410Custom's builds a 2007 Ranger V8 - custom truck build - Project "Ranger Premier"

[allmyEXes]

Grind Hard Plumbers... Are they real plumbers too or is their name a metaphor?
Cool limo truck. Is that the kind of 7.3 that you really like?

 

[410Fortune]

Yes it’s a 2002 superduty 7.3
I like all 7.3, 94-97 obs turbo and 99-04 superduty turbo intercooled

I intercooled my 97 f350, and I have a 01 e350 van and 01 excursion 7.3

I asked the same question, they never were plumbers … they used the name so it would show up in yellow pages searches!?!??

I gave them crap for that because they let me stand there and tell them “you guys were plumbers gone fabricators, I did elevators, and went to trucks” later I found out they never plumbed… we had a good laugh over that

 

[Josh P]

Grind Hard Plumbers... Are they real plumbers too or is their name a metaphor?

I read that name and think they're working magic on cars, in a similar fashion as the other type of plumber, a **** star.

 

[410Fortune]

Allright… Holidays are done! We are already several hours into a new year.

Happy 2025! Everyone!

I have about 50+ pics to share of progress
Lets get started
Last we saw I was assembling the new 5.0 engine. I had to assemble the heads with the comp cam valve stem seals and valve springs. Then install the comp cam into the block along with new Melling double roller timing setup
Timing cover and front main seal prepped and re sealed to new block. Motorcraft waterpump has about 2000 miles on it, it simply went for a ride from engine to engine no need to break the seal.
Timing cover new felpro front crank seal
New felpro timing cover gasket
Oil pan and pressure rails prepped and installed with new felpro blue gasket

Table full of parts
Including assembled heads

Engine shortblock all gasket surfaces cleaned, block cleaned. Crank and cam bearings, piston rings lubed … she’s ready to go together

Best part is my dad got me this wicked cool work light for Christmas! It’s a tripod mount rotating 3 led wing thing. Works awesome

 

[410Fortune]

Putting the heads together … just like way earlier in this thread
New valve stem seals pressed on with custom tool (seriously I had to modify the tool to fit these seals

Next the springs were compressed and retainers and keepers installed
Yes I posted these earlier whoops… moving forward
Somewhere I have pics of me compressing the springs.,. I can’t see them right now will add with a edit later

Pressing valve springs looks something like this, harbor freight $80 spring compressor, works ok. There are better options on the market imo

 

[410Fortune]

The heads were both completed
Time to install the cam and melling timing set

Comp XR Cam was cleaned and smeered with assembly lube

Cam bearings lubed with spray oil
Cam installed carefully
Large Phillips helps for leverage

Can retainer cleaned lubed and installed

Finally timing set oiled and installed
Cam sprocket bolt gets loctite and 55 ft lbs

 

[410Fortune]

Timing cover and front crank seal time

Old gasket scraped and cleaned
I have attachments for my drill that remove gaskets and a parts washer
Old front main seal (2000 miles on it) pressed out, timing cover set carefully on wood blocks. I use ball joint press bits and brass hammer to drive old seal out
22mm Seal driver and dead blow to drive new seal back in
Surface is cleaned with emery cloth
New seal gets some loctite in addition to factory red sealant
Vaseline on inside rubber lip of seal and smeered on crank snout

I like to cut these little spacers out of the gasket before install. Makes it smoother!! I have been too many bitten before

The gasket needs to clear these locating dowles

Timing cover cleaned and prepped
Engine cleaned and prepped
New felpro front main seal was fitted
Light Coat of ultra grey. Timing cover gasket make up for any imperfections in the metal

Next round of parts
With timing cover fitted the oil pan can go on

Block was cleaned of all old gasket
I use picks to get it all out so the new felpro
Blue oil pan gasket can seal
Dab of ultra grey was added where timing cover meets the block, allowed to setup, then the felpro gasket and cleaned pan installed
Pan 1/2” head corner bolts torqued to 15 ft lbs x4
All other pan bolts 12 ft lbs

Engine back upright, ready for heads and valvetrain

Oil pressure sensor dual adapter was cleaned and fitted, thread sealant on threads. Both sensors installed
Stock 98-01 oil filter adapter cleaned and fitted to block. The o rings are fine, they only have 2000 miles on them

Pics from earlier, this shows the picks I use to dig out all old pan gasket
This is crucial step for no oil leaks from timing cover/ oil pan
Block is then uprighted and. I clean out cavities with carb cleaner and then air.. old gasket material hits the ground instead of falling into block

Before

After

 

[Josh P]

Where's your orange, adult supervision? Hopefully keeping your chair warm for you.

 

[410Fortune]

Expensive to feed lol
Three cats enjoy heated shop all winter

Large and in charge
(Pictured in Alex’s bed!?!)

 

[Josh P]

Need to modify a shop chair by attaching a cat bed where the seat cushion is. That engine looks beautiful, we'll need a video of it running.

 

[410Fortune]

Tell me about it
We will get videos of it mobbing around in the snow

Here are the pics from the head installs

Proper align of all gaskets with dab of silicon at the unions

Engine Block cleaned w air, head surfaces prepped again and wiped down with carb cleaner

Heads on the clean bench, Final Hand scrape

Followed by machine prep
Scrape around the dowels block and head side clean of all debris

Final clean w air and wiped with carb cleaner

 

[dvdswan]

Awesome work. Your only issue is... it's not going it my truck.

 

[Josh P]

Awesome work. Your only issue is... it's not going it my truck.

For a nominal fee, it could be arranged.

 

[410Fortune]

Valvetrain install
How many times do we need to see this in one thread?? Sheesh

These parts are oem to this engine and have already been gone through all the lifters and all parts cleaned
I simply gave them a wipe down
Lubricated the lifter bores w clean oil and installed

Each lifter soaked in oil and installed

I like to point the oiling holes towards the valley, though it really doesn’t matter. From the factory lifters are assembled pointed both front and back… I checked

Pushrods were next, cleaned, dipped in oil, set in position

Next up rocker arms and pedestal mounts
Again wiped cleaned, lubed and installed
Rocker arm pedestal bolts 24 ft lbs
Rotate engine several times and check torque

Time for lower intake manifold
I removed the fuel rail and injectors
All injectors will be bench tested. Cyl 1 is suspect. These were new injectors 2000 miles ago and tested at that time
Testing again just to be safe, after all cyl 1 piston fried itself and we suspect lean condition!?!?!!

 

[DintDobbs]

Beautiful, very beautiful.

 

[410Fortune]

Lim installed
Again final scrape, machine prep, wiped with alcohol and then finally set

Dan of silicon in the corners before felpro lower intake gasket set

After blue valley gaskets set, another dab on top

After intake gaskets set on their tabs, make sure some dab makes it on top. Basically make sure the silicon fills all gaps created where the block, heads, valley gaskets and intake gaskets all come together

LIM bolts torqued 24 ft lbs in sequence
Do these several times to ensure torque, as the gasket crush they need more turns to reach 24ft lbs

At this point the engine was ready for the flexplate and the hoist. Ready to be lowered in and stabbed to the transmission. After its mated to the bellhousing and stabbed to the converter the engine mount plates, torque monsters and dipstick were installed in the bay
Much easier to stab an engine this way when it is just a block
Also much easier to install TMH with no valve Covers
I have learned many tricks to make things go more smoothly

 

[Josh P]

Supervisor is posing in the last picture. Beautiful pictures, im excited to see it live again.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

ive always put the headers on first, the dropped the motor in. its better (for me at least) then bent over a fender.

so one thing i wanted to ask (and i know both of us went through it), explain to me again why is it with the holley terminator x that the cam sync has to be 180 (or if you want to be technical 185) out. its running as a batch firing order with the coil packs. i would have to think it wouldnt matter. i just cant remember.

 

[410Fortune]

It is just how the Holley is setup. The cam sensor is set at 185 degrees before top dead center when using terminator on a ford dis ignition. It goes back to when the Holley first came out I believe in 2012 when the cam sensor instructions were posted by Holley

Here:

https://forums.holley.com/forum/holley-efi/holley-efi-aa/951-magnetic-hall-effect-crank-cam-sensor-setup

I have a topside creeper so lucky I don’t have to bend over the fenders so much, instead I climb a ladder and kind of hover over the engine.
Makes things in the back if the engine bay possible (even on lifted diesels)


Two reasons I do the install this way (sometimes)

With the tmh in place it is very difficult to install the engine hold down nuts

With the engine side plates on it’s very difficult to stab to the auto trans

I’ve done it, install the engine with headers on, yes it works, but it’s a pita and slower. You have to tighten the nuts, lower engine, tighten nuts, repeat until all 4 are snug and they can only be turned with open ended wrench 1/4 turn at a time

As said, attempting to stab the engine to a trans already in the truck is a pita as well. To speed things up you can leave the motor mount side plates off and leave the engine on the hoist. You can fight with it for an hour or you can do it this way and have the trans bolted to the engine in 15 minutes and then deal with mounts and finally headers

. To me this is the quickest easiest method for when the engine is out and trans remains and your dealing with Torque Monsters
Unfortunately I’ve been doing it a lot lately even twice on two trucks in 2024

 

[410Fortune]

Speaking of the cam synchro here are those pics
Just before she went on hoist had some final prep

Valve covers cleaned and fit loosely
Thermostat housing scraped and prepped, new gasket, fresh coat of paint

Cam synchronizer installed with crank at 185 degrees before top dead center
Using 3 wire (1996-1997) cam sensor works best with Holley
So also using proper alignment tool

Synchronizer body has been soaking in oil this whole time

Next round of parts, pile is getting smaller