Help cleaning the lower body of the engine

[bjde0b]

I am cleaning the engine as I have noted in another post. I would like some advice of some best practices. I am using carb cleaner and blasting things and wiping them clean. The pistons I am scrubbing with a wire brush and cleaning. The intake area I am cleaning with a wire brush as well.

I plan on replacing the rear main seal (I will take any advice on this one). I found this link which makes it sound easy enough since the engine is on a stand.

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/c ... -seal.html

Will I need to oil the bearings with anything special before sealing it all back up? I am wanting to clean the exposed metal so that I can paint it. I was planning on using a wire wheel but I don't want to get a bunch of crap in the block around the bearings. Should I be concerned of this? Any recommendations?

I also plan on replacing the front seal while I am at it.

As for right now, I plan on using Fel-Pro seals and gaskets unless somebody has a better recommendation.

[fordman]

before you start painting make sure all of the grease and oil is off of the surfaces to be painted. put the whole engine together except an aluminum intake. cast intake is ok to paint. use duct tape to close up exhuast ports and intake port if not painting the intake. and put a rag over the open valley area of the enigne. then paint the whole engine at once with oil pan and valve covers on it.

[fitzwell]

get some good quality assembly lube for the lower end. If it was mine, i'd set the oil pan on the motor & paint, before assembly.Same procedure with the heads/valve covers. One pet peeve of mine, do NOT paint it completely assembled. Nothing screams "Krylon Rebuild" like painted bolt heads.

[bjde0b]

If you recommend not to paint the bolt heads, what would you do with them. Also, will I be okay putting grease in the crank bearings and not the cam? The cam is hard to get to.

[fitzwell]

If you recommend not to paint the bolt heads, what would you do with them. Also, will I be okay putting grease in the crank bearings and not the cam? The cam is hard to get to.

set the sheet metal in place on the motor & paint there, as far as the bolts, carb cleaner, wire brush, just something to clean 'em up & make them look decent. I dump mint in a bullet tumbler with some starblast, works great. Assembly lube on the cam can be done with a small "acid"brush thru the lifter bores. Don't forget to give the bottom of the lifters a shot as well.

[fordman]

thats wierd. when i see the bolts not painted ont he valve cover that makes me think something went wrong or they couldn't find the botls when they painted it. a better way to tell of a non rebuild paint job is to see if the whole motor under the heads has been painted. i have seen guys paint the covers and heads while the engine was all put together in the car. you can see the overspray every place. you know they are telling a story when you see that.

[FordHam]

It was recommended when I put my engine back together to use an engine assembly oil, like Melling, and coat everything. Bearings, cam, soak the lifters, prime the pushrods. Just about anything you can think to put lube on, do it. You didn't mention it, but if the engine is all apart, did you use some plastiguage and micrometers to check tolerances?

[bjde0b]

I hear what your saying about measuring clearances. Since this engine has less than 20,000 miles on it, I was thinking I would just skip that step. I guess maybe I should consider it.

[bjde0b]

I worked on cleaning the heads tonight. I am now down four cans of carb cleaner. Even though my dad opposed me pulling the heads, so far things are going good.



The one alarming discovery is the cap that goes on the valve stem. I don't know exactly what these are called, but this one needs to be replaced. I assume they come in a set. Can anybody give me some help on the name of these valve stem caps so I can order them?

[fitzwell]

I'm assuming this a windbone motor?? The caps you have there are lash caps. Don't know if they are available from the dealer any more or not. The wrecking yard may be your friend on this one. How did the cap(s) get damaged??

[bjde0b]

I don't know what a windbown motor or lash cap is. This is what it came off of.



Every other stem has one on it (I am too lazy to go look to see if it is on the intake or exhaust).

[fordman]

i think he was joking about your engine being a windsor engine or not (windbone). and the pat that is broken he is calling the lash cap. i had no idea thats what they were called either.

[bjde0b]

Since the engine is out of the truck, I don't have a way of looking the crankshaft so that I can get the harmonic balancer bolt loose. Any ideas?

Please verify it is normal right hand threads. And if anybody has an idea about the above posts regarding the valve stem caps, I would greatly appreciate it.

[freeline95]

use an 1/2 inch impact wrench to break the harmonic balancer pulley bolt loose if you don't have one try to put a socket and ratchet on it and hit the ratchet end with a hammer.

[fitzwell]

sorry...windbone = windsor. Joke from a LOOOONG time ago.

The lash caps are on the exhaust side only. I'd be looking at the rockers & make sure there is not an alignment problem.Something is not correct, for that kind of damage to happen. Why did you disassemble the thing in the first place?