1968 F100 SWB Project (update 10/08/09 more stripes)

[03rangerxlt]

As purchased:


after black paint:


Now with new (to me) wheels and tires:






I actually like the rust on 'em. Kinda matches the rest of my truck. 15x8 out front with 15x10 out back.

[03rangerxlt]

considering channeling the body over the frame (body drop?). Anybody hear have any experience with this or know anybody who has? How do they turn out on these trucks if done right?

[aramil]

i think mars might have done it, other than that ive seen some magazine articles about it.

[03rangerxlt]

after thinking about that for a bit, i have dropped the idea, for now.

But I need to show my motor some love. I am thinking new freeze plugs, new oil pan gasket, new valve cover gaskets, new exhaust manifold gaskets, new exhaust manifold studs, rebuilt distributer, msd ignition, wire loom, and oil pump. What else do you guys suggest? The motor is a 400M, and I have never done this kinda stuff to a motor before (newb).

[dablack00]

To give a good responce, we need to know what the goal is for the motor. Why does it need love? What is it doing that you don't like? Is it burning oil, leaking oil, no oil pressure, low oil pressure, or what? Even before you answer, I can tell you this. There is no reason for you to spend the money on a msd ignition. Use the stock ford duraspark. No reason not too. Didn't who ever swapped in the 400 also swap in the duraspark? If not, it is an easy conversion.

Austin

[03rangerxlt]

The motor runs rough and has to sit at idle for a little bit before I can drive it. It has a lot of vacume leaks, I am thinking. The exhaust leaks, the oil pan leaks. There seems to be alot of oil on the front side of the block. The freeze plugs look sketchy. I need to pull the intake manifold and clean it (its covered with fire extiinquisher goo). I am not looking to "build" the motor, as the 400 is a relatively low power (but high torque) boat anchor. I was considering switching out the Duraspark because a bunch of folks have told me horror stories about them melting. One person even told me they couldn't get the stuff off the inner fenders after his cooked down.

[03rangerxlt]

So, at about 0500 today, I cracked a beer and added scallops to my hood. I am still split on how I feel about them. I like them, but I am unsure as to if they may be too much. Oh well, qlike I said, I like them.

me + beer + spray paint = scallops

[dablack00]

Before you do anything else you need to make sure the engine has good compression. Why buy gaskets for an engine that is about to blow?

1. Compression check
2. check slack in timing chain by rotating the crank back and forth and seeing how far you can move it (degrees) before the rotor starts to turn. To do this get a socket that is the right size as the bolt on the crank. Turn CCW about 45 degrees and make sure the rotor is turning with you. Then turn the crank CW and see how far you can turn it before the rotor starts to turn.
3. check you timing
4. use a little bit of propane to check for vac leaks around your intake and at the base of the carb. If you find them, pull intake, clean it up and put it back on right. Do the valve cover gaskets at the same time.
5. use a vacume gauge to adjust the idle screw(s) on your carb.
6. new plugs, wires, rotor, and cap

Now if everything is running right, do the other stuff you wanted to do.

[03rangerxlt]

Not a good update today!
On my way home from work today, the 400M in my truck failed spectacularly. Hopefully my next update will be with pics of a mildly built 390 going into my truck. This is going to play hell with my motormount situation and rebuilt transmission situation.

[03rangerxlt]

Well, here is what happened.

I was cruising on the interstate, and the motor started knocking. I slowed, but the motor started shrieking. It was loud. Very loud. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a HUGE cloud of smoke coming from the truck. Once I got the truck onto the off ramp and let off the gas, the truck died. Once I got the hood up and the smoke cleared, I saw smoke coming from the valve covers (one of the new breathers I bought is gone. Blown off?). There was smoke coming off the back side of the motor, and oil appeared to be coming up through the dip-stick tube. There was water on the inner fender wells, but the hoses and radiator are intact. My mechanic friend came by with his flatbed and scooped my truck up. Best guess is spun bearings. The truck starts and runs, but sounds like crap.

The built 390 is only $500. Poor guy lost his job, and has never run the engine. My mechanic friend says, "Jump on the motor!" He works at a tranny shop and says he can get the case for a C6 that will fit the 390 and build it with the guts of my transmission.

Suggestions, criticisms, gripes, complaints?

[dablack00]

Just be real about what all it is going to cost to go from one motor to the other.

I know you have duraspark for the 400. Does the FE come with a duraspark dizzy? That will cost some money. How about the driveshaft? I'm willing to bet that FE is going to need a different length driveshaft, but it might not. Also, you buddy that is going to pull the guts out of your C6 and put it in a FE C6 case is going to find stuff that needs to be replaced. You will also have to rebuild your exhaust to hook up the FE to your old pipes. Does the owner of the $500 FE have the paperwork for who built it?

There is a shop here in Houston that will do a basic rebuild and cover it for 12k miles for about $750. I think that is a better deal than swapping motors.

Hell, for $750 I can go get a running / driving 73-79, get the disc brakes off of it, swap the drivetrain into my truck, and then sell off the extra parts to make back about $300-400 of it.

Do you have PS? Do you have PB? You could get that stuff with a 73-79 truck. Take a look on craigslist and see what you can find for less than $1k. If they are asking $1k and you show up with $850, I bet you can drive it home. Take the parts you want, sell the rest for $350 and you are back down to $500.

have fun
Austin