Timing set and a startup anomaly question

[whtbronco]

Ran into more issues today, it really has just become comical. The Orion Motor Tools(should be Trash) crank shaft alignment tool would not fit on the crank. The keyway for the crank key was not right and had trash under the paint. After 30 or so minutes of messing with it I just decided to use the dot on the crank sprocket at 6 o'clock for alignment.

I bought a new OEM crank bolt and it had a small ding in the threads. After spending maybe 45 minutes on that it does thread into the crank by hand, but not as smooth as the original so I'm gonna use the original once again.

I bought this 7" long 90 degree locking plier from Maxpower. Not a brand I know and would not have purchased had I been able to find any other suitable tool. It worked perfectly to get that dang PCV heater hose clamp off from behind the engine. That thing was a bear, until I had these pliers.



The good news is the oil pump is in, and the timing chains are fully installed. Yep the oil pump pickup bolts are tough. I used the Gearwrench 8mm flex head to break them loose and for the final tightening. I found there was not enough drag for it ratchet back even with my finger on it. I ended using my pick up magnet to turn it with a finger under it, haha.

Interestingly I found no evidence that the tensioners or guides needed to be replaced. The tensioner seals were intact and I found no wear on the guides at all which since they are plastic is truly amazing to me at 305k miles.

Since I gave up on my intent to change the valve seals for now tomorrow I will check the followers closely.

 

[whtbronco]

My concern is that I have misdiagnosed the the occasional chattering I had at start up, though I did verify with my stethoscope that it was up front. We'll find out in the next few days.

 

[whtbronco]

The driver side is all back together. However, due to another parts issue I have stopped, unfortunately I won't be able to get it running for work Monday. My passenger side Fel-Pro gasket was too long between bolt holes at the rear of the valve cover. I was able to stuff it in and get it glued in. Anytime it touched anything it popped out though. After the 5th reinstall it was clear it would not seal. So I spent an hour cleaning glue out of the gasket groove. I verified I ordered the correct gasket knowing there was a change in May of 2004

I have been unable to find a way to get the passenger side valve cover installed though. Even with the gasket removed I had to bump the cover with my hand to get past the A/C lines which would have ripped the gasket right out.

I'll get another gasket next week and resume the fight. I am beyond frustrated at this point.

 

[whtbronco]

I figured out how to get the valve cover back on. It's a 2 person job. I rotated the A/C line lock/connector and cut the foam off the pipe by the firewall. I also used bundling strap to pull the A/C line at the front of the head forward about 1.5" toward the radiator support. That gave me enough room to get the valve in place vertical. Then to lay it over onto the head I needed someone else to push the main wire harness bundle back about 1/2" into the firewall.

Tomorrow I will order a Ford valve cover gasket from the local dealer. No interest in trying another Fel-Pro in this case since it likely came from the same mold. Hopefully next weekend it will be running again. For this week I will drive my daughters torture mobile to work. 2003 Monte Carlo that hurts to get into, hurts to be in and hurts to get out of I can hardly wait, haha.

 

[whtbronco]

The Ford passenger side valve cover gasket fits over the slot perfectly. That said it's tough to get into the slot as it is noticeably thicker. This is the first time I can recall ever having an issue with a Fel-Pro gasket.

 

[whtbronco]

I woke this morning to a puddle of trans fluid on the garage floor from the power steering. So I swapped the o-rings for the high and low pressure lines at the rack. I will say with the fan and fan shroud removed they can be reached from the top and that's sooooooo much easier. It's certainly not fun from under the truch.

I should be able to wrap it up this weekend. Almost everything is connected, installed etc. The fan and shroud are not installed and won't be until after I fire it up. The only unresolved fight from today is the A/C compressor connector simply will not latch. Maybe Saturday I'll be able to get it.

 

[whtbronco]

It's finally running again. Wow did it scare my wife and I at first. It was running very rough for a few seconds and smoothed out slowly, after about 60 seconds it was fine. It's smoother and quieter than it was. The transmission is shifting at unusual shift points, maybe it's just from the battery being disconnected for 15 days. I took it for a 5 mile ride and it got progressively better.

45 seconds of cranking wasn't enough to build oil pressure. I hit it a second time a few minutes later and at 10 seconds the gauge jumped. I ran the starter for another 10 seconds.

On closer inspection the timing chain guides have about a 1/32" groove worn in them. I found no visible wear on the tensioners and the gaskets were intact. Maybe the springs weren't as strong as the new ones, no way to know with the new ones installed.

I replaced 2 rockers on the passenger side. They were the only 2 I could move without much effort. I would have preferred to replace all of them, but I couldn't justify the cost when the others seemed fine. I used a trim tool to pop them off, an 1/8" sheet of plastic to protect the cam lobe and a flat head screwdriver to pull the new rockers on. It was crazy easy this way, after 2 of the proper spring compressor tools failed to work.

Now I can get to my sons Ranger(drive shaft slip yoke and wheel bearings) and my daughters Monte Carlo(steering rack). The joys of driving high mileage vehicles.

 

[whtbronco]

I had a rather minor vibration in the throttle pedal for about 200k miles now. It was only noticeable in 4th gear with the torque converter locked. It drove me nuts, but no else ever noticed it. I drive without shoes so I could feel it. Anyway, it's gone now. I'm not certain what the cause was, clearly it was either 1 of the rockers I swapped or the timing components. I suppose it could have been the oil pump, but that seems unlikely.

500 miles since the maintenance and it's running and shifting well. It certainly is running smoother and a bit quieter.

 

[whtbronco]

1 last thing I kept forgetting to mention. I picked up Continental brand upper and lower radiator hoses from RockAuto. I simply chose those since they were available without additional shipping charges. Neither fit quite right. I cut a 1/4" off the lower radiator hose to get really close, the bend near the block inlet is still a little tighter than I'd like. The upper radiator hose is simply too short and putting strain on the radiator. I even pulled both ends off about 1/4-3/8" to get it to fit at all. So I have a replacement enroute. I ordered a Dayco upper hose as I've had decent luck with Dayco in the past and the price was good. If that's not right either I'll order upper/lower from FPG and call it a day.