Bronco Blues

Old Blue is blowing oil. I can get oil to come out the dipstick with a little revving. Ya think that there might be some crankcase pressure? I guess I am getting old as I think that $2,000.00 to pull/install and engine is way too much money. That is for engine movement not any repairs. They also found a nice short block for me. Total quoted was about $5k. I used to like these guys. I could buy a nice crate engine for that kind of money.

Dang Fords are no good. That engine only has about 120k miles on it. In all fairness, it was a factory reman so it had been rebuilt once already. The original engine was lost during a carb rebuild at the dealer. A stray stud manage to rattle past a valve. Pieces of metal are not very compressible. The cylinder wall was gouged, a piston broken, a connecting rod broken, and valve damaged during this short event. The dealer tried to tell me that the stud had to already be in the engine. That is another story in itself but ended satisfactorily.

It couldn't have anything to do with installing the Dart Iron Eagle cylinder heads on the old block, could it? I just can't see paying that much so I located an engine shop in Phx that seems to have a good reputation. They will take my engine bore, rings, crank bearings, more aggressive cam, new timing chain & sprockets, degree the cam, and put my Dart heads back for $995.00. This sounds a little better. Note that I said that they will take the engine. I did not say that they would remove/install it. I am pulling the engine in the driveway, putting in the utility trailer, and driving it up to them. I don't mind losing a couple of weekends for $2k. Pictures to follow.