Ford FE help needed

The 390 Super Marauder in my '64 Merc is leaking oil (a lot). It;s running great, no smoking or what so ever. So i'm planning to re-gasket/ re-seal the block. Now my questions:
-Can I replace all gaskets and seals with the engine in the car?
-Is it a better plan to lift the motor and put it on a stand?
-What FE book should I buy to help me out? I already got the shopmanual.

Many thanks, Ramon

 

take the motor out and do all the seals.

re book, Petersen do a good book about rebuilding FE and FT engines. Try google " how to build big block fords"

have fun

 

Where's it leaking from??? Front or back of the motor???

 

Only a few places a FE can leak. Check the oil sender unit that is on the filter boss. the rearmain has two side seals that are kinda tricky. To Find where it leaking Use a air hose to pressurize the crankcase the leak will become apparent. Also be shure you PCV is working properly. Oldwolf

 

The one I have found most often it the oil pressure sender.

You can almost change all the gaskets with it in the car but you'll have to jack the motor up to change the pan gasket and the rear main seal will be a ***** as well as the pan gasket while you are laying on your back with the oil dripping on your face.

Far easier to pull it and change them with it on a stand. it won't take you that much longer to get it done.

 

Thanks for all the info guys!! I think i first check the oil sending unit but I am affraid it's leaking from more then one leak.... If the sending unit ain't the main cure I will take the good old FE out. When it's out on the motorstand I can give it a nice rattlecan overhauling al well.

Any good gasket kits or are they all the same quality (felpro, mr gasket, ....) ???

 

Fel-Pro all the way!!! You might want to give it a new heart also... er... I mean a new oil pump while the oil pan is off. A new pump will make the motor live longer.

 

and get a kit with a new "turkey tray" or put a new one in if you pull it and do gasket/rattle can job
good luck

 

Yeah mine leaks like a ***** as well.Oil sender,intake manifold gasket at the front,all adds to the character.Pull the engine & paint like you say,maybe black,lol.As Deuces says Fel-Pro are good gaskets to use,,Deadbeat

 

I don't think the intake is leaking, or I hope so... I don't like the idea of taking off the intake with all the valvetrain adjustments when installing the intake... The "turkey tray"thing is the splashshield thing under the intake, wright???

 

??? what adjustments? Do you have adjustable rockers?

 

No. but I need to remove and replace al the pushrods and "rocker arm ***embly".... I did check my shop manual and looks like a lot of extra work...

If the intake is off, I might as well change the cam and lifters for a bit more power...

 

You will hate yourself if you try to change the rear main seal in the car !!! >>>>.

 

I know what you mean, I did a in car rear seal change on a 460 lincoln... I was hoping this would be easier on a 390...

 

no, the rear main in these is 2 rubber pieces you slide in the rear main cap with RTV on them, and then you drive these little nail looking things into the seal to amke it all tight.

ITS A *****, i wouldent even want to think about trying it in the car.

 

Tons worse than a 460 cause the rear main cap is recessed up in the block 3" and you have a ***** of a time with the upper seal half >>>>.

 

Is there a way to check if the PVC is working properly? Can I by-p*** the PVC or is this hurting the engine? If yes please tell me how...

Thanks, Ramon

 

Does your 390 have the "downdraft tube" or an actual PCV valve? If you do have the downdraft tube, you can convert it to a PCV by installing a rubber grommet (where the tube goes) that will accept a PCV valve and then connect it somewhere on the manifold or preferably to the carb between the carb and the manifold.

As mentioned by other members, definitely check the oil pressure sensor!!! I have a friend the went thrugh 8 gallons (YES 8) of oil in one week because of the sensor!!! He isn't very mechanically inclined obviously. Anyway, i ended up just plugging it for him. Problem solved!!

 

He Cortney, The 390 is allready out of the Merc an taken apart. I found out that the pvc inlet at the rear of the manifold was blocked with "thick-oil-type-stuff" (don't know the Enlish name).
The 390 is now in the proces of a overhauling with a nice Crower Beast cam upgrade...

 

wow, sounds like you went the right route, love that Merc dude. I am sure this treatment will result in a better behaving mill. Wish I had that big ole power plant in my 59 Ford "Ranch Wagon. Good luck man. ~Sololobo~

 

Sludge would be the english word you are looking for. ****, gunk, and / or any other poop related term would work as well.

Good Luck with the build and be sure to post pics when it is done.

 

Definitely put pics up when you are done. FEs are one of the nicest looking engines!

 

I will put some pic's up here but the outside will be stock but with a gold paint job. Origenal should be black but that's so boring and with gold will stay in the gold valvecover/aircleaner theme.
Moon valvecovers would be nice but the overhauling is eating all my budget....

 

it is... I just replaced the intake on my fe390, it was my first exposure to the fe family. what I thought was a simple hour job turned out to be what I'd consider a topside rebuild.

 

Well, mine tured out to be a full rebuild...... Takes another 4 to 5 weeks before the parts (specialy the Crower Beast cam) make it over to this side of the pond.

 

Theres no rocker geometry changes, punch a 8 holes on each side of a piece of cardboard marked front and put the pushrods in the cardboard in the order & place they came out of the motor. Mark the rocker shafts right & left & put everything back in the same place. Unless youre taking the pan off do not wash the sludge down in the bottom of the motor. Replace the oil pump drive shaft if youre doing the whole motor. Try & find a modern neoprene oil seal kit for it , if not soak the rope seal in oil over night. Put the end gaskets for the manifold on the motor with 3m adhesive & let it dry over night before putting the intake on with a light coat of grease on the end gaskets, either cork or rubber. PM me if you have problems you need answers for. I drag raced 427 & 428 FEs and was a Ford dealership mechanic. If you ever find an FE that doesnt leak oil some where be sure & contact Ford, theyve been looking for it.

 

lol, sounds like the old Harleys!

 

Steve Christ's "How to Rebuild Your Big-Block Ford" by HP Books has been on my shelf since the mid-'90s and is an invaulable resource, though I recall reading somewhere there may be some minor errors in part number ID which I don't think were critical. There can never be too many reference books in your library (but then again I write tech articles for Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l. and like lots of collaborating reference material). There's one or two more non-Ford-published books I also have but I'm too lazy to go into the ba*****t to see what they are.

 

Mine does, does that make it something special?

 

I changed the rear main seal on my 410 in my 67' F250... way more room than with a car. I was able to drop the pan.

I did learn the sound a main cap bolt makes when it falls and bounces off my eyebrow and my neighbors learned the sound I make when the bolt hits me. Good thing he was sailor...

I did change the top end gaskets later with it in the vehicle... while most CAN be done in the vehicle, it always seems easier out of the car and thats counting the effort to pull the engine.

Just my 2 cents.