302 swap saga continues. What's the deal here? Video inside.

Discussion in 'Ranchero Tech Help' started by Boiler92, May 23, 2021.

  1. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    Completed part 1 of the break-in process, but not without issues, of course. The video makes it sound like a freight train, it does not.



    Couldn't hear me in the first vid, but here is a followup:

     
  2. beerbelly

    beerbelly In Maximum Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    Glad to see you got it running! It's been a long road. I forget- has the engine been rebuilt? If so, I wouldn't worry too much about the temp. I've had 2 engines rebuilt, and they ran warm for a few days until they got more broken in.
     
  3. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    Yep. Rebuilt. The block stamping says its 1969, 302. Great, I thought. It's the right date and engine for my truck. Had a local machine shop tear it down and rebuild. It was already 0.030. They bored to 0.040 and informed me the crank was a 289 crank. Not 302. I elected to re-use the crank rather than get a new one for a 302. Once home I noticed the intake said 289 on it. Later when I removed the valve covers to watch the oil flow when priming the pump I saw the heads are also stamped 289. I really have a 289 with is probably a replacement block. I read that Ford didn't produce 289's in 1969. But I also have the dipstick tube where the 289's were and early 302's as well as both right side radiator hoses, like the 289's.
     
  4. beerbelly

    beerbelly In Maximum Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    What balancer do you have? 289 or 302? Some later 302's used a 50z. balancer vs the 289's 28oz. Might be the cause of your vibration if there's a mismatch. I believe that goes for the flexplate too.
     
  5. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    The flex plate that came with was a 28 oz and that's what I replaced it with. I'll have to investigate the balancer as I don't know for sure.
     
  6. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    If you're really bored. The first minute tells the story:

     
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  7. pmrphil

    pmrphil In Maximum Overdrive GOLD MEMBER

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    Have you made sure that there's NO vacuum at the distributor port at idle? When they want to stall as you drop it into gear, if there's vacuum it will go away and timing WILL drop as a result. Try plugging the port, lowering the idle, as well as richening up the mixture and see what happens. The lower the idle is, the less "hit" from the converter when putting it in gear. The modulator has no effect on the idle problem, it controls upshift for the most part.
     
  8. beerbelly

    beerbelly In Maximum Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    Glad you got it running & driving! And thanks for the great videos documenting your work.
     
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  9. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    I'll give it a go and see what happens. Thanks!
     
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  10. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    I plugged every vacuum port on the carb, carb spacer and intake. Still dies when shifted into reverse. I hooked up the pcv, the modulator and vac advance one at a time. Still dies when shifting each time. I changed the timing to extremes either way and all points in between. Still dies. I changed mixtures from too lean to too rich. Still dies. I set idle at about 550 in park up to 1000 and all points in between. Still dies.

    Vacuum port on carb for vac advance is 0 vacuum at idle. Goes up to 5 or 6 or so when I give it some throttle.

    Manifold vac gauge needle is really fluttery at idle but pretty steady with throttle.

    I can shift and keep running if I give it some throttle and slam it into gear and give it more gas.

    Same exact issue I had with the 6 cylinder so I assumed it was caused by the tranny or modulator or modulator line.

    RPMs go up some when pulling off the modulator line from the intake, just by ear.

    I will add, the previous owner pulled the shifter safety switch out because he said it was bad and prevented starting in Park. It is still there, just dangling from wires. He had a temp ground alligator clipped to it metal mount but I don't notice it does anything with or without. I can crank in any gear but I haven't actually tried to start it in any gear.

    Wiring issue due to the switch being out?
     
  11. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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  12. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    Jump the red w/blue right here and it takes the switch out of the equation?

    20211017_110525.jpg
     
  13. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    I jumped and removed the safety switch. Didn't help. I can block up the rear end and shift gears without it dying, it makes the rpms lower almost to the point of dying, if I step on the brake it will die unless I'm giving it some gas. I can only keep it running with higher than spec'd idle or by applying throttle.

    20211017_113324.jpg
     
  14. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    I will also add I can very easily bark the tires in the garage giving a bit of gas to keep it running when backing out. RPMs drop drastically when put in gear. I set idle in park high at about 1000 or a tad higher and coasted back and up the driveway at idle. Dropped down to about 500 rpm while coasting. Applying brake slows RPMs even more. Tough to keep it running at a stop with brake fully applied and in gear. I have quadruple checked plugs on unused vacuum ports. Every hole in the intake has a bolt or threaded plug in it. New gaskets above and below carb spacer. Tightened up carb stud nuts although they were already snug.

    What bothers me most is that this is exactly the issue I had with the straight 6. I had to idle it really high to keep from dying. I could turn the idle up way high on the new engine but would rather solve the problem.

    Web searches say vac leak vac leak vac leak and vac leak. Could my issue be with the tranny itself and not a vacuum leak? Something wrong with the tranny? I'm the calm, thinker type that doesn't lose my cool. Like pretty much never, but I must say, this is a bit frustrating.
     
  15. Kiwirancher

    Kiwirancher In Fourth Gear

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    Seems to me the only common denominator is the tranny. Sorry I can’t offer any suggestions - could it be something to do with the torque converter?
    Denis.
     
  16. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    ??? If so, on the bright side I had to pull this tranny twice already so I'm getting proficient at that at least.
     
  17. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    This truck did sit in one spot in the barn for 17 years without being driven before I bought it, according to the previous owner.
     
  18. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    Researching more and came up with another question, does it matter how the torque converter is mated to the flexplate? I'm talking about orientation as related to the flex plate weight?

    I paid no attention to that at all. I just lined up the converter studs with the flex plate holes.
     
  19. 1965 Ranchero 66G

    1965 Ranchero 66G In Maximum Overdrive Unubtanium Member

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    Starting to sound to me like the torque converter is locking up.
     
  20. Boiler92

    Boiler92 In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    I think my next step is going to be checking valve adjustment. That fluttery vac gauge needle at idle is concerning.

    Also going to start over with finding and marking TDC and timing procedure.

    I really don't want to pull this tranny again until I've done everything I can re: vacuum, timing and mixture.
     

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