I’ve got a lull in my schedule for the next month or so and am determined to get the T-Bird out of the driveway and into the garage before things pick up again. A home renovation project consumed much of my time earlier this year, so my engine rebuilding space has been doubling as a storage and staging area for tile, drywall and even a bathtub.
How long has it been? I dug out the oil pan and went to work attacking the sludge stuck to the bottom, thinking to myself, “How did this get here?” It took a moment to remember that, oh . . . the block was cracked.
I did my best to clean underneath the baffle using a thin stick, rag and acetone. Coarse steel wool took off the staining and scoured the remaining gasket sealer off the flange.
The timing chain cover got similar treatment, though it wasn’t nearly as gunky. The front seal was still pretty new, but since I had a replacement, I pried it out and drove in the new one.
When installing, I used a thin layer of gasket sealant, following the instructions to the letter: install with the sealant wet, bolts just snug, then come back in an hour to torque.
There’s really not a lot left to do with the motor, but once assembly is done, there’s plenty of cleanup in the engine bay, not to mention some iffy wiring that should be replaced.