Well, the most dreaded thing happened to my truck after some minor work last week. Once the work was done (leaking lower intake), they changed the oil and started the truck up. It sounded 10 times worse than a Cummins Diesel. Just idled there for awhile so they could scope it out to see where the sound was coming from. Bottom end somewhere ...

Made a decision to replace the engine (Ford Factory Rebuilt from Brampton, Ontario) instead of the truck. Too much money by going to another truck for me right now. It is bored out to about 34 or 35 thousands and has 30 over pistons in it, read it myself through one of the spark plugs holes.

Some other pictures ...
New Block Front
New Block Passenger
Completed Engine - Driver
Completed Engine - Passenger
Completed Engine - Rear

What a mess ...
Tailgate / Box

Did some cleaning too while the engine was out ...
Frame Before Driver Side
Frame Before Passenger Side
Frame After Cleaning

And last but not least ... the old crank ... Old Crank

Overall, it was absolutely ****ty timing for cash flow as the wife and I were making plans on getting a house this fall. But the timing couldn't be better (time wise) than it being in the shop when it decided to let go AND I had the week off from work as well, so I didn't need the truck at all.

As of tonight, I have about 820 kms on this new motor. It will be getting an oil change in about another 1500 kms to put me back on my 5000 kms interval. What should I do for breaking in the new motor ??? The one mechanic said that I should wait for 10,000 kms before going to the drag strip with it. Looks like I have to keep her for a little while longer now.

Have Fun & Keep on Truckin'
Dean

 

Dean,

Let me have it for a day!!!! I'll break it, er.. I mean break it in.

JMC

 

Any other opinions .............

Have Fun & Keep on Truckin'
Dean

 

Other then changing your oil and going relatively easy on it, in the manual (on a new motor) I believe they advise you to run the engine at as many different RPMS as possible over the first few thousand miles. (In other words, don't drive on the highway at the same speed repeatedly staying at the same RPMS's for the first few thousand miles.) For whatever reason, they like to break the engine in at different RPM ranges. As far as why I have no idea! The new motor looks really good.... Do you care to share what a new rebuilt motor installed costs?

 

Kinda along the lines of what STX said, I would wait at least 1000 miles before racing. Give the engine time to seat and get settled. Once you run her or the first CONSERVATIVE 1000 miles, change oil/filter then switch to a good synthetic and let her rip. Synthetic, as I'm sure you know, has better high temp performance. It does not break down as easily in race situations. I'm sure you know that Neal is running Red Line Poly ester base oil.

G. luck and nice engine!

 

STX: I have not seen the final parts list showing the costs but the service manager told me $1700 CDN for a long block (main block with heads) and then I got book time for the install $1300. I think that they might have cut me some slack for parts and time since I was there everyday helping with the project. Yeap, this is a normal Ford Dealership but just a small one that I have been dealing with for almost 14 years in someway or another. Even worked there for one summer. I added some other stuff that looked like it might go while the parts were easily accessible. Oh and the new valve covers too. Ford wanted WAY too much, the driver's side was $300 and change and the passenger was $170 and change. Picked up the Black Crinkled (?sp) Ford Motorsports from RCO Motorsports for $234 CDN.

MF150: I have almost 900 kms on it now and I am about 1000 kms from my normal oil change interval (245,000 kms). I am going to change the oil then and I get back to my every 5000 km change (easier to remember). By that time it would be almost 1800 kms on the new motor and I figured that it would be a good time to do it. I don't know if I want to go to synthetic or not, I change my oil alot from April to the end of September. I put almost 1000 kms / week on the truck with my travels for my work. It could get pretty costly buying that oil all the time, might just rob a courier truck driving by sometime !!!! LOL !!!!

I appreciate the comments on the motor. I definitely went through alot of emotions during the week that we were working on it. Went from pissed when I heard the motor to anxious when the motor was running late getting to the garage to determined when we were getting closer to turning it over. All in all, I learned alot about a motor as this was the first time for me to see that much of the motor apart and how everything went together. The only way it could have been better would be if we did the rebuild ourselves but that would take WAY too much time and money, both of which I didn't have.

Have Fun & Keep on Truckin'
Dean