WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[salans7]

Yup. My son's in-laws used to live there and he ran the plant to build fire engines. Which is why I remembered where you are.

I kinda forget how long and skinny Florida is. Yes, he'll see the "cold" when he leaves in the morning.

Weather in Florida is very interesting. We were hitting 96 degrees last week, and now here we are in the 40's again.

[Steve83]

Weather in Florida is very interesting. We were hitting 96 degrees last week, and now here we are in the 40's again.

It's not just FL. About 2 weeks ago, we went from 78°F one night to 28 the next morning.

[Gary Lewis]

It's not just FL. About 2 weeks ago, we went from 78°F one night to 28 the next morning.

Yeah, we are having whiplash on the temp as well. Single digits early in the week and into the high 60's late in the week.

As for what I did to my truck today, that's written up, ad nauseum, on Dad's Truck Build. But, my goal of getting all four tires on the ground in a day or two is not going to materialize. That's because I have the wrong wheel bearings, and the new ones won't be in until well into next week. In the interim I'll get the sway bar and front crossmember prepared and installed.

But, that probably won't take all my time, so I hope to finish the 3G Conversion re-write. And maybe get back to the TSB effort.

[Gary Lewis]

Yeah, we are having whiplash on the temp as well. Single digits early in the week and into the high 60's late in the week.

As for what I did to my truck today, that's written up, ad nauseum, on Dad's Truck Build. But, my goal of getting all four tires on the ground in a day or two is not going to materialize. That's because I have the wrong wheel bearings, and the new ones won't be in until well into next week. In the interim I'll get the sway bar and front crossmember prepared and installed.

But, that probably won't take all my time, so I hope to finish the 3G Conversion re-write. And maybe get back to the TSB effort.

It wasn't actually my truck, nor even a Bullnose. But Steve/FoxFord83 came over today. He's just now learning about the dreaded Ford timing cover, and especially on a Windsor. His '93 351W needed a water pump, so he tore into it and got lucky - he only snapped two bolts. But, with all the bolts out he said he couldn't even wiggle the timing cover. He wound up driving a safety razor blade between the block and the cover, and that moved it enough he was able to drive two razor blades in. Then a screwdriver, then it came off.

But it was gunked up badly, so he brought it over and ran it through the parts washer. Then we pressed out the old seal. (I think he was impressed with the large socket I have that's been turned down to just exactly the right size for a Ford front seal.) And he cleaned out the bolt holes in it with drill bits in a hand-held chuck. One of those holes had been tapped oversize by the previous owner when a bolt had snapped off on him. And then we pressed the new seal in.

With that done we turned to the harmonic balancer. The sealing surface was gunked up, so we chucked it in the lathe and cleaned it up. But, it was grooved so we pressed on a Readysleeve I happened to have.

Then we poked around and found a bag of bolts marked "Timing Cover" and he went home with that and a MAPP gas cylinder, planning to heat/oil/heat/oil/heat/oil the stubs of bolts that were sticking out of the block until they surrendered. He later sent me a pic of what he called "beautiful broken bolts", so apparently he got them out, although I don't know how many heat/oil cycles he used.

Another afternoon at the Garagemahal.

[Ford F834]

It wasn't actually my truck, nor even a Bullnose. But Steve/FoxFord83 came over today. He's just now learning about the dreaded Ford timing cover, and especially on a Windsor. His '93 351W needed a water pump, so he tore into it and got lucky - he only snapped two bolts. But, with all the bolts out he said he couldn't even wiggle the timing cover. He wound up driving a safety razor blade between the block and the cover, and that moved it enough he was able to drive two razor blades in. Then a screwdriver, then it came off.

But it was gunked up badly, so he brought it over and ran it through the parts washer. Then we pressed out the old seal. (I think he was impressed with the large socket I have that's been turned down to just exactly the right size for a Ford front seal.) And he cleaned out the bolt holes in it with drill bits in a hand-held chuck. One of those holes had been tapped oversize by the previous owner when a bolt had snapped off on him. And then we pressed the new seal in.

With that done we turned to the harmonic balancer. The sealing surface was gunked up, so we chucked it in the lathe and cleaned it up. But, it was grooved so we pressed on a Readysleeve I happened to have.

Then we poked around and found a bag of bolts marked "Timing Cover" and he went home with that and a MAPP gas cylinder, planning to heat/oil/heat/oil/heat/oil the stubs of bolts that were sticking out of the block until they surrendered. He later sent me a pic of what he called "beautiful broken bolts", so apparently he got them out, although I don't know how many heat/oil cycles he used.

Another afternoon at the Garagemahal.

Well done!

[Rembrant]

It wasn't actually my truck, nor even a Bullnose. But Steve/FoxFord83 came over today. He's just now learning about the dreaded Ford timing cover, and especially on a Windsor. His '93 351W needed a water pump, so he tore into it and got lucky - he only snapped two bolts. But, with all the bolts out he said he couldn't even wiggle the timing cover. He wound up driving a safety razor blade between the block and the cover, and that moved it enough he was able to drive two razor blades in. Then a screwdriver, then it came off.

But it was gunked up badly, so he brought it over and ran it through the parts washer. Then we pressed out the old seal. (I think he was impressed with the large socket I have that's been turned down to just exactly the right size for a Ford front seal.) And he cleaned out the bolt holes in it with drill bits in a hand-held chuck. One of those holes had been tapped oversize by the previous owner when a bolt had snapped off on him. And then we pressed the new seal in.

With that done we turned to the harmonic balancer. The sealing surface was gunked up, so we chucked it in the lathe and cleaned it up. But, it was grooved so we pressed on a Readysleeve I happened to have.

Then we poked around and found a bag of bolts marked "Timing Cover" and he went home with that and a MAPP gas cylinder, planning to heat/oil/heat/oil/heat/oil the stubs of bolts that were sticking out of the block until they surrendered. He later sent me a pic of what he called "beautiful broken bolts", so apparently he got them out, although I don't know how many heat/oil cycles he used.

Another afternoon at the Garagemahal.

Nice work Gary!

I guess I've had pretty good luck with the SBF timing covers. The cover on my '84 302 came off OK, and I recently removed the cover from the '85 302 and and only one bolt broke off. Once I got the cover off the block, the broken bolt came out with Visegrips, so it was an easy extraction as broken bolts go. Both were removed with the engines out of the trucks though, if that makes any difference....certainly much easier to reach.

I've seen lots of people complaining on Facebook about these bolts. It sure must suck when all you're doing is changing a $25 water pump in the truck and you end up having to remove the timing cover to extract broken bolts.

[Gary Lewis]

Nice work Gary!

I guess I've had pretty good luck with the SBF timing covers. The cover on my '84 302 came off OK, and I recently removed the cover from the '85 302 and and only one bolt broke off. Once I got the cover off the block, the broken bolt came out with Visegrips, so it was an easy extraction as broken bolts go. Both were removed with the engines out of the trucks though, if that makes any difference....certainly much easier to reach.

I've seen lots of people complaining on Facebook about these bolts. It sure must suck when all you're doing is changing a $25 water pump in the truck and you end up having to remove the timing cover to extract broken bolts.

I don't think I've gotten a single water pump off on a Windsor w/o breaking a bolt. It seems to be a curse. Which is why I'm interested in stainless bolts for the water pump.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I don't think I've gotten a single water pump off on a Windsor w/o breaking a bolt. It seems to be a curse. Which is why I'm interested in stainless bolts for the water pump.

Most important is thread sealant.

I use Loctite PST.

Keep the electrolyte out and the casting won't oxidize.(as badly)

I also grease the shanks of water pump bolts on installation.

While stainless might not pit and key into all the corrosion, and you will still have a head on the bolt to turn.

Nickel and chrome are more cathodic than iron and might cause more corrosion of the timing cover than a regular bolt.

Carbon is right at the top of the scale, so a grade 2 bolt might also be less prone to disintegrating than 5 or 8.

[Frank Wyatt]

I don't think I've gotten a single water pump off on a Windsor w/o breaking a bolt. It seems to be a curse. Which is why I'm interested in stainless bolts for the water pump.

I guess I've been blessed. I haven't had a broken bolt on a Windsor engine. At least so far.

[Angelo Voltura]

I guess I've been blessed. I haven't had a broken bolt on a Windsor engine. At least so far.

Dad got 2 of 3 tailgates back from paint. Looking pretty good for some paint kids in tech school laid.