Engine Assembly: Final Details

With the exhaust manifolds installed, all the major parts were attached to the engine. I still had a million small details left though. I started with the fuel pump. To make sure it would not leak, I spread some Hylomar on both sides of the gasket before installing it.

The original fuel pipe from the pump to the carb was in good condition so I just cleaned and used it. Then came the oil pressure sender, carburetor, fuel filter, radiator, hoses, throttle linkage, wiring and spark plugs. I bough new NGK APR6FS plugs which should have the correct heat range for my engine. I also made sure that the plug gaps were all 0,75 mm (0.03 inches).

I had bought a Pertronix Ignitor 1 module and a new coil but decided against installing them yet. I would use the original coil and points in the distributor for the engine break in. I knew they worked so I thought it would be safer that way. I turned the number one piston TDC and dropped the distributor in.

I also decided to install the clutch equalizer bar so I could disconnect the transmission from the engine during break in. It was really dirty so I cleaned and painted it. Its bushings were also really worn so I got a new mounting kit.

Final pieces were the battery and valve covers. Connecting the battery revealed a major malfunction in my new starter relay. Right when the negative lead touched the terminal sparks started flying and the engine turned over. I tested the relay and it was short circuited all the time. Luckily my original relay still worked so I installed it back. Now all that I had to do was pour in the fluids and the engine was ready for its first start!

Disassembling The Engine Part 4

My engine disassembly is finally finished. I removed everything from the block while it was still in the car. Including pistons. They came out quite easily by wiggling them a bit. The steps in the cylinder walls were so small that the piston rings came over them without problems. Finally I bolted some chains to the block and my friend came over and we lifted it out.

I'll take the block and heads to a machine shop next week. We also removed two valves to see how they looked. They wiggled slightly in the guide but I'm not experienced enough to say if that was too much. I'll have to ask what the machinist thinks. While waiting to get my parts back, I think I'll have enough to do with the engine bay. I'll clean and paint it before putting the engine back in.

Rebuilding my Autolite 4100 carb also took a couple of nights. I cleaned it as much as possible and used a Hygrade kit to replace seals, needles, seats and accelerator pump parts. The carburetor was completely covered with black dirt so I used a lot of cleaner and tooth brushes on it. I did get most of the crud off and, while not like new, it is much better now.

More Carb Tuning And Paint Cleaning

I did some research about my Autolite 4100 carb during the day and found out why my choke was not working. Mustang Monthly forum had a few excellent pictures how the hot air choke should work.

There should be a tube from the carburetor going down to the exhaust manifold and back up again to the choke housing. When engine starts and the manifold gets hot, it warms the air going through it. This hot air gradually opens the choke blade by heating the spring inside the housing.

Problem with my car is that the cold air tube from the carburetor was missing completely and the hot air tube had broken off from the manifold. Some rusted remains were still in the manifold so I don't think I can attach the tube without replacing both. Perhaps I should just replace the hot air choke with an electric one...

While investigating the choke, I also checked the accelerator pump again. I opened it up and noticed that the small rubber elastomer valve under it was not correctly in place. I pushed it in, closed the pump cover and started the car. This time the pump worked perfectly. I took a test drive and the whole car handled much better when accelerating. I also tuned the choke settings and this seemed to correct the high idle speed too!

Finally, as the weather was a bit better today, I continued the paint cleaning chore. I snapped a photo of the half cleaned hood. It's pretty clear how big difference the cleaner wax does.

Unfortunately it's pretty hard and annoying job. I still have to roof and sides to go though. I don't want to use a polishing rotary tool as the tar has stuck on so hard. There's a risk of damaging the paint when trying to remove them.