KZ1K'S ENGINE PROJECT

I had a shop blow the tailshaft seal on my 97 F-150. It was losing fluid but I couldn't find a leak. It was just being relocated to the transfer case. So yes definitely drop the pan and change the filter and if there's a lot of miles on it and it hasn't been serviced regularly I'd just make sure to keep it full. I had a cvar that had been severely neglected by the PO and when I changed the trans fluid and filter I ended up with the worst slipping trans I'd ever seen. I called a shop and asked about it and was told that the new fluid basicly cleaned out all of the crap that was keeping it from slipping in the first place. Lesson learned. Sometimes the right thing only makes it worse.

trianglelaguna wrote:

due for it's 3500 mile oil change i waited a few extra miles and will do it 4000...need to get the tranny full flushed /serviced ? but am scared that the shop will do it and screw somthing up and it will be worse than just leaving it..it's full and does not look burned or brown..nice clean red......rumor has it the trans are fickle....

uses no oil...uses no coolant..runs cool now...shifter button popped off....use the sticks button

70 for a replacement handle/button....works till i hit a yard though...works great..

the thing is spotless--trouble free....and if i punch it it will stand up on the shocks and friggin smooth ass get booking......i am digging it...use it as my guard car at my night job and fits right in .they even let me just hang out in it most the shift ...makes for them a free plain clothes looking cop car really.......


thanks for the help on it also....best free car i ever had next to my datsun 310gx...free too....still only has 39000 miles....

and as far as getting it in the can...jimbo has gotten it in the can sooooo much they had to switch to bottles

AOD transmissions arent known for longevity.....there are a couple of schools of thought on the trans service.....if you dump the pan and change the filter, you dont get whats in the torque converter......if you do the suction route,you get all the fluid including the converter, but the filter isnt changed......i have heard a lot of people say the filters dont get that snotty with 30k tranny fluid changes.......in my marauder when i still had it,i had them do the suction thing and call it a day.....in a perfect world where money wasnt an object, i would have them do both, but that can get pricey.....the suction method will be 130-150 alone.....

thanks guys...i can hear a little B.B pop into it's groove when just leaving a crawl on quiet nights as i leave the driveway...seems to not be gringing just a quiet little dalink...then away it goes.....i may leave it a few months more..i mean the fluids clean and it shifts fine as long as i dont slam it in to reverse ect....

i think i jacked my mans thread enough...solly cholly....

ok, i have made a decision. lol jugs and pistons are staying. head is going out, and new cam chain. plus gaskets of course.

i would like to start cleaning the outside of my motor. should i do this when the jugs and head are assembled or off? maybe someone has a thread on this allready. i dont have to get them showroom look, but want to get is a lot cleaner than i have it now. i have acess to a sandblaster if that makes a difference.
il going to google cleaning motorcycle motor, but would like some advice from you guys for sure.

Jugs and pistons staying depends on wether ot not they meet spec. have you checked all the specs against the MANUAL?

Cam chain requires spliting the cases and all, unless you go with a master link style chain.

Cleaning engine with soda is said to provide the best results, and it washes away easily. Alot of other blast medias will cause damage if not very carefully completely removed from parts prior to assembly.

i read about the differences of walnut shells, glass beads, and sand. it seems glass beads are the best for the job. can anyone confirm this?

TeK9iNe wrote:

Jugs and pistons staying depends on wether ot not they meet spec. have you checked all the specs against the MANUAL?

Cam chain requires spliting the cases and all, unless you go with a master link style chain.

Cleaning engine with soda is said to provide the best results, and it washes away easily. Alot of other blast medias will cause damage if not very carefully completely removed from parts prior to assembly.

as far as the specs you mean measuring the sleeves and pistons?
i will be buying a master link cam chain.
ok soda. should i just do this when the whole engine is together? i have a sand blasting box, but im not sure the motor assembled will fit in there. if i do the motor while it is apart, are there any parts i need to stay clear of?

I didn't clean my parts, as I fell ass backwards into a business that did a great job cleaning my engine (in pieces of course) for $115. It started off looking like this

You shouldn't do any blasting on the bottom end while it's assembled. There is really no way to gaurantee you will keep any blast media out of the engine internals.

Once they got done with my engine, it looked better than new, or at least what I imagined was better than new

That is CLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN. Ed

porchev914 wrote:

You shouldn't do any blasting on the bottom end while it's assembled. There is really no way to gaurantee you will keep any blast media out of the engine internals.

Once they got done with my engine, it looked better than new, or at least what I imagined was better than new

that looks really nice....only blast the bottom disassembled? what caution can i take to keep the media out of the bottom end?

once its clean does it need further treatment to keep it that way?

The only way that I know of to gaurantee you can keep media out of the bottom end is to assemble the engine. Other guys might have some tips and tricks, but personaly wouldn't risk it. As far as keeping it looking clean, as raw aluminum, it will oxidize unless coated. I figured the factory left it raw and it probably looked good for at least a few years, so I'll take my chances. I'm sure at some point in the next 5 years I'll have the engine apart again and I can have it cleaned again. Thats my plan anyway