I pulled the entire drivetrain of my 1984 F-150 as one unit (engine, transmission, and transfercase all together). I found an old stand made for a 1940's concrete mixer and it's perfect as a stand for the entire drivetrain. With the drivetrain on the stand I attached the hoist to the engine, separated it from the transmission/transfercase, and mounted it to the engine stand for total diss assembly. I found the the cylinders are already .0400 over and the crank is already .0100 over. This engine has been rebuild at least twice before. The block is junk. I'm weighing my options. Buy another old truck for use while I'm rebuilding (to performance standards) my engine (have a 1971 351w block available to me), or put it back together as is (with new seals) and drive it until it falls apart. I found a few old Ford 4x4's on Craigslist between $600-$900. I found a 79/460 (engine only) for $500. And the performance build on my existing engine (with 1971 block) will cost about $2100, with me doing all assembly myself.

Opinions please.....

 

All depends on your long term plans for your truck. ...do it one time complete or patch it up for short term.

 

If the body is straight, transmission is good, just buy a good crate motor and happy motoring from there on out.
Sounds like you have all the mech skills to make short work of it.

 

1) Slap it together with new bearings and seals
2) Keep your eyes pealed for a truck being scrapped with a better engine and driveline as a quick steal/swap
3) Drop cash into your 351W, being increasingly rare and a better engine than a Cleveland IMHO it is worth doing
4) If you are comfortable with that chassis - when the "W" is built, drop it in
5) A 460 would be a torquey fuel hog, I think a 351 Windsor is a better choice, and they can be let out to 408 (which is an excellent racing motor)
6) If you are unhappy with the truck itself - spare an eye to watch for a better chassis and trade up. Cash and a running truck in return for a better set of wheels all around
7) Always be prepared to bolt all of the worst project parts together and unload them on someone who wants a starter truck
8) Never neglect a means of getting around! I made that mistake when I began my Ranger 351W project. ALWAYS HAVE WHEELS to drive
9) NOTHING you plan to do well comes together overnight. Plan for the long haul. Have faith in your dreams and wants, they are not baggage and should never be left behind
10) Think in terms of long range plans, with realistic short term goals and objectives. You might not have the truck of your dreams right away, it doesn't work like that. But one piece at a time you can see it all coming together - and that is the thing to keep in the forefront of your mind

And never forget this:
A whole lot of people have done what you are trying to do, successfully. If they can - SO CAN YOU!!!!

 

I will say one more thing - whatever the best set of wheels you have IS:
CONCENTRATE all of your best parts into it. Swap them into it.

If you know you have a better chassis over here, and you have a damned good mill over there - putting them together is the priority.
One has a good glove box, that one over there has bitchen seats, and so on....

Focus everything into the best heap you can compile, because you should also be looking to unload the stuff that you just don't want - but someone else wants very badly - and don't lie to those people!

This is important: You wanna be respected. If you wish off a hill of junk on somebody and they catch you lying about it your credibility will be shot. Word will go out from there in all directions and you will never find a good deal again, so be honest

Get a good rep and maintain it.


But there are always people who will suck up a pile of junk to just thrash for a cheap price


There is a whole community around you unseen, but we are known by our deals. Actions - not words. BS about what you are selling and that word travels far and wide, so be real


But amazing as it might seem - there is a market for smoking piles of junk. There just IS! Maybe they want the body style, maybe they want some parts off of it, who knows.

But never BS, it can follow you


If the words: "First time shame on you - second time shame on me" sound familiar, I think you hear me

 

You are the one who has to decide.
I have one truck here that has so much money in it, that it should be a family member
I have another one that I should spend some money on, but I refuse too, for some reason, I just don't like that truck.

 

After unsuccessfully looking for another old truck for interim driving, I've decided to build the most bitchen truck that can from the good parts of my existing truck. A machine shop in the area gave me a GREAT deal on a 71 block out of a Torino (the car was destroyed years ago) that the machinist held onto. I'm having them prepare the block (cylinders) 10 over, grind my existing crank 20 over. I'm ordering a B303 cam, new heads with a valve job to match the crank. Either moly or steel rings (haven't decided yet and would like any input), newpistons but reusing my rods.