68 f100 - project stalled and failing

[dbarker]

Hi all,

my project has completely stalled out. nothing has happened whatsoever in over a year.

The current state: engine has been rebuilt , by a mechanic i no longer trust, and is setting in the engine bay. the install was never completed, and the engine has never been turned over.
At this point, i distrust the work so much, id want someone to tear it back down and just reassemble it to be safe.

the truck was "running" when this all started back in 2010. now staring at 2014, this needs to get moving and in a hurry.

I no longer have the free time to put into the truck thanks to work. its just not an option. most weeks i work 6 days, and 10 hours a day.

I'm officially looking to one of you who have successfully restored your trucks to take on mine (yes I'll pay you and pay for all the parts i dont already have)

I need to see progress in a big way, its setting in my parents driveway and they want to send the old girl to the scrapyard.

http://fordification.com/forum/viewtopi ... &sk=t&sd=a <--older thread with pics


I'm asking for help here, its do or die and id rather not lose my grandpas truck. I dont need it torn down to the frame, but i gotta get it running and driving.

[BlueOvalDave]

what leads you to have doubts about the rebuild?

[hfdco4]

The best thing to do is put oil in the engine and prime the oil pump (you can get the oil pump drives online). Once this is done turn over the engine and check the compression. This will give you some confidence in what has been done, also you will be working on your truck again. I know how hard it is to get back the drive when a project stalls.

[dbarker]

my doubts about the rebuild comes from the fact that it visibly looks like a poor job. in spots it looks like he used window caulking to seal the thing up.

the distributor was never properly installed, its just setting halfway into the block. and he had a lot of trouble getting the "oil pump drive shaft to install properly."

its a hack job of a rebuild, and he has vanished.. without a trace. luckily he ended up not charging me for the work.

i have faith in the parts in the engine. i know they're my parts, i saw it during all stages of the 2 years it took this guy to rebuild the thing. I dont have faith that he followed any form of proper procedure in torque specs or actually using gaskets to seal it up.

[dbarker]

The best thing to do is put oil in the engine and prime the oil pump (you can get the oil pump drives online). Once this is done turn over the engine and check the compression. This will give you some confidence in what has been done, also you will be working on your truck again. I know how hard it is to get back the drive when a project stalls.

seriously, i do not have the time. for the next 4 months im scheduled to work non stop. no weekends. i get a day off, which means i sleep and mow, and fix everything else. im hours away from my truck and i cant do it.

[jzjames]

do not have the time.

Peddle it my friend, for whatever you can get.
Take your loss and move on out!!

[dbarker]

do not have the time.

Peddle it my friend, for whatever you can get.
Take your loss and move on out!!

this was my grandpas truck, my dads truck, and the truck i learned to drive in.

to lose it will be devastating. its not an option to me. at all.

[BlueOvalDave]

I fully appreciate your sentimental attachment to the truck. I agree that the "rebuilder" probably didnt know his ass from a hole in the ground. If he used window caulk for sealant I'm sure he degreed the cam, checked bearing clearances , piston to valve clearances etc. I would assume the motor needs to be busted down and start over.

But how about this option to get the old girl up and running while you take your time rebuilding the original powerplant. Find a later model driveline, complete, (engine, trans, necessary wiring) and plunk it in. Readily available in boneyards or craigslist (which is what I prefer) and if you go with an auto trans you can buy a cheapie B+M floor shifter and good to go. Granted there's gonna be some fabrication involved but it's not all that hard.

[flyboy2610]

One other option: Rent a storage unit big enough to house the truck. Put the truck in storage until you can work on it. You may have to rent a trailer to bring it home, or hire it done. But that way the truck is out of your parents driveway, and you won't feel so stressed about having to get it running quickly. I know how it goes when you can't work on the truck like you'd like to be able to. I, too, am doing ten hour days (5 days a week, 8 on Saturdays, and an occasional Sunday thrown in.) I had things I wanted to do to Frodo this year. None of them got done.
You'll be able to get back to the truck. Until then, tuck it safely away somewhere. It will wait for you.

[jimmy828]

One other option: Rent a storage unit big enough to house the truck. Put the truck in storage until you can work on it. You may have to rent a trailer to bring it home, or hire it done. But that way the truck is out of your parents driveway, and you won't feel so stressed about having to get it running quickly. I know how it goes when you can't work on the truck like you'd like to be able to. I, too, am doing ten hour days (5 days a week, 8 on Saturdays, and an occasional Sunday thrown in.) I had things I wanted to do to Frodo this year. None of them got done.
You'll be able to get back to the truck. Until then, tuck it safely away somewhere. It will wait for you.

[Ranchero50]

Kind of in the same boat but for different reasons. Mine has flagged because I'm too busy working on other projects.

I will say that $100 worth of roofing rubber will protect just about anything from the elements for much longer than any common tarp or cover.

Preserve it until you can restore it.