Reviving a 1990 F250

[Va_Mike]

That’s a clean engine!

Yeah while having it apart to reseal it I cleaned it and painted it so I can keep track of any leaks. This engine appears to have been rebuilt not to long ago based on condition of the heads and the couple bearings I took a peak at. Hopefully it will run great for a long time. But I plan on rebuilding the engine I pulled from the truck later.

 

[Va_Mike]

Well after a crazy work schedule and a pandemic I am finally getting back to working on this truck. I am having new battery trays made. So I cleaned up and painted the support brackets, and while doing that I decided I hated the dirt and oil covered insulation on the wheel well liners. So I removed that stuff and cleaned the liners. I also straightened out my replacement radiator core support and am about to weld new lower sections on the lower part where the wheel well liner attaches. Then I will be ready to put that back in the truck.

Question: the rubber bushings that the core support sits on are still intact, will replacing them make the body hard to line back up? I am not replacing the bushings on the rest of the truck right now.

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[IDIBRONCO]

Question: the rubber bushings that the core support sits on are still intact, will replacing them make the body hard to line back up? I am not replacing the bushings on the rest of the truck right now.

I'll answer "it may". It kind of depends on the condition of the other bushings. If they are pretty shot, then I'd guess that it will. If they're still in fairly good shape, then it will probably be ok.

 

[Va_Mike]

I'll answer "it may". It kind of depends on the condition of the other bushings. If they are pretty shot, then I'd guess that it will. If they're still in fairly good shape, then it will probably be ok.

This was basically what I thought. I guess I will buy new ones and see if it lines up. If it doesn't then I will put the old ones back on it.

 

[Va_Mike]

Well I have the radiator core support ready to go back in finally. The bottom corners where the wheel well liner attach were rotted out so I had to cut that out and weld in some new metal. It's not perfect but it will work just fine for what it does. I hope to get it in this afternoon after the paint dries. I also have my new battery trays and will start fitting them when the support is back in.

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[Va_Mike]

Got the support in. And everything seems to line up properly and the hood closes good. But as my luck got the last bold I put in broke... so now I will have to deal with that.

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[Va_Mike]

I spent a few hours today fitting the new battery trays I had made. And then I painted them. I was racing against the rain so I didn't get any pictures. But I will try to tomorrow.

 

[Va_Mike]

Got the battery trays installed today... all but the last two bolts. I dropped two washers and couldn't find them again.

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[Va_Mike]

So I finally got everything put back together and the wiring problems are possibly fixed (time will tell) I am ready to try bleeding the injectors and hopefully start this engine. It has been about 8 months since this engine has run and I did head gaskets and such. Any concerns about the cylinders being dry while cranking to bleed the injectors? Should I pull the glow plugs and spray something in the cylinders? Or am I just over thinking this as I normally do?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

If you do spray something in the cylinders, don't spray very much or you'll risk a hydrolock.

 

[Va_Mike]

I was thinking some wd40 with the glow plugs out and turn it over by hand. Then put the glow plugs back and start the bleeding of the injector lines.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That's fine, but I think that if you go this route, after you turn the engine over by hand, you should probably turn it over some with the starter too. Turning it by hand is a slow process and would probably leave most of the remaining WD-40 in your cylinders, or at least your precups where it will drip back down on top of the pistons. The starter turns it over MUCH faster and will force it out of the glow plug holes.

 

[Va_Mike]

That's fine, but I think that if you go this route, after you turn the engine over by hand, you should probably turn it over some with the starter too. Turning it by hand is a slow process and would probably leave most of the remaining WD-40 in your cylinders, or at least your precups where it will drip back down on top of the pistons. The starter turns it over MUCH faster and will force it out of the glow plug holes.

Definitely will turn it over with the start after by hand. Thought is that by hand it will run a better chance of lubing the rings before the pressure evacuates all of it from the cylinder when using the starter.

Perhaps I will get to it this weekend.

 

[Va_Mike]

So I finally got time to work on it again. Got the got the fuel system purged of air and she started right up. I had the glow plugs disconnected and just a tiny shot of starting fluid.

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[IDIBRONCO]

Got the got the fuel system purged of air and she started right up.

Awesome feeling wasn't it?