Since you're into it this deep already, now may be a good time to think about installing a ZF5 if you want to. That's how my 1985 is set up. 7.3, ZF5, 3.55 gears (3.50? 3.54? whatever number they happen to be). I works great for a highway cruiser.
I looked into a ZF5 after your recommendation. Definitely a consideration for this project. Much cheaper than a Gearvendors.
One of the things I added to my big list early-on as a long term goal, was a turbo kit (
Banks,
Hypermax, etc.) or I've seen some
refurbished factory kits going on Ebay. To improve the get-up-and-go factor. I have a replacement mechanical lift pump, that I ordered early on when I thought this was going to be mostly a maintenance project and some other TLC, but I think that'll get replaced with a Facet pump that I read about in this awesome thread:
https://www.oilburners.net/threads/...th-a-facet-duralift-electric-fuel-pump.54496/
I want to keep the 4.10 gears, just to keep things simple-ish, especially if this thing does end up towing something ever again. It's already got a limited slip, the seals aren't leaking, so I figured I throw some fresh fluid in it and a Lubelocker gasket and call it good. So a 5th gear would definitely be handy if this thing is going to cruise down the highway,
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Gotta have something for those big Ikea runs down to Dallas in the future. But it's going to spend most of its time running around suburban OKC, making Home Depot/Lowe's runs, especially when we get a house of our own and move out of the rental.
I got the rear 2 bed bolts out, the front 2 are pretty rotted and will need to be cut out, but I'm out of cutoff discs, at that point I'm going to cut the middle 2 out as well, because they are a PITA to get to with the tanks, fuel tank selector, and brake lines in the way. I don't want to open the brake system up yet, they somewhat still work, which makes moving it around a little less sketchy with my driveway being at an incline.
Tore most of the top end of the engine down. Took the water pump, fan, and fan clutch off as one assembly. I was shocked to see that there is actually still fresh coolant in the block from the thermostat down. Everything above that was pretty rusty, but it cleaned up easy with a gasket scraper and some carb cleaner. Still going to flush it out before I put the new coolant in.
Injection pump, injection lines, and gear housing came off together, couldn't get to 2 of the nuts to pull the IP by itself. I'm hoping this will allow me to keep the engine in time easier, should I want to put it back together. I don't have a balancer puller, so that'll have to wait. But so far so good. I'm going to try one more trick to potentially unstick the rings that are possibly stuck, before I go about pulling the intake, valve covers and heads.
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If that doesn't work, then it's getting stripped.