1989 Mustang LX 302 To 351W Swap

[Will L.]

Tear it down all the way. Plastigauge the bearings. I would, and have fired guys for what I've seen already.

Post the above 4 pics (heads on bench is ok, not other 3) on a ford forum and explain it is a professional engine builder looking for work. Then get a fire extinguisher next to the computer for what follows.

 

[DieselSlug]

Tear it down all the way. Plastigauge the bearings. I would, and have fired guys for what I've seen already.

Post the above 4 pics (heads on bench is ok, not other 3) on a ford forum and explain it is a professional engine builder looking for work. Then get a fire extinguisher next to the computer for what follows.

This is all what I'm afraid of. I don't have a single penny to throw back at this after my first $3k bill originally....

 

[DieselSlug]

Sent some pics to Ford Strokers (High end SBF Dart block builder in Chicago) He requested some more pics. He said it looks like a sunnen or rottler hone was used. With these you cant control the cross hatch as the machine strokes up and down at a predetermined angle.

 

[Will L.]

Right, but that's why you finish it by hand with a drill and ball hone.

If your in a situation where you need to put it together to drive to work or something- ok. But if you can wait till you can invest $100 the engine will be so much better off.

My concearn is he didn't silicone correctly, didn't finish cylinder walls correctly.
Did he plastigauge bearings correctly? To loose and here is slap/ knock. To tight wipes the hearings loosing rods, crank, or block.
Are ring gaps correct? To loose is bad compression, to tight drags the Walls and can ruin Pistons and cylinders.

Will the engine run if they are wrong- YES. But maybe only 40,000 miles before bearings or rings are gone. Maybe rod knock or very tight clearence takes it out sooner.

Incorrectly built engines can be worse than 200,000 mile junkyard takeouts.

If you can't hone the cylinders, ok. But at least check the ring gap and plastigauge the main and rod bearings. That's less than $10 and 2 hours.

 

[DieselSlug]

Right, but that's why you finish it by hand with a drill and ball hone.

If your in a situation where you need to put it together to drive to work or something- ok. But if you can wait till you can invest $100 the engine will be so much better off.

My concearn is he didn't silicone correctly, didn't finish cylinder walls correctly.
Did he plastigauge bearings correctly? To loose and here is slap/ knock. To tight wipes the hearings loosing rods, crank, or block.
Are ring gaps correct? To loose is bad compression, to tight drags the Walls and can ruin Pistons and cylinders.

Will the engine run if they are wrong- YES. But maybe only 40,000 miles before bearings or rings are gone. Maybe rod knock or very tight clearence takes it out sooner.

Incorrectly built engines can be worse than 200,000 mile junkyard takeouts.

If you can't hone the cylinders, ok. But at least check the ring gap and plastigauge the main and rod bearings. That's less than $10 and 2 hours.

I personally have never done any of this type of work. Obviously that's why I paid to have a so called "professional" do it. Once i get down to the short block I guess I get scared.

If it comes to $100, I can swing that. When it comes to more than that I will refuse to spend it at this point in my life as there are more important things (wedding/honeymoon this year and next).
The car isn't a daily driver, but I hope to drive it more during the summers than i do my truck.

Trying to get a hold of a buddy to see if he can help me look into it. Like I said I'm lost. I look on the internet but you see so many variations of things and wonder whats right and whats wrong. At this point I have trust issues with anyone who will work on it now, especially after getting recommendations on the first guy.

 

[Will L.]

First, don't panic or freak out. People here can walk you through.
IMO, your better to delay putting it on the road and make sure it's right than rush into it and have to repair it again, possibly buying parts.

First. Do a little research and verify 60 degree crosshatch for this engine. There a a few exceptions to that rule, but amazingly few.

Next, find the specs for rebuilding the engine. Clearences, torque specs, etc.
Do you know how to use plastigauge for the bearings?
Do you have and know how to use feeler gauges for the ring gap?
Do you know how to remove and install piston rings without breaking them?
Do you have a good torque wrench?
Do you have a power drill?

 

[DieselSlug]

So the engine to a buddy's shop to have a quick look at it. He actually was ok with the work done (machine wise). I told him about the remarks to the cross hatching and he said it looks good. I showed him the pictures I put online and he said they are a little deceiving and don't truly show the angle. He said 45 degree crosshatch is recommended for this engine.

I asked him about pulling the block apart (told him the whole situation) and he said he wouldn't. I wanted to get him to pull the pan off and go a little further but he had prior obligations for the Holiday weekend.

I have all the above tools except for the plastigauge set and feeler's. Had to replace a piston in my old 6.5 so i've been there before.

 

[Will L.]

Really good to hear about the cross hatching. I knew there were a few engines out there using different angles, this obviously is one of them and yeah they don't even look like 45 in the pic. The pic between "silicone valley" and heads on the bench looks like 5 degree if anything.

If you don't want to tear it all down here is a quick spot check: pull off the oil pan, he probably over used silicone there anyways, but permetex "the right stuff", which you need for intake anyways.

Get the plastigauge kit ($10-20) summit racing, and only remove two connecting rod caps. Check the clearances there. If one is wrong check them all, and consider checking the mains. If 2 are correct then you can feel better this guy did it ok. You can do any two rods, then just reinstall the pan.

If you feel you want to check the rings, just pull one of the Pistons that you are checking the rod bearings on.

Idk this engine so maybe you would have to buy new front and rear main seals if you pull the crankshaft or the oil pan.
You would also have to pull the timing set to do the main caps correctly.

I might be going overboard here and if forum members think I'm pushing you toward worrying over nothing please speak up. I have rebuilt more engines than I care to remember, and seeing that much silicone told me this guy has never seen what big chunks of it do in the pickup screen - which to me indicates lack of experience. When I saw what looks like no crosshatching in the cylinders is what made me say rip it down those 2 together indicate more likely problems.

I look at the extra silicone as no loss because needing a tube for the upper anyways so no real cost, just time well spent - because no way did this guy silicone one area correct and the other like a first timer.
The plastigauge money is like insurance, you'll be there anyways scraping of the excess silicone.

I used to teach it this way- take a razor blade and cut away the extra interior squished silicone that can come free inside the engine. Pile it up inside a pickup screen. Then show how small of a piece can go through the screen and how well that fits the oil journals.

 

[DieselSlug]

Really good to hear about the cross hatching. I knew there were a few engines out there using different angles, this obviously is one of them and yeah they don't even look like 45 in the pic. The pic between "silicone valley" and heads on the bench looks like 5 degree if anything.

If you don't want to tear it all down here is a quick spot check: pull off the oil pan, he probably over used silicone there anyways, but permetex "the right stuff", which you need for intake anyways.

Get the plastigauge kit ($10-20) summit racing, and only remove two connecting rod caps. Check the clearances there. If one is wrong check them all, and consider checking the mains. If 2 are correct then you can feel better this guy did it ok. You can do any two rods, then just reinstall the pan.

If you feel you want to check the rings, just pull one of the Pistons that you are checking the rod bearings on.

Idk this engine so maybe you would have to buy new front and rear main seals if you pull the crankshaft or the oil pan.
You would also have to pull the timing set to do the main caps correctly.

I might be going overboard here and if forum members think I'm pushing you toward worrying over nothing please speak up. I have rebuilt more engines than I care to remember, and seeing that much silicone told me this guy has never seen what big chunks of it do in the pickup screen - which to me indicates lack of experience. When I saw what looks like no crosshatching in the cylinders is what made me say rip it down those 2 together indicate more likely problems.

I look at the extra silicone as no loss because needing a tube for the upper anyways so no real cost, just time well spent - because no way did this guy silicone one area correct and the other like a first timer.
The plastigauge money is like insurance, you'll be there anyways scraping of the excess silicone.

I used to teach it this way- take a razor blade and cut away the extra interior squished silicone that can come free inside the engine. Pile it up inside a pickup screen. Then show how small of a piece can go through the screen and how well that fits the oil journals.

I was definitely not a fan of all that silicone. This guy rushed this engine i'm sure as I was barking down his throat for 2 months and threatening to come pick up what was left of my engine several times.

Just crazy how a guy can get such good reviews by friends and own a machine shop and pull something like this. I have to try and figure out what is acceptable for clearances. Up top the major issue was the guy didn't use the cross sections of the intake gasket which required dabs of sealer in the 4 corners for peace of mind.

The high temp silicone does work excellent on the headers over gaskets. But I let it set up just a little before I install to prevent it all from squeezing out.

 

[DieselSlug]

Well ended up taking the engine to Syracuse Crank. I've used them before to "try" and rebuild my 6.5L heads. However they found cracks during magnafluxing.

The pulled the engine apart and checked all tolerances. It actually checked out ok, everything is within spec. I also asked them about the hone and they were ok with it. I expressed concerns and i think the pictures i posted were just not at the right angle. There are some marks that are swirled, but more of them are at angles. It seems like the pics only caught the swirled lines.

They started naming off tolerances and i got lost real fast. Once i get into a short block i get lost as i have no experience there and honestly am scared to endeavor without a teacher. I ended up paying $300 for this service, but i guess its piece of mind.

I honestly think the builder did all the short block work, and when i got on his case hard he was about half way done with the build. From then on it looks like he rushed it severely.

 

[DieselSlug]

Continuing on.

Wrong new rocker studs....

New rocker studs..... again...

Gave the car a de-greasing and bath to remove the 3 year dust build-up.

 

[DieselSlug]

Finally got back to it with the help of my brother. Been sick as all hell lately and lasted as long as I could last night.

We got the rocker studs installed along with the adjustable guide plates.

 

[DieselSlug]

Got some more done on the car this weekend. Basically got the valves set up. Down with pneumonia has left me real slow. Plan is to put the engine in the car this Saturday (May 07, 2016).

Got a new Motorcraft oil filter:

Building of the mock oil pump primer:

Finished primer:

Then I hit a block wall, i've been away from this build so long i'm having a very difficult time finding fasteners. Missing the clutch pressure plate bolts now. So I just ordered a set of LMR for $14. Also need to go out and purchase a spark plug gapper, lower intake gaskets and some motor mount bolts.

Fingers crossed.

 

[NVW]

Funny how things vanish, thank God for multiple parts trucks.

 

[DieselSlug]

Funny how things vanish, thank God for multiple parts trucks.

I used to have a surplus of parts, but my dad made me get rid of a lot of them before i moved out of his place into mine. A lot of parts i used to have, i dont now..

 

[DieselSlug]

Finally more headway:

Summit to the rescue with some felpro 1262-S3's. Ordered last Thursday at 4:30 PM and were on my doorstep 9:30 AM Saturday via ground shipping!

Some test fitting.

Cleaning up the intake.

Intake installed. These are not the valve covers i will be using. Just have them there to cover exposed parts.

Got my Ford Motorcraft OEM radiator cap!

This is where i left off.

My $3.33 center console from the East Syracuse Pick N Pull. Came out of a 93 4-cyl vert.

My plan is to go electric fan. But for now im going to reinstall a mechanical. Unfortunately my fan blade is shot, trying to find a replacement. Mees like most are aftermarket metal junk.

Was going to install my valve covers however come to find out the rockers hit the cover. So i will need to double gasket. Also need the GT-40 plenum gasket, thermostat and fan blade.

 

[DieselSlug]

This is what ya get when using Prothane motor mounts.... Shrowd no longer fits correctly. Now I have to go electric.

Some how it still all fits under my POS hood...

Video with HORRID exhaust leak at collector.

Big thanks to friends and family for making this possible!

 

[Will L.]

You seem to have a litle too much rubber on the rear tires. I suggest wearing some of it off, somehow...

 

[DieselSlug]

You seem to have a litle too much rubber on the rear tires. I suggest wearing some of it off, somehow...

Haha, im sure there will be a lot of that. Especially as they are stock with what im hoping about high 3's to maybe 400 in HP.

 

[DieselSlug]