumb and rotate the crank till your crank pully / pointer agree on zero tdc.
use a srewdriver if you want
set dizzy / rotor / cap to agree with number 1 spark plug post on the cap.
done.
as for th wiring,, get the colors for us. i dont have this memorized but someone else may already know exactly which conn your talking about.
the actual assembly, or the lever itself,?the lever is rather easy, need a punch and a hammer, but you just gotta position it where the pin will come all the way through
when i converted to floor shift, i left all the linkages in tach and made sure they were locked in place, pulled the shifter and one the linkage that runs to the transmission, and havnt had any problems
hey Cougars2go, I have that same engine hoist. Did you pull the front clip off because of the short reach of the hoist or were you just redoing the front? How easy is the bumper to remove and reinstall?
That hoist belongs to BondoCougar and I am not sure why he pulled the front off but my guess would be easier reach with the lift and to prevent the possibility of damage to the front panel and bumper with all the activity around the engine bay. It also allows for easier human arm reach, not just hoist reach.
By the way, the bumper and front panel are easy to remove.
Joe,
Did you find those bolts and put them in? Remember, I left it hanging because we couldn't find the bolts. I wonder if those linkages are run EXACTLY the same way they were before. Do you have a chiltons or something that shows a line drawing of how the linkage is supposed to go? I mean down to the detail with which side of stuff the metal bars go on and that sort of thing.
I used the 2nd hole from the end (2k pounds) , but even if I used the first, I think I still would have taken off the front. That lift doesn't seem like it gives you enough clearance. Plus I wish the front wheels swiveled.
I pulled the bumper cover & front cowl all at once. Hardest part is the bolts securing the fenders to the front. Then pull the headlites as there are a few bolts under there. Then there are a few on the bottom of the bumper cover. Here are some shots:
(http://members.aol.com/synton88/pullout.jpg)
jcassity - Thanks :bowdown: , I'll do the distrib alignment tomorrow using the spark plug hole. The mucked wires look like they are related to the cluster temp & oil gauges, doesn't look too bad & hope to get it done tomorrow.
The column shifter is just a B&$% :wtf: to move, and when it does clicks, it doesn't seem to move the right amount to align with the PRND, even loosening the cluster white clamp thats on the column to match a given gear. I have looked at the books & it seems to be put together right, but somethings wrong. One thing is I used an 87 linkage piece instead of the original, so I'm gonna try putting the original back in - and booger-up another one of those stupid plastic tranny bushings getting the existing one out! :disappoin
The other weird thing is normally you pull the column lever toward you when gears are shifted, and it has a natural spring tension to pull back away, but that springyness is gone. Something may be broke in the column?
All I got to say is to you guys that have done all this before is that you have been elevated to Car Gods in my eyes. There are so many bloody details it boggles my mind :wtf:
It gets a lot easier with experience..... But yea, some times on the job training sucks..
yeah,, id take the column covers off and hunt down why the shifter does not spring back.
personally, id would have left the tranny in,, its easy to get the flywheel to torque converter bolts to line back up and still be able to manipulate the motor mounts and alignment pins on the bell housing.
removal
you put a jack stand under the tranny
remove tranny covers and flywheel/converterbolts/starter / bellhousing bolts/harnesses/ bla, bla, bla, bla ect
remove the engine
reinstall the top two bellhousing bolts part way screwed in
lay a long pipe under bellhousing bolts that will also reach out to the frame on each side just aft of the strut towers
lower tranny on this new support support
remove jack
install
jack tranny all the way up till it hits the floor
remove pipe support
lower engine
align flywheel to torque converter as well as alignment dowels
add converter / flywheel nuts
add bell housing bolts
lower engine with the entire motor mount assy already on engine
you can actually see this method in a pic somewhere in the haynes manual. this way you never really mess with the tranny and the linkages ,if it aint broke dont fix it kind of approach.
my linkage isn't lined up right, there's a part on the linkage where you can loosen a nut and move the column shifter separate from the tranny shift. I haven't had time to adjust it, but I think basically you put the tranny in a certain gear, then the column shifter in the same gear, then tighten the nut up
I never could see how you access those bell housing bolts with the engine & firewall in the way... :dunno:
But I didn't have to worry about it, as my old transmission had internal fluid leaks :mad: that would leak about a couple cups of fluid so that had to be fixed. So I pulled everything!!
Got the rewiring done, & for the first time in months the car is now powered. Even ran the starter (ignition coil disconnected) to hear how the engine turned over. Did the distibutor alignment, it definitely blows alot of air out of theat plug hole!
Tested out the fuel lines & they are holding pressure... Still have that linkage problem, the tranny gear level is in a different position than the old one (I posted a sketch in the drivetrain section)
Still have to ground the O2 sensors & the engine before putting on the upper manifold, then bolt the exhaust back on, and then I'll have to grow some gonads before I'll have the guts to turn the key with the ignition coil connected...
(http://members.aol.com/synton88/v8.jpg)
dont forget that if your column indicator does not agree with your shifter, you can move the white plastic colar on the column to manipulate the red indicator.
you have to take the lower cover off ot see it. it has a cable going to it and runs up to the prnd21.