99 issues with head change

[nsperf]

To preface this, I have been working in the auto field for over 3 decades.
I am not new and do not have run of the mill harbor freight tools.
I run a smal performance shop which is mostly GM and Mopar.
I have within the last year been doing some Ford stuff and have an SCT tuner aqcuiantance who does all my post hardware tunning.
I have 3 Fords and was pretty happy up until now.


So to all who want to ask how hard is it.

Well let me tell you, I will never be doing one again.

This really was one of the worst vehicle mechanical experiences I have ever had.

Everything you need to get to is behind something else.

Every nut and bolt either rounded off or started to round off.

It took me a week just to get the valvle covers off due to the fact that all the bolts rounded off when trying to remove them.

Not sure but most other bolts or nuts seemed to round off or be on the verge of rounding off.

Even exhaust manifold studs simply rounded without alot of torque applied.

The design on some items just seemes very hoakie to me.

I am very frustrated with this experience.

My F350 7.3 and Mustang GT have actually been relatively easy and so far very reliable. I will say however that they are not in the rigours of all weather like the expy.

Now that I am putting it all together I need 24 valve cover bolts that are 200 bucks from the dealer and my google search has retuned nothing from the after market. If you have an suggestions or recommendations please let me know. Snow id coming and my dually just does not go in the snow.

I am ready to call it a day and retunr all the parts and send this thing to the yard, I am extremly dissaponted with this experience

 

[Thermo]

A trip to your local hardware store should take care of things for you. I got my exhaust manifold bolts from Lowe's. If you know what you tapped the holes with, you can get some bolts to fit in the holes and call it good. A set of capscrew bolts should do the trick for you and get you out the door for around $20.

 

[nsperf]

Thermo,

Thanks and I actually looked into this, however the valve cover bolts have that flang on them. The bolts are actually crimped into the flange. After cutting the head off of one it appears that the bolt was pressed into the flange. I found that I can reuse the flange by popping out the bolt using vise grips and a hammer. Then I can use any M6 X 1.00 pitch by 30MM long bolt.

I am going to clean and paint the flang, use some stainless cap or allen head bolts for corrosion resistance

should look good too.

 

[nsperf]

I would like to update you all on my progress.

So far the reassembly has been going very well.

Other than needing a few items I have been able to progress at a reasonably good rate.

The reassembly is going much easier than expected and is so far not been marred by any real road blocks except the valve cover bolts which I have resolved.

You can order the bolts I am using from fastenal, use a M6 X 1.00 pitch by 30 mm UHL and a flat washer.

I went with Stainless steel for corrosion resistance and a bag of 50 was less than 15 bucks.

Be sure to use some anti seize here so as to reduce or eliminate bi metal corrosion between the bolts and head.

I will drop some pictures this weekend so you can all see the process and what it looks like when completed.

I am thinking of doing this to the mustang, painting the covers, maybe installing some nice ford decals and then trimming with this hardware after polishing it.

Thanks for listening to my frustration, this thing is not going to beat me.

Hopefully it will be good for another 40 to 50 K.

If so my total investment over 3 plus years will be about 3000 bucks that includes the price I paid for the vehicle. If this is the case Fords will go back on my nice list. No matter what I will not buy a foreign job

 

[nsperf]

Alright, so I still am having major issues here so hopefully someone can at least pooint me in the right direction.

After getting everything reassembled which seemed to be OK I started turning the crank by hand and sure enought it stopped dead.

Turned crank the opposite way it went about 320 degreees before stopping again.

I assumed I either timed it wrong or had jumped so apart it came.

It appears that my timitn is dead on but figured I will retime again.

Problem is I cant get the crank to roll over more than 320 degrees in either direction. I can get the drivers side back to its timing location.

Assuming it was hitting a valve I went ahead and turned the cam some so as to close the valve it was hitting. I have rotated that cam 360 degrees and still can not move the crank beyond its 320 degrees.

Has anyone ever had a remanned head come in contact with a piston?

I have a hard time beleiving it is the drivers side since nothing was ever touched over there.

I removed all the plugs on the re manned head but still cant tunr the crank.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[nsperf]

OK so hoping some one has some recommendations or input.

Since it is nearing winter time I decided to get this expy fixed.

If you have read the earlier posts you should know what I have been dealing with.

I decided to go ahead with an engine replacement. I removed the drivers side cylinder head starter so I could prepare to pull engine.

I removed the inspection plug so I could remove the Torque convertor nuts to I can remove the engine.

I removed the first nut and tried to rotate the engine and again could not rotate more than 180 degrees.

So thinking there was something internal in the engine preventing it from rotating I wen ahead and dropped the front axle and removed the oil pan.

To my surprise I can not find a bent or twisted rod like I thought I would.

I cant turn the engine over enought to be able to get to all 4 TC nuts.

So does anyone have any reason I cant turn the crank seeing there does not appear to be any interference internally between the crank rods or pistons. With no cylinder heads on there is not valve issues.

So anyone have any ideas?

Im am completely baffled by this.

 

[Exia]

Well as far as your trouble, my uncle worked for mcfarland chevrolet for 30 years.. He was the one who taught me.. He always said "Didnt matter if its a chevy, ford, dodge, or some weird *** job, working on a motor a piece of art, it can be easy or it can drive you insane.."

Ford have always had weird issues, but my uncle would stand by one even while working for a chevy place, accually told me, he would beat the hell out of me if I bought a chevy. lol

 

[oblivion]

is this a 2V, 3V or 4V 5.4L?

 

[toms89]

OK so hoping some one has some recommendations or input.

Since it is nearing winter time I decided to get this expy fixed.

If you have read the earlier posts you should know what I have been dealing with.

I decided to go ahead with an engine replacement. I removed the drivers side cylinder head starter so I could prepare to pull engine.

I removed the inspection plug so I could remove the Torque convertor nuts to I can remove the engine.

I removed the first nut and tried to rotate the engine and again could not rotate more than 180 degrees.

So thinking there was something internal in the engine preventing it from rotating I wen ahead and dropped the front axle and removed the oil pan.

To my surprise I can not find a bent or twisted rod like I thought I would.

I cant turn the engine over enought to be able to get to all 4 TC nuts.

So does anyone have any reason I cant turn the crank seeing there does not appear to be any interference internally between the crank rods or pistons. With no cylinder heads on there is not valve issues.

So anyone have any ideas?

Im am completely baffled by this.

It really sounds like piston to valve contact to me due to improper timing of cams but its a little unclear to me. Are you telling us the heads and timing gear are removed and you cannot turn crank completely over? That would obviously rule out timing issues.

Is the tranny in neutral? Would think the torque converter is unlocked while off but the only way to be certain the tranny is not stopping it is to put it in neutral. Maybe oil pump binding up though it seems highly unlikely.

 

[Big White]

One of those "hard to tell over the internet" things, but if you have both heads off, and still can not spin, I have to think something in the transmission is hanging you up.

Maybe a starter bendix is broken and engaged?