96 5.0 needs a new motor

[AWD96spoon]

Motor on the stand, and new lights up in the shop though, I've done something at least! Ha!

 

[CDW6212R]

The engine build cost will be similar with basically stock parts, versus different pistons(to raise the compression). If you use the GT40 heads, then for mild use, leave the pedestals in place and use stock rockers. If you must have adjustable rockers, those and machining the heads will add a bunch(maybe $400 or more), and make more noise. Selecting pushrods is similar with the stock rockers, you simply can't move the rockers up or down like adjustable types.

So the engine cost will be kind of standard, changing the compression will require PCM tuning, ought to have a custom cam, plus different pushrods and valve springs. Using stock pistons(Explorer or HO) will let you leave the rest more or less alone/untouched, including a stock cam like the HO. I'd select between those two routes. Setting up stock type rockers with custom length pushrods is not hard at all. The custom cam will be best with springs made to take advantage of them(that alone is worth good power on a bone stock engine).

Ed Curtis is the most referenced custom cam guy on the Corral and other Ford forums I see. His choice of valve springs is typically over $250, it's a kit with retainers and seals, keepers. Those are smaller springs, lighter and work easier with the cams he makes. Stock springs won't work with anything but the OEM cams.

 

[AWD96spoon]

Okay, so I've got a few parts picked out and I think they will work but I'm not for sure. I'm going to go with comp cams 1.6 steel tip rollers part number 1431-16, comp cams 7826-16 high energy push rods and comp cams XE258HR-12 cam kit K35-510-8 which I know will fit and I think will be a good upgrade from stock without being too aggressive. What I'm not sure on is this engine rebuild kit I found on summit, it seems like a great deal but it says it only fit up to 95' but if it would fit then it seems great because it has piston and rings oversized for a 0.030 Bore/hone and crank bearings undersized by 0.010 for the crank grind. the part number is MHP174-311. And I think I'll be okay reusing my stock connecting rods. I will also be getting the SCT X4 programmer. I'll have a local machine shop set up the heads with the new parts to spec with the cam card, as well as do the bore/home and balance my rotating assembly. Should I get new valves and guides as well or should the originals be okay if cleaned up? Thanks for all the help so far, I tore down the doner engine this past weekend and everything seems to be in decent condition and all oem so it should be a good build.the water pump bolts were a pain as always and had to drill them out of the timing cover but I expected that.

 

[AWD96spoon]

Well I got my parts ordered. Going to have to wait on the machine work as I'm in the process of buying a house and my truck money is now house money for the next month. But if got a shop to do the head work, the block bore, and the balancing so I just have to find someone to grind the crank now. Gonna try to get my parts I'm reusing cleaned up this weekend. Slowly but surely making progress!

 

[fastpakr]

The shop that's doing the other machine work can't handle the crank?

 

[AWD96spoon]

The shop that's doing the other machine work can't handle the crank?

No, they are a race shop and modify heads and blocks all the time but are not set up for machining a used crankshaft.

 

[CDW6212R]

That's not uncommon, I don't get around engine shops anymore, but I've seen that. The last shop I had work done at was about 1999 or so, and the machine work was $300, not including the heads or crank. I gave them the crank, and they had it worked and balanced, I don't recall how much that was.

 

[AWD96spoon]

They are going to charge $1,475 to jet wash, bore, and hone the block to .030 over, jet wash, machine the heads back to flat, insall all the new parts in the heads, and a basic valve job, as well as balance the internl rotating assembly. Pretty fair prices I think. The gave me a full breakdown of what they are charging for everything and I'm happy with it. Hopefully I can get the crank done for under $300 which will put the whole engine build at around 4 grand. After the motor is built I'll have the trans bench built and I'll put it back in, swap the motor and have it dyno tuned with this new SCT x4 I got in the mail today.

 

[CDW6212R]

I love Summit, I get a bunch of their stickers too.

That sounds like I need to hunt around and see what machine shop prices are these days. I grew up with prices that would run you less than $500 for a whole engine, but that was 1980 for my first engine(351C-4V).

 

[fastpakr]

My 5.0 machine bill from a couple of months ago was:
$138 Valve job
$83 Surface heads
$78 Pressure check heads
$78 Vat block
$46 Install cam bearings
$46 Install freeze plugs
$69 Hone block (I just had a .003 taper so no bore required)
$46 Check align bore
$142 Grind the crank and rods .010
$184 Balancing
$138 Recondition rods
$92 Press pistons off and on
$60 Ultrasonic clean the pistons

 

[AWD96spoon]

My 5.0 machine bill from a couple of months ago was:
$138 Valve job
$83 Surface heads
$78 Pressure check heads
$78 Vat block
$46 Install cam bearings
$46 Install freeze plugs
$69 Hone block (I just had a .003 taper so no bore required)
$46 Check align bore
$142 Grind the crank and rods .010
$184 Balancing
$138 Recondition rods
$92 Press pistons off and on
$60 Ultrasonic clean the pistons

That sounds like a heck of deal. The shop I'm using is the only shop within about 75 miles of me and they are a local place so I don't mind supporting a local business but if I can get a lot more work done for a lot less money that would be great. Might be worth the drive .

 

[AWD96spoon]

These are the prices I got

 

[fastpakr]

At the time it seemed like an unconscionable amount of money, but the last time I'd had any machine work done was around 2001, so I may have just been out of touch. This is a local shop with a great reputation, so no regrets.

 

[AWD96spoon]

Well this is my first build so I was not too familiar with machine work prices, but I think I'm going to definitely look around some more and probably end up making the drive to OKC or DFW and save some money. Ibknow the local shop does great work from what I've seen and the reputation they have, but being the only machine shop in a 75mile radius they get away with setting their prices a little high. Guess it's time to do some searching on what else is available!

 

[CDW6212R]

At the time it seemed like an unconscionable amount of money, but the last time I'd had any machine work done was around 2001, so I may have just been out of touch. This is a local shop with a great reputation, so no regrets.

That's where I'm coming from too. My last engine I had built for me, a 347 stroker I didn't feel comfortable doing. The whole assembled short block was $1900, plus $450 for a forged cranks and H-beam rods. The new Canfield heads, rockers, and custom camshaft(+ specified valve springs) were about $2100. Assembly of the long block with new ARP studs, pushrods, gaskets, oil pump, and shipping, added around $500. Things are different these days.

 

[AWD96spoon]

Well it's been a little while since I've had an update to the build, haven't made any progress. Buying a house at the moment so the build is on pause till we move, but I did get some small repairs done this weekend to the X. I replaced my clock spring, and my odometer worn gear, as well as repairing the wires for my OD switch. In the process of doing these repairs, I found one of the most scabbed on security systems I have ever seen. This this was such a birds nest and a huge fire hazard the way it was wired in, so I was able to get that junk out from under my dash. Now I've found that the horn that was being used was not the factory horn and was part of this old alarm system. I think the horn was the only part of that system that was working, but not that that system is out, I have to figure out your to get the factory horn working again, or at least get power back to the factory horn wire for an aftermarket one that I have sitting in the garage. Haven't got a change to do some testing yet, hopefully tomorrow I can, but so far I can't for the life of me find where this alarm system tapped into the horn wires. It wasn't tapped into the horn wires under that dash, and the aftermarket horn they were running was ran on separate wires running straight from the form to the security system module. Gonna try to see if the horn relay is still functioning with the horn button and if it is probably just run a new wire from the PDB to the horn. Hopefully the horn relay is still working because if it isn't this is going to be a PITA haha. Another side note, my ac system isn't holding a vacuum so not sure where to start with that. Oh the Joy's of owning a 22 year old Ford haha.

 

[AWD96spoon]

Well I picked up my engine yesterday! I went ahead and had the shop balance my rotating assembly, degree my cam, and set up my rockers and push rods. Ended up going with crane 1.6 roller rockers, a comp cams cam, push rods, and springs, and a .030 over bore. Gotta get some stuff sand blasted and some parts gathered for the 4406 swap and then I get to start dissasembly of the old drive train.

 

[AWD96spoon]

Those rockers sure are pretty.

 

[410Fortune]

"The P heads plug angle might be a problem with your headers"

Should be fine just use plug wires with 45 degree boots
Just FYI the headers will bolt up to P or non P heads and plug wires can defeat the "strange angles"

 

[AWD96spoon]

"The P heads plug angle might be a problem with your headers"

Should be fine just use plug wires with 45 degree boots
Just FYI the headers will bolt up to P or non P heads and plug wires can defeat the "strange angles"

Thanks for the info, I ended up getting the non P heads so its identical to what's already in the truck. Going to buy my wife a car this week so I can have the explorer back and get this swap started! Hopefully I can get it all done before winter, otherwise I'm gonna be pretty cold riding the motorcycle to work and back lol. The trans is going out to be rebuilt as soon as the motor comes out, and I'm going to try to get the parts together for the 4406 swap and a 3" BL. Figured if im gonna have the truck tore down, I might as well do as much as I can while things are easier to get to.