1988 Lincoln Town Car

[nfldfordltd]

Make sure you measure the bore when you're done with all that to make sure its straight and not oversize. Very easy to do that. Need 6 measurements per hole to verify roundness and taper.

That I did already know. Everything seems good so far, will do the final measurements after the work is done. It's taking a nice bit of work to get everything smooth where the block was sitting for 10+ years not running. The cylinders have pitting and marks where the piston rings rested for that downtime. I haven't been spending any time it it this week as I've been unusually busy with work and junk. Hopefully the weekend I'll be able to get back at it.

[nfldfordltd]

Stock 1986 Mustang camshaft *should* have the correct distributor gear for either my truck engine (remote-mounted TFI) or Lincoln (distributor-mounted TFI), no? Am I correct in assuming only aftermarket parts would run me the risk of being the wrong gear material?

[His Royal Ghostliness]

The Lincoln has a roller cam, truck being '96 ought to be a roller engine as well. '86 Mustang should also be roller cam. So yeah, all the same should take the same gear on the distributor.

[gadget73]

If you look close at the gear you can usually tell if its steel or not. The steel ones have machine marks, the iron ones tend to have sand cast marks.

[nfldfordltd]

Thanks for the info, gentlemen. I'll double check the gear on the cam, but it makes sense that all those roller engines should have the same parts.

[His Royal Ghostliness]

Gadget was talking about the distributor gear actually. The cam gear is what it is, you match the distributor gear to whether the cam is roller lifter or flat tapped - rollers need steel dizzy gear, flatties get the iron.

[79lincolnlover]

I hope that you've been wearing a mask and goggles.

[nfldfordltd]

I hope that you've been wearing a mask and goggles.

Nah. But I'm OK haha

[DerekTheGreat]

The effects of inhalation aren't immediate, like with asbestos and what not.

[nfldfordltd]

Iron dust, just means I don't have to eat beans or spinach to compliment my iron intake for a little while.
I used WD-40 when I finished them off, dust was absent then. It's all good.

[gadget73]

Cast iron dust is mostly iron (obviously) and graphite. Nothing really hazardous. The graphite element is what makes it so easy to machine, but so dusty at the same time. The oil is more for dust control than actually lubricating anything.

[nfldfordltd]

Cast iron dust is mostly iron (obviously) and graphite. Nothing really hazardous. The graphite element is what makes it so easy to machine, but so dusty at the same time. The oil is more for dust control than actually lubricating anything.

It's all done now since January sometime.
Parts are arriving bit by bit. Of course, main bearings are the last thing to arrive, so I can't do squat with assembly until they get here. Summit never sent bearings or valve stem seals with the rebuild kit so I can't put my short block together or get the heads ready. All I can do is look at the pile of other parts...
They sent the incorrect upper intake gaskets (truck type) but I'm not sending those back as there's a couple of OBS trucks here that they are good for.
Main bearings, valve stem seals and correct upper intake gaskets are on their way from Rock Auto, hopefully I'll have it tomorrow or early next week. It would be nice to get the short block assembled over the weekend. Slowest engine rebuild ever. Oh well, it'll be at least a month before the weather is fit to actually drive the car anyway. NBD.

[nfldfordltd]

Plucked the old engine out of the Lincoln today. Went surprisingly well, took about 8 hours, and that wasn't rushing anything. It helped that I had fairly fresh exhaust manifold flange studs and nuts. Twisted off one bolt in the A/C compressor bracket and that was it. After the old engine was out and on the stand, I pulled a valve cover for a peek at the rocker arms, etc. Very clean inside, zero sludge. Outside was a different story. At least 1/4" (or more) of oil and grease caked on everywhere. Dirty job.
I assume regular panther valve covers will work on the E7 heads? I know the bolt pattern is identical, but what about rocker arm clearance? E6 and E7 rockers look the same to me.

[nfldfordltd]

Engine is Finally Coming Together


Engine is all put together and set back in place. Hopefully I'll be able to set her going sometime today and it runs as good as it looks.

[nfldfordltd]

All put back together, now it'll crank but not start.
Lots of fuel and fire.
Backfires through the intake.
Possible the distributor is off 180 degrees?