Could be RJ, I removed that mark. Steve, I know exactly what you mean! Otherwise I'd be rebuilding heads and replacing valves and who know what else.

Here's a URL to another forum where I posted the pics, scroll down to my entry and check out the slack in this baby!

http://www.gamefishin.com/gfboard/fo...TID=27394&PN=2

 

It's not hard to link directly to your post, or to remote-link the pics you uploaded there so they show here.

 

I'll definately have to figure out how to do that, didn't have time - thanks Steve for the help!

 

On the other BBS just R of your username & left of the word "Posted: ...", there's a little dot. That's the link to THAT post. Right-click it, & select "Copy Shortcut". That stores that URL on your computer's clipboard. When you're typing your reply here, click the LINK icon above the reply box (globe with white chain below) & hit CTRL + V (Paste) to drop the link in. Hit ENTER, then type the text for your hyperlink & hit ENTER again.

For the photos, do basically the same, but right-click the image, select PROPERTIES, triple-click the URL, then click the IMAGE icon (yellow picture w/mountains & sun) here.

That's pretty much standard on all BBSs & even throughout the web.

 

That's amazing, that sloppy chain...given there was the bogus mark on the chain cover, was the original owner trying to allow for the slipping chain as a workaround? Maybe there's something to be said for timing belts, at least changing them is a scheduled maintenance item...

See? First, eliminate the obvious, then move onto the less obvious....I'll add "slipping timing chain" to my catalogue of possibles...

 

I wondered that too PJ, but who knows what was going on. I've had it for almost 12 years and never timed it so had no idea what was going on. I hear a timing chain should be changed every 100-150,000 miles, I'm 100-150,000 past due if that is the case! I bought it with 126K on it, so I'm sure it is original.

Amazing the difference with the new chain and gears, almost no slack whatsoever, just as it should be. I painted the balancer flat black and the timing marks in white paint to make it easier to see them, the stamped steel numbers are awful hard to see otherwise. I've been scraping greasy gunge and painting everything pretty as I go. My dad always said if you don't leave it looking nicer than when you started, you only did half the job.

Oh, and thanks for the lesson Steve, I'll definately learn how to do it. I had to load the photos on a website first, this one doesn't have a readily apparent photo uploader that I could easily find.

 

Just do all your uploading to SMN (my signature links will take you there). It's totally free, & it provides all the markup to post pics onto BBSs like this one.

 

Got the new timing set put on last night, finished buttoning everything back up and bolting everything back on and cleaning everything up and it fired up around 6:30 tonight. Had to move the distributor one tooth to get the timing right, once that was done she puuuuuuuuurrrrrrrssssss like a kitten! Man, how good this feels to once again be Master Of Machinery instead of Jay Walkin'.

Here's the old vs. new





What a pretty new chain, huh?!?! Check out the difference in slack how the first photo the old chain is kinda' just hanging there!

 

You can already see the cleaning and painting going on during all of this - my daddy always said "If you don't leave it lookin' better than when you started, you only done half a job". I think that's where the term half-assed comes from??





Now that looks much tighter!!

Here we are getting close, water pump is back on - it was new just a year or two ago so it was reused with a new gasket. Good thing is the timing cover gasket kit came with a new water pump gasket.


If you look below the water pump you can see the balancer is now semi-gloss black with bright white painted timing marks. They were just stamped in the bare steel before, and hard to see with the timing light. This turned out absolutely gorgeous with the timing light. The tab I painted chrome silver to contrast against the black.

 

Getting close now, hoses hooked up! Now for pulleys and belts and give her a go! You can't tell by the next two photos, but she's idling away running like a clock!! I just don't have a way on my camera to slow the exposure down so you can see some movement, but trust me she is purring away in the next two shots!





Once it warmed up enough to retime it, set her at 10deg. BTDC and this sucker runs like a raped ape!! Well, a little one that was just sorta molested or fondled a little bit. I'm not sure what it used to run like it's been so long since it ran, almost 6 weeks! Best of all, it ain't seeped nary a drop of oil!

Man, I feel great!! Too bad I didn't figure out it was the timing about 5 weeks and $500 ago, but now it should run fine for many years to come, or until the rings finally give out! I've changed the high pressure fuel pump and fuel filter, every sensor on the engine, EGR valve, idle bypass valve and solenoid, the ECM computer, distributor stator and TFI module, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, battery and cables, and now have a good running old piece of crap Ford!!! But it's my POS Ford and I like it! Onward to 300,000 miles!!

Thanks for all the suggestions and help guys. Triton, you nailed it first try!

 

Ya, know...






That beautiful paint on the block & WP really makes the valve covers stand out.

 

HA! I thought the same thing Steve, the gaskets there need to be change too, so that will probably be next. BUT not for a LONG time! I'm tired of working on this thing. If it weren't a lifted 4x4 and I were taller, it wouldn't be so bad. Does make the underside easy though!