Poncho Loco build thread, yes here it is ...

[RenoHuskerDu]

The easiest way to tell a 351 from a 302 is where the timing cover water port boss passes to the block.

If it is almost flush to the deck the engine is 302. If there is about an inch of space from the head, (1.3" more for the 351) that shows the taller -9.5"- deck of a 351....

(Pics from Summit where I looked up the following....)

Since the Fel-Pro 70020 EGR gasket fits all 73-96 5.0 and 77-91 5.8l Windsors I would say it's a safe bet the block off plates are the same, even though the EGR valve itself may have changed or be different for different displacements.

It's a 351W. The gap you describe exists. Also, thermostat housing is in the intake manifold. 3 bolts hold down the valve cover on the exhaust side. The Windsor was produced from 1969 to 1991. At some point it was given the ignominy of being called a 5.8 litre motor. The horror, the horror...

[RenoHuskerDu]

2nd son came and said "Papa, I can't find the coil..."

Anybody know what retrofit dizzy this might be? Later model Ford? The coil is in the cap, as I recall.

Not a bad surprise to find this. Looks new inside too.

Note vacuum advance nipple is capped. Hmmm

Looks like the PO splurged on these spark plugs. They look relatively new.

Anybody running them?

SuperDuperNiftyWiftyPlugs

[RenoHuskerDu]

Looks like the PO splurged on these spark plugs. They look relatively new.

Anybody running them?

SuperDuperNiftyWiftyPlugs

I guess nobody's running those fancy plugs. They'll work fine to get her going, at least.

Right now we're finding TDC on cyl 1 with a stiff length of copper wire. Then we'll insert a small USB camera and see if the valves are open, so we'll know if we're on compression or exhaust stroke. I suspect the PO was unable to get the motor started because he put in that fancy new distributor 180 degrees off. We'll remedy that.

I told one of my boys to clean the timing marks and put a dab of white on 0 ... but the motor has no timing marks that we can find so far. Just this 4-sided crank position sensor, which I assume worked with the factory ignition (discarded).

I guess we'll set the timing by ear. Won't be the first time.

[Gary Lewis]

I guess nobody's running those fancy plugs. They'll work fine to get her going, at least.

Right now we're finding TDC on cyl 1 with a stiff length of copper wire. Then we'll insert a small USB camera and see if the valves are open, so we'll know if we're on compression or exhaust stroke. I suspect the PO was unable to get the motor started because he put in that fancy new distributor 180 degrees off. We'll remedy that.

I told one of my boys to clean the timing marks and put a dab of white on 0 ... but the motor has no timing marks that we can find so far. Just this 4-sided crank position sensor, which I assume worked with the factory ignition (discarded).

I guess we'll set the timing by ear. Won't be the first time.

I don't think I've seen a harmonic balancer w/o marks, but I guess they were some. And yes, I think that star wheel is picked up by the sensor to the left center of the pic to give TDC.

But copper wire or even a straw usually works to find TDC.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I guess nobody's running those fancy plugs. They'll work fine to get her going, at least.

Right now we're finding TDC on cyl 1 with a stiff length of copper wire. Then we'll insert a small USB camera and see if the valves are open, so we'll know if we're on compression or exhaust stroke. I suspect the PO was unable to get the motor started because he put in that fancy new distributor 180 degrees off. We'll remedy that.

I told one of my boys to clean the timing marks and put a dab of white on 0 ... but the motor has no timing marks that we can find so far. Just this 4-sided crank position sensor, which I assume worked with the factory ignition (discarded).

I guess we'll set the timing by ear. Won't be the first time.

You can put a finger in the #1 plug hole and feel the compression stroke as the piston comes up.

Those plugs look pretty fouled to me.

Everyone I know says stay far away from platinum and "fancy" plugs in these trucks.

Many won't use anything but copper core Motorcraft plugs.

I prefer the V-power NGK's (these are still a basic copper spark plug)

While it's possible the HEI distributor is way out of time if it doesn't have at least a 30A circuit feeding it the GM ignition module built into the cap isn't going to be happy.

(There is an HEI conversion tutorial in the Bullnose Upgrades or DSII conversion section of the documentation)

I can understand why your son has no experience with engine management schemes that weren't in production for decades before he was even born.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I guess nobody's running those fancy plugs. They'll work fine to get her going, at least.

Right now we're finding TDC on cyl 1 with a stiff length of copper wire. Then we'll insert a small USB camera and see if the valves are open, so we'll know if we're on compression or exhaust stroke. I suspect the PO was unable to get the motor started because he put in that fancy new distributor 180 degrees off. We'll remedy that.

I told one of my boys to clean the timing marks and put a dab of white on 0 ... but the motor has no timing marks that we can find so far. Just this 4-sided crank position sensor, which I assume worked with the factory ignition (discarded).

I guess we'll set the timing by ear. Won't be the first time.

Have you considered measuring the damper diameter and adding a cheap timing tape once you find TDC #1?

That way you would not only know where your base timing is, but you could observe vacuum and centrifugal advance with the timing light as well.

Ford engines from this era seem to do well with ~12° initial and about 38-40° maximum.

Changing weights and setting limits on these GM style distributors is a lot simpler than disassembling a DSII style to change baseplates or bush the stops.

[RenoHuskerDu]

Have you considered measuring the damper diameter and adding a cheap timing tape once you find TDC #1?

That way you would not only know where your base timing is, but you could observe vacuum and centrifugal advance with the timing light as well.

Ford engines from this era seem to do well with ~12° initial and about 38-40° maximum.

Changing weights and setting limits on these GM style distributors is a lot simpler than disassembling a DSII style to change baseplates or bush the stops.

Thanks to all for the useful ideas.

We did get Poncho Loco to run tonight. The fuel pump even works, but of course it was pumping onto the ground, all the nasty ethanol rot in there from sitting for 18 months. The USB camera idea didn't work to find TDC, image was too grainy. So we pulled the valve cover to find #1 TDC with a stiff wire.

A timing tape on the damper would be sweet but I'd need a pointer too. We have to straighten the PS pump mount and I'll take a closer look at the damper then. For now I'll probably just advance till it pings then back off a few degrees. That 30A HEI tip is excellent.

Daughter is quite happy, and she's getting pretty good at routine ops, knowing what tool lives where, etc.

On the yestertech front and why it's still important at times, my eldest who had never seen the inside of a carb until this project just got a raise at work. He was given a 79 Dentside to get the carb sorted out and succeeded. Boss was obviously pleased to the tune of $3 an hour.

[RenoHuskerDu]

We pulled the bed today. Ack phltt...it has 8 bed bolts? All our other Bullys have 6, but this is our only F150 and only 1982. Somebody has undercoated heavily. Right over some low body rust. But in we found no unpleasant surprises. The pinion seal is leaking slightly. Somebody put in spendy KYB shocks ... then undercoated them. lol.

We're going to remove the front tank and tank selector. Both look OK, but the selector itself is smaller than I've seen on our Bullys and Brickys, which are all diesel, maybe that's the diff. Anybody need 'em?

I prefer to run a bed tank with valve for gravity feed into the rear tank. We have to drive 30 minutes to get non-ethanol gasoline so more fuel capacity makes sense.

Nasty 2-into-1 exhaust looks like a welding school beginner did it. That will go on the scrap pile and we'll build a 2.5" dual system once the front tank is gone. Exits before rear tires.

Who has defeated the evap emissions malarkey and how did you do it? In the past I've routed that vent, diff vents, and gearbox vents up to a high point then have an inverted U form at the end. Perhaps one of you has a more elegant solution?

[Gary Lewis]

We pulled the bed today. Ack phltt...it has 8 bed bolts? All our other Bullys have 6, but this is our only F150 and only 1982. Somebody has undercoated heavily. Right over some low body rust. But in we found no unpleasant surprises. The pinion seal is leaking slightly. Somebody put in spendy KYB shocks ... then undercoated them. lol.

We're going to remove the front tank and tank selector. Both look OK, but the selector itself is smaller than I've seen on our Bullys and Brickys, which are all diesel, maybe that's the diff. Anybody need 'em?

I prefer to run a bed tank with valve for gravity feed into the rear tank. We have to drive 30 minutes to get non-ethanol gasoline so more fuel capacity makes sense.

Nasty 2-into-1 exhaust looks like a welding school beginner did it. That will go on the scrap pile and we'll build a 2.5" dual system once the front tank is gone. Exits before rear tires.

Who has defeated the evap emissions malarkey and how did you do it? In the past I've routed that vent, diff vents, and gearbox vents up to a high point then have an inverted U form at the end. Perhaps one of you has a more elegant solution?

I think the bed bolt change happened in '85, but I'm not sure. We have that documented somewhere.

On the vents, here's how I handled the tank vents. I like the filter as it keeps crawly things out.

[RenoHuskerDu]

We're tearing into Poncho Loco more every day. Today after draining the rotten old gas, my daughter and I lubed both window mechanisms. There appears to be new felt in the window channels, and new rubber at the top of the door panels. Lubing it all up with silicone lube and grease reduced effort considerably. The driver door crank has a lot of axial play but still works. We have a spare out in the field too.

The door panels have sheet metal pockets in them, never seen that on a Bully. Do you think somebody fab'd these up? The door panels themselves have almost no cracks. Even the push pin attachment points are unbroken. Hard to believe for a 1982 truck, I wonder if the panels were NOS. If they were repro they wouldn't have these Ford numbers on them, afaik.

Take a look, what do you think?

Here is one of the door pockets. Very well done, no sharp edges.

Here is the back side. Looks fab'd to me.