alt="image"/> Set the windage tray aside for later cleaning and possible reuse. Aftermarket trays are available, but original reproductions are no longer made.
Remove Piston and Rod Assemblies
Piston and rod assemblies come out next. The rods and caps should be marked for position before removal. When replacing both the pistons and rings during the rebuild, it’s not so critical to mark those items, but it’s a good working habit to get into.
A worn-out engine is likely to have a significant ridge around the top of each cylinder at the high point of piston ring travel. A ridge reamer tool is available for removing this ridge to ease removal and prevent damage to the pistons during a low-budget rebuild. But these days it is very rare to see such an approach taken. Instead, we simply assume that a ridge indicates the need for new pistons and knock them out, accepting the fact that they are not going to be reused.
Most stock FE Ford connecting rods are nut and bolt types with floating pins. Working one assembly at a time, we remove them, working front to back. Rotate the crankshaft until the big end of the rod is low in the block so the fasteners are easily reached. I usually loosen both nuts partially, leaving them flush with the ends of the threads.
Next, I take a plastic mallet and give them a sharp smack, which will separate the rod cap from the rod while preventing the rod from falling out of position. With the cap now loose, you can remove the rod nuts and the cap, setting them aside on the workbench. Use boots or pieces of 3/8-inch fuel line hose to cover the bolt threads and keep them from hitting and marking up the crankshaft during removal. Using your hand to keep things in position, it’s possible to rotate the crankshaft around to push the piston assembly partway up the cylinder. Continue rotating the crankshaft back out of the way and you can use a hammer handle or block of wood to continue pushing the assembly out of the block, guiding the rod to prevent cylinder damage. I use my knee or a helper’s hand to keep the assembly from falling out onto the floor.
Once removed, you should lightly reinstall the matching cap and nuts to keep them together.
Remove Crankshaft
We are down to only a few parts left now. Remove the main cap bolts. An impact can really come in handy here, although a long extension handle will do the job. The main caps are going to be tight in the block. Most all FE engines have the main caps marked for position at the factory, but it is a very good idea to double check and mark them as needed for position and front to back orientation. After 40 years of service, it is possible that somebody machined them differently, or replaced one and messed up the original order.
You can use a combination of the loosened bolts and a mallet to wiggle the caps loose and up out of the block. The rear one can be really tight in there due to the rear seal assembly. A slide hammer can be attached to the oil pan bolt holes to serve as both a lever and a tool to add a bit of upward force to get it free.
With the main caps out of the way we can lift out the crankshaft. These are pretty heavy, around 70 pounds, so have a place cleared off to set it once it comes out. You may need to rotate it a bit to find a spot where the counterweights clear the block for easy removal. Grab the snout and the rear flange and pick it straight up.
Keep your main bearings and caps sorted for further inspection.
Now that the crankshaft is removed from the block, find a clean safe place to store it before bringing it to the machine shop for inspection.
Inspection of the old rod and main bearings can provide good clues about the condition of the crank and rods. Excessive wear, off-center wear, and circumferential scoring can help diagnose what is going to be wrong before we even begin to measure. This information can help your machinist pinpoint areas that may require extra attention.
The old bearings can often provide useful information. These indicate
alt="image"/> Set the windage tray aside for later cleaning and possible reuse. Aftermarket trays are available, but original reproductions are no longer made.
