No New Engine for Me

[jikelly]

So I was all excited when I found a couple 351w engines on craigslist in the Dallas area.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/pts/254906651.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/pts/257728665.html

So excited I told the wife about it. She has since forbid me from buying a new engine or shortblock until I get a new job.

That is LAME!!!

My current engine runs, but it's got a problem. I don't think it's terminal yet, but it's got a weird squeak, and a front seal leak that I can't stop. I replaced the front seal twice to no avail. I think it might be a warped crank, but can't prove it. The engine has been that way since the rebuild about 60,000 miles ago. The squeak early on was accompanied by metal in the oil pan. That stopped after the third oil change though, so whatever it was wore off without causing a catastrophic failure.

The car is still laid up waiting for me to finish the paint job on it. It's too cold for the paint to cure. I just have the bumper and 4 little parts to paint now.

Anyway, I had secretly been planning to replace the shortblock with a new one, maybe even one form City Motor Supply since they some how do one for 400 dollars, before I started driving the mustang again since the transmission needs a new clutch and new synchronizers anyway. I figured I'd pull the motor and it as a unit, do the rebuilds and then plop in a fresh drivetrain.

Wife says not till I get a real job making about twice what I make where I work now. I've been looking, but I've still got one semester of school left, so honestly I really should just stay where I'm at because they will work my schedule around school.

Maybe if I buy her some flowers.

 

[BDT 1967]

Flowers work magic. But if the wife says no, we all know what that means.

 

[1320stang]

The problem is, you asked your wife, remember it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. J/K

 

[toolwench]

Let me just say that I'm so sorry guys... Speaking as a wife myself I find it utterly shocking when other wives dictate what a guy can and cannot do to his car. I mean, if working on the car brings him joy, let him work on the car. Would you rather have him be grumpy? I have never dictated what my husband can and cannot do with our cars. However, I work on 'em more than he does! (Which makes Christmas gifts easier on him-- "Oh, thank you honey, a new engine! Just what I've always wanted!")

 

[65ShelbyClone]

The problem is, you asked your wife, remember it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. J/K

I'm all for that as long as it doesn't affect bills getting paid or groceries, etc. That goes without saying, though. If it can be worked into the budget without causing hardship, I don't see how anyone can complain.

I have never dictated what my husband can and cannot do with our cars. However, I work on 'em more than he does! (Which makes Christmas gifts easier on him-- "Oh, thank you honey, a new engine! Just what I've always wanted!")

You're awesome.

My current engine runs, but it's got a problem. I don't think it's terminal yet, but it's got a weird squeak, and a front seal leak that I can't stop. I replaced the front seal twice to no avail. I think it might be a warped crank, but can't prove it. The engine has been that way since the rebuild about 60,000 miles ago. The squeak early on was accompanied by metal in the oil pan. That stopped after the third oil change though, so whatever it was wore off without causing a catastrophic failure.

1.) You installed the damper before bolting down the timing cover, right?

2.) Where was the squeak coming from? I had a bad squeak in a 289 and it came from the lifters not having oil holes drilled all the way through the pistons. The pushrods and rockers were dry.

 

[jikelly]

You know I think I tightned the bolts on the timing chain cover before I installed the dampener. Do you think that was my problem?

The noise is coming from the bottom of the block. It's strongest at the front of the engine block, on the oil pan. Hate it.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

The front crank seal will center the timing cover on the damper, then you bolt it down. Kind of a pain to remember, but it is the factory way to do it. Later blocks and TCs have dowels to do it instead.

Have you pulled the pan to see if anything is rubbing on anything else?

 

[bnickel]

it could be that someone installed the wrong fuel pump eccentric and it was rubbing on the timing cover, that would explain the squeak as well as the metal shavings. Pakrat found out that his motor was assembled like this as well and he has some good pics that show all the metal shavings in the eccentric, it was basically so full of shavings it was almost solid. try giving him a PM to see if he'll send you the pics.

 

[zookeeper]

The problem is, you asked your wife, remember it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. J/K

Lol!! I don't know where I first heard that saying, but I use it at work constantly. As a machinist, sometimes there's the way I would do it, and the way the boss wants me to do it. One of my co-worker's is forever telling me I should go ask how the boss wants it done. That's when I smile and use that saying...

 

[Max Power]

A lot of time wives say no because there isn't enough money, not because they want to deprive their spouses of joy. Just a thought.

 

[zookeeper]

I agree. How many guys would gladly pillage the checking account for hot rod parts rather than pay the bills if we were given half a chance? In most cases, the wives act as a "rev-limiter" for spending rather than a buzzkill.

 

[65fastback2+2]

I agree. How many guys would gladly pillage the checking account for hot rod parts rather than pay the bills if we were given half a chance? In most cases, the wives act as a "rev-limiter" for spending rather than a buzzkill.

so true...

thats why i dont have one

now

how to purchase my mt drag radials...hmmm

 

[jikelly]

Well I've got 1000 to spend on the stang. I need to rebuild my tranny and get a new steering box so that eats up all that alloted money. I'll pull the engine and replace the front seal again. That will give me a chance to take off the oil pan and have a look at the bottom end as well.

I could get a new short block, but it'd have to go on my credit card. That thing's got plenty on it already from the wedding and stuff this summer. Basically my wife is like if it ain't broke don't fix it (the engine), but I'm like there's something wrong, and I want to fix it. So, I'm going to try and save a 100 a month until I've got enough for a short block. That should take about 8 months.

 

[jikelly]

Lol!! I don't know where I first heard that saying, but I use it at work constantly. As a machinist, sometimes there's the way I would do it, and the way the boss wants me to do it. One of my co-worker's is forever telling me I should go ask how the boss wants it done. That's when I smile and use that saying...

That reminds me of my life in the Army. I wasn't going to ask the sarge for instructions if I could help it. His way was always labor intensive, and time consuming.

 

[krash kendall]

Have you installed a speedy sleeve on the harmonic? They are less than ten bucks if I recall. I put one on last summer while I had my rad being rebuilt. I also threw in a new timing set.

Speaking of persuading wives to accept purchases, I was able to get my wife to buy into the fact that I need degins disk brake swap for my car. I just have to wait untill after our holiday trip this winter that we won. See here - http://www.omnibc.ca/contests/santa/

 

[69 Rustang]

For the squeek, it could be any number of items. I once assembled a 289 and used the wrong bolts on the cam retaining plate. The cam retaining plate requires a thin headed bolt about half as deep as a regular bolt. The regular bolts I used had the proper grooves/grading but were not for the retaining plate. As a result the heads interfered with the cam gear which made a small knock when the motor was first started, within 15 minutes of starting and trying to diagnose the problem the knock went away. Upon disassembly I found my error. Catestrophic? No. Right? No. Tear it down and make it right? Yes. Just my $0.02.

I have also purchased cheap short blocks before--never will again though. They are cheap for a reason--i.e. do they use honing torque plates prior to boring the cylinders? The last one I bought they had not and it was obvious after 15,000 miles. Build it right the first time or you are throwing good money after bad.

 

[jikelly]

Have you installed a speedy sleeve on the harmonic? They are less than ten bucks if I recall. I put one on last summer while I had my rad being rebuilt. I also threw in a new timing set.

Speaking of persuading wives to accept purchases, I was able to get my wife to buy into the fact that I need degins disk brake swap for my car. I just have to wait untill after our holiday trip this winter that we won. See here - http://www.omnibc.ca/contests/santa/

That's tight.

I hadn't heard of a speedy sleeve before. I'll have to look into it thanks.

 

[Max Power]

I am of the mindset that if you need a speedy sleeve, it's probably time for a whole new balancer.

 

[krash kendall]

I am of the mindset that if you need a speedy sleeve, it's probably time for a whole new balancer.

I thought that way too untill I heeded the advice of my Ford mechanic neighbour. He's installed piles of them without any problems and it solved my problem immediately. Another thing I installed around the same time, since I was fixing annoying leaks anyway, was a one piece oil pan gasket.

You will know if you need a sleeve if you see a nice, clean groove worn around the shank of the harmonic where the old original seal was riding.

Another (not recommended, but it works) solution is to not drive the seal completely home so that the seal rides on a location of the shank that isn't worn.

 

[jikelly]

I don't remember seeing a groove in the balancer, but I think I'll try the sleeve anyway. I'd get a new balancer, but the engine was balanced with the one that's on there, so I wasn't sure if that was a good idea.