While the block is out for machining I can turn my attention to one of the MANY other sub-projects on #ProjectSportsRoof.
If you’ve followed the blog you know that I’ve tackled the heater box (more to come on that) and as well as cleaning up the engine bay. As you’ve seen the interior needs work. I’ve completed floor pans (sealed/coated), new under-layment and new carpet. That was just the beginning, so much more to do on the inside.
One thing that makes restoring the interior go a bit smoother is having all the little things like screws and other fasteners. That’s where AMK Products comes in.
I saw an AMK commercial on one of the car restoration shows.
Here’s a brief look at what it contains:
It is pretty complete and well labeled for application. You can find more on their website. Go to https://www.amkproducts.com .
Thanks for checking in on #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m working on the heater box and it is now out from under the dash. Although the box was easy to remove, …
Thanks for checking in on #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m working on the heater box and it is now out from under the dash.
Although the box was easy to remove, unfortunately that might have been because the two brackets that hold the unit to the firewall were broken and dropped down only hanging by the A/C block still sticking through slot in the firewall.
Take a look:
The rust isn’t too bad. I’ll clean that up and see how much damage exist, cut out what I can and make a patch for it. You can clearly see the condition of the brackets and the box.
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took forever!!! Seems longer since I have driven it in months. Now if you missed …
I’m finishing the labeling of the components for the heater box before I pull it out. These videos help with replacing any “left over” parts and memory joggers.
Unfortunately I did discover an area of rust and that is never a good thing!!!
Take a look:
Coming up next the box comes out and we take a good look at it.
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
Maybe one of the worse task to tackle on a car is the heater core. In particular on some older cars. In most cases you have to remove the entire dash. I know this because when the heater core sprung a leak in my 1974 Cobra Jet Torino, I didn’t have the time to fix it. I took it to a shop and the cost was hefty.
Since I’m doing a lot more of my own work on #ProjectSportRoof and I’m going to dive in and replace the heater core and like the Torino it is an A/C car.
Now the goal is to attempt to remove the box without taking the entire dash out – that is a huge time sync and it leads down the road of ” since I have it out, I might as well fix…”.
I refer to the heater box as the portion to the right of the blower, there are some references that include the blower as well. There are only 3 bolts holding the heater box in place, two are behind the unit and poke through the firewall and one is in the front. I’m hoping the rest is just getting it in the right angle to pull it out.
I don’t have a camera guy only a small tri-pod that I can set in limited flat spots and record what I can.
HINT: Remove the passenger seat, it sure does help.
Here we go:
Coming up we’ll take a close look at the box, access what needs to be done.
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Thanks for continuing to follow #ProjectSportsRoof. The 351 Cleveland has been torn down and you’ve seen the major components and their deplorable condition and it is time now to get it to the machine shop.
It’s not easy finding a good shop. While I was hunting around for a machinist I asked a few car guys I know for suggestions and found the two that were recommended were out of business. That is not uncommon. It is often times more expedient to just drop in a crate or re-manufactured engine (long or short block) and that’s tough to compete against. I was concerned that I’d have to transport the 351C block 100 miles away to check get the work done.
While I was searching for a shop, I was simultaneously search for a re-man’ed long or short block. Of course I was specifically looking for a closely date code 351C and I was told that those blocks are not plentiful. I took my local search to the hot rod shops (by hot rod shops I mean, shops that sell hot rod parts) in town and the shop I chose was recommended by several. I double checked the review that were available and these guys have a very good rep. I’m going to withhold the name until I get the block back.
Luckily I had the block still bolted to the engine stand. That and my cat-like reflexes (HA) kept a disaster from occurring.
Hoisted!!! ^^^ lots of Mustang parts
Not withstanding my attempts to bounce the block off the garage floor it is finally suspended and ready to get loaded.
Tied Down – This is the fastest this engine has done in months!!!
Upon arrival at the machine shop two guys unloaded the block and I asked them to measure the current bore and the size of the crank.
The results were as follows:
The stock bore is 4″ and the measurements of the current bore is .030 under making the bore 4.030. You’ve seen the condition of the cylinders and the shop recommended to take another .010 off making the proposed bore 4.040″.
Now the crank was measured as well and it was .010 machined from stock thickness. Purposed is to take it down another .010 to .020 under.
The shop recommended to replace the cam, so that will happen.
This ended the speculation about the originality of the engine. Clearly this was rebuilt at least once.
Now decisions need to be made. But first let’s take stock of where we are and then play a little “What If”, shall we?
Using this standard formula for determining displacement: Bore2 X Stroke X 0.7854 X Cylinders (laid out below from a spreadsheet)
Bore
X
Bore
X
Stroke
X
0.7854
X
Cylinders
=
Displacement
Stock
4
4
3.5
0.7854
8
351.8592
Current
4.03
4.03
3.5
0.7854
8
357.1568801
Proposed
4.04
4.04
3.5
0.7854
8
358.9315699
Just cleaning up the cylinders will move the displacement from 351 (stock) to 358 as proposed. That is currently where we are.
Now let’s play What If!!! What if I increased the bore a bit more? Here is what that look like in displacement terms.
Taking up the bore one more .010 to 4.05″ looks like this.
Bore
X
Bore
X
Stroke
X
0.7854
X
Cylinders
=
Displacement
Option
4.05
4.05
3.5
0.7854
8
360.710658
4.05 is the furthest I want to do with the bore – if it’s possible. I know one Mustang owner that has his bore 4.06″, however, I’m not comfortable with that. So we’ve increased the displacement 360.
Now let’s work on the stroke. The machining of the crank will net little to no change in the displacement. To increase that I’d have to go with a different crank. So what do those number look like? Leaving the bore at 4.04 and increase the stroke yields the following increases:
Bore x Bore x Stroke x 0.7854 x #Cylinders Displacement
Option
4.04
4.04
3.75
0.7854
8
384.5695392
Option
4.04
4.04
4
0.7854
8
410.2075085
Basically the 400
Let’s go a bit further with the increase in bore:
Bore x Bore x Stroke x 0.7854 x #Cylinders Displacement
Option
4.05
4.05
3.75
0.7854
8
386.475705
Option
4.05
4.05
4
0.7854
8
412.240752
Option
4.05
4.05
3.85
0.7854
8
396.7817238
Off the shelf long stroke cranks
Option
4.04
4.04
3.85
0.7854
8
394.8247269
Off the shelf long stroke cranks
Care to share your thoughts on the build? Drop me a note!!!
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Well we are finally at the next to last post for the tear down of my 1973 Mustang SportsRoof 351 Cleveland. Everything has been removed and we can not get a look at the last piece of the puzzle in figuring out what needs to be done to make this thing run again.
Take a look at the cylinders.
All the indications are that this engine was oil starved at some point. I’m sure it was a result of the valve supporting the #2 cylinder being fired shut, but that is still just a guess.
If you look back at earlier posts, I waffled between guessing if this Cleveland had been apart and worked on. Well by the sight of the cross-hatching it’s clear that the cylinders have been worked before and I’m guessing the rings are well.
Next the block, crank and cam are headed off to a machine shop and things become very clear after the experts look at this 351C.
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Thanks checking back in with the 1973 Mustang (#ProjectSportsRoof). … the knocking in the bottom end and if the 351 Cleveland in #ProjectSportsRoof is going …
Welcome to #ProjectSportsRoof and the seeming never ending processing of tearing down the 351C. We are in the final stages and I wanted to show you the crank and cam condition. I put together the video below.
As you can see the crank is not in great shape and the cam is a bit worn. The crank is going to have to be turned and the cam might be beyond polishing.
Leaving the flange on was a time set back as I had to stabilize the engine with the hoist so that I could unbolt it from the engine stand. I had intended to drop it on an engine cradle but I hadn’t even un-boxed it yet so I removed the flange and the flex plate and bolted it back on the engine stand.
It’s now clear that the engine had severe oil starvation at some point and this caused all the damage – ring wear in the cylinders (you’ll see that coming up), severe wear crank and main bearings.
It just about time to get this block off to the machine shop. I’m going to have them do some measurements for me and help decide what needs to be done to save this engine.
I have a couple more posts for the tear down and those are coming up.
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
Moving right along with #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m pulling the piston in this posting.
A couple of things to note. I record these days before I actually get to post them (in case you can’t tell) and many times the entire days work is broken up into multiple posts. So you might hear similar comments in new posts, that I’ve already corrected in the previous one. For example, it might seem I’m obsession over the oil situation, “There’s lot of oil….blah…blah…blah.” Of course that’s true at that point and time, but as the Cleveland came a part – it’s clear that great lubrication wasn’t always the case, barring foreign matter getting in the engine – given damage seen thus far it would have been a pile of sand dumped in the block.
There’s also the fact that there are indications that the engine might have been apart previously (not just the heads). Maybe a ring job. I just can’t tell for sure. What I can tell is that at least the piston rods are original Ford equipment if not original to this engine, as they have the Ford Oval and are coded D0AEA – D0 = 1970. It’s not a stretch that think that Ford used piston rods from 1970 in a 1972 engine. Take a look and see what you think:
BS9 Markings on piston rod.
D0AEA markings on the piston rod. D0 = 1970
“F” is one of the markings along with an “S” in a shield.
Marking “1”
Now I pulled out the right side first (pistons 5-8) as it as the side I happened to have the engine turned over on. Take a look:
Although the all of the bearings will be replaced, I do note the ones that aren’t too bad. This is for documentation and any possible troubleshooting later on. Here is the removal of the pistons 1-4:
So now the pistons are out and we can get a good look at the crank and get pull the cam.
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Thanks for check in on #ProjectSportsRoof. If you remember a of couple months back, shortly after bringing the ’73 Mustang home, I conducted a compression test on all the cylinders. The 351C was running rough (to put it mildly) and smoked like a pile of tires on fire (only the smoke …
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Welcome back. This post will show you the removal main bearings for the crank for 351 Cleveland.
You’ll notice that I’ve added some captions correcting some of my theories like there’s seems to be plenty of oil getting around the bearing and the crank. Of course because it’s happening now, or was happening just before removing the engine that doesn’t mean it’s ‘always’ had oil flowing properly. Take a good look at the bearing when I remove them and see what you think.
I’m going to guess that prior to having the heads being done, based I what I see on the mains, there was some oil issue, rather major oil issues. You recall the valve issue on the #2 cylinder?
Oh!!!!
In the next two posts I’ll be removing and taking a look at the pistons and then we’ll inspect the crank, so keep an eye out for those.
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took forever!!! Seems longer since I have driven it in months. Now if you missed …
We are getting to the good stuff. We’ll be looking at the bearings, piston, crank and cam in the next few posts. I’ll be able to determine what was causing the knocking in the bottom end and if the 351 Cleveland in #ProjectSportsRoof is going to make it.
So I’m starting with removing the mains. Now I started early to avoid the heat here in Southern AZ. Doing so I had to also be a bit considerate of my neighbors. So the garage door is closed as the compressor is loud – and there’s just no good way to loosen the mains while on a stand without an impact wrench or air ratchet. So I loosened up all the bolts on the mains and fatefully the first set of bolt on piston rod (just to see if I needed the impact wrench).
There’s a few of things to keep in mind with contradict a few of my comments during the next few videos. First it seems that the bottom end of the Cleveland has never been apart. The piston rods are original Ford part with the Ford logo and Ford date code (in this case the rod are all “D0” indicated 1970 – which is not a stretch to find them in a 1972 engine) and I’m assuming the piston themselves are as well. Second is the fact that I haven’t torn an engine apart since in over 35 years so I’m not an expert. Third, I mention that there appears to have been ample oil flow at the time of tear down, but that might not have always been the case (like when the valve was not operating) – you’ll see the relevance of that qualification coming up.
Coming up in the next post is a good look at the main bearings.
Thanks for reading and drop me your comments and thoughts. Love to hear from you.
