Gary Lewis

If you use a transmission that has an integrated bellhousing (any automatic or many 5 speed overdrive manual transmissions, including all from Ford trucks) you will need to get a transmission that fits your engine (as Jim said). If you use a transmission that does NOT have an integrated bellhousing (old 4 speed manuals and a few 5 speed overdrives, such as NV4500 from Dodge or Chevy) then you will need the bellhousing for an old 4 speed manual that fits your engine. If you are thinking about a 5 speed, none of the Ford transmissions will have a manual clutch linkage. So you'd "need to get crafty on it" to make it work in your truck. Probably more work than you want to bite off. And if you are putting in a non-Ford 5 speed you may also need an adapter to fit the trans to the bellhousing. So either way a 5 speed will complicate the process. There is a glitch with the 351M/400. Yes, it has the same bolt pattern as a 460, but Ford moved the flywheel rearward ~3/8" on the 460. So a ZF5's input shaft will just barely touch the pilot bearing and the bearing won't last long. So to put a ZF5 on an M-block you need a spacer that Tim Meyer sells. I don't see it on his site right now but he has them as well as a flywheel if you want it. Tell him I sent you.

I think I put the bolts in from the bottom and the nuts on the top. Not idea but it was easier than raising the cab.

We have a page that includes pictures here: https://www.garysgaragemahal.com/engine-perches.html. That might help you answer some of the questions.

I don't know if the clutch housing has a slot, but I'll look tomorrow. Sure hope the pan on the 235 doesn't hit as I want to put it in w/o modification. I guess I'd better take some measurements. I'll follow up on that resource. Thanks!

My F350 blocks are 4" and the original F250 blocks were 2". I am running the 4" blocks with the Sky Offroad kit and the D60 and it leveled the truck out nicely - after I pulled 2 leaves out of the 7-leaf pack. That gave me an acceptable ride. On the frame stiffening, please give use pics and measurements for what you do.

Bill - These are 14mm plugs. The 37 Chevy I had used the 10mm plugs, so I know what you are talking about. 14mm is 0.551". The tap drill for 3/8 NPT is 37/64ths which is .578". So you can see why I drilled the threads right off that plug. The plug shell is too big to allow 1/4" NPT connections and not big enough to take 1/2" NPT. If I really thought it would help I'd put the 1/4" connection in with a bunch of JB Weld. Or maybe solder it in. But I really doubt that 120 PSI is going to make a big difference since I don't know if any piston is near TDC with the valves closed. And if it is the wall may be cracked. So if I can't get it to move tomorrow I'll turn it upside down and start disassembling the bottom end.

Nice truck. Not far from me, but I don't need another one.

Got to spend a little bit of time today trying to turn the 216 over to get to the other 4 pressure plate bolts. I had it leaning to the driver's side so I poured a bunch of PB Blaster in each cylinder - which then ran out of the cylinder(s) with the crack(s) in the bore. Then I layed it down on its side on the shop crane's legs and put the pry bar on it. Nada. So I used the shop crane and a ratchet strap to put more force on the pry bar than I could myself, and shown below. Again nada, but I'm leaving it overnight to see if it might creep. And you can see the force via the bend of the pry bar. And, by the way, this is trying to rotate it backwards to the normal rotation so I can't use the "ears" in the harmonic balancer to put more twist on it as the pry bar comes out of the "ears". So I wondered if I could put air in a cylinder via the spark plug hole to help the situation. But these plugs are a lot bigger than modern plugs and I don't have an adapter that fits. So I tried to make one. I put a plug in the lathe and turned the crimp off that holds the porcelain insulator in. But the fitting that would go in is 3/8 NPT and there's just not enough meat in the spark plug shell to create threads. When I drilled it 37/64" the bit took the threads off, as shown below. So, nada.

Right. There's something about the VREST that I don't understand.

The vacuum source won't change cooling if it is the same every time - assuming the same idle RPM. The beneficial cooling comes when you have ported vacuum with the temp below a certain point and manifold vacuum if the temp goes over that point. When you hit that temp the added vacuum will raise the idle RPM and, therefore, help cooling. But unless you firmly have your foot on the brake you may start creeping forward as well.

Could you explain this a bit more? Why would there be a benefit in running ported vacuum for advance with an automatic? Reason I’m asking is the 460 truck with auto transmission still wants manifold vac for advance … and it seems like the trans shift characteristics might depend on that choice based on your comment (just a inference/ guess) I don't like manifold vacuum with an automatic transmission. The reason is that I've seen an unstable idle with it. If something drops the idle just a bit, like the A/C coming on or the idle dropping as you come to a stop, the load on the engine drops and the RPM will increase. With increasing RPM the vacuum goes up which increases the vacuum advance which raises the idle RPM. But that increases the load on the engine via the torque converter and the RPM drops, which reduces the vacuum and that reduces the advance which reduces the RPM, which decreases the load on the transmission, which... So I prefer ported vacuum for automatics. You get no vacuum advance at idle so the idle is stable. And you get a good bump of advance as you tip into the throttle so you get a good surge of power.

I tried to guess what it should be but couldn't.

The longest journeys start with just going out the door. This is a start, but with many more steps to be taken.

Very cool, Ron!

Parts for these trucks and all other oldies may have a new life. A company has made a 3d printer that prints in stainless and tool steel as well as copper. Long obsolete parts could be brought back to life. Speaking of parts I have a ton of odds and ends that I have been sorting so I don't loose anything so if we need more pictures for documentation I could grab what I have while I will pretty much have every fastener out. Took this in process I have this box full pretty much. I hope people can start printing parts soon. That's been in the works for some time but the price needs to come down for us truckophiles to be able to afford it. Anyway, that's good sorting!

I think the mount goes on the outside of the timing cover so the cover doesn't need to come off. I hope.

You are now on the map. And I'll look forward to your thread.

Yes, change the oil. It probably has gas mixed with it.

Tyler! How 'ya doing? That's a wild setup. Let's capture a picture from it.

Glad the manifold isn't cracked - just you.

Glad you got the starter problem sorted. Bummer about the fuel pump. But these trucks are link onions - plenty of layers/problems to peel, but when you get done you can have a Bloomin' Onion.

Not really. The pump has to be bad or the crankcase full of gas for it to come out there. So pull the dip stick to make sure the sump isn't full.

We squirted PB Blaster in the cylinders last Spring. May do it again before I lay it down - probably tomorrow. Hoping I don't have to remove the balancer as it has the "ears" which the hand crank fits in. I use that and the pry bar on the flywheel for encouragement to turn.

Glad the new one is better. Hope it is GREAT.

We looked at Discord but liked Invision better for our purposes. We hope to be moving to that in a couple of weeks or so as they are writing the migration code now and expect to show us the beta maybe this week. Then we will have a week to test it and once they fix what we've found we expect to go live.