LEB Ben
Arrogant A-hole At-Large
Hello again fellas. When I head out to work on one of my rigs, I'm always worried about what little things I didn't think about that will jump up and bite me in the butt. So I always find it useful to search sites like this one for guys who have done the same job before but have hands on experience to tell me what to watch out for. So I am trying to compile a list of things that are easily enough overlooked, but can seriously help save time and money. I do apologize in adavance if this is redundant for some of you gurus, but I think it may help. So here it goes:
First and foremost, when looking at a vehicle and trying to determine what engine it has, count the valve cover bolts:
302/351W= 6 VC bolts
351M/400= 8 VC bolts
360/390= 5 VC bolts
429/460= 7 VC bolts
When searching for that front D60, and you can't determine visually:
I believe the diff cover on the front D44 has 1/2" bolts, while the D60 has 9/16"
When removing emblems:
I use 20lb test fishing line. Just get it behind the emblem and pull a little at a time. Using the fishing line instead of just popping it off with a screwdriver definitely saves the paint.
When looking for engine building advice:
Go to Bubba's M Block page. It has been archived here:
http://351cleveland.wetpaint.com/page/Bubba's+M+Block+Workshop?t=anon
When replacing a heater core, reference this link:
http://www.ncspecialties.com/autobody/heater/index.htm
Books you should have:
-Year specific shop manuals for your truck
-Haynes and/or Chiltons manual
-Tom Monroe: How build a Ford V8
Parts Resources:
New Parts-
JBG
Dennis Carpenter
O'Reilly's Autoparts (when time is of the essence)
Old Parts-
Pick-n-Pull of your choice
ebay
craigslist
Whenever in the process of disassembly, be sure to take LOTS of pictures.
If planning on reusing fasteners, clips, etc. be sure to put them in a baggy and a detailed label.
Now I know there is lots more, and that list isn't really all that 'techy' but that's all I could really think of off the top of my head. I hope this spawns some interest and can really help some guys out.
First and foremost, when looking at a vehicle and trying to determine what engine it has, count the valve cover bolts:
302/351W= 6 VC bolts
351M/400= 8 VC bolts
360/390= 5 VC bolts
429/460= 7 VC bolts
When searching for that front D60, and you can't determine visually:
I believe the diff cover on the front D44 has 1/2" bolts, while the D60 has 9/16"
When removing emblems:
I use 20lb test fishing line. Just get it behind the emblem and pull a little at a time. Using the fishing line instead of just popping it off with a screwdriver definitely saves the paint.
When looking for engine building advice:
Go to Bubba's M Block page. It has been archived here:
http://351cleveland.wetpaint.com/page/Bubba's+M+Block+Workshop?t=anon
When replacing a heater core, reference this link:
http://www.ncspecialties.com/autobody/heater/index.htm
Books you should have:
-Year specific shop manuals for your truck
-Haynes and/or Chiltons manual
-Tom Monroe: How build a Ford V8
Parts Resources:
New Parts-
JBG
Dennis Carpenter
O'Reilly's Autoparts (when time is of the essence)
Old Parts-
Pick-n-Pull of your choice
ebay
craigslist
Whenever in the process of disassembly, be sure to take LOTS of pictures.
If planning on reusing fasteners, clips, etc. be sure to put them in a baggy and a detailed label.
Now I know there is lots more, and that list isn't really all that 'techy' but that's all I could really think of off the top of my head. I hope this spawns some interest and can really help some guys out.