So, did I just buy an oversize paperweight....

[91LTDProject]

Went tonight to pick up my new H.O bottom end. All was good, the engine was super clean and he had stored it properly. The guy I got it from had a garage full of Ford engines and was very knowledgeable. We ended up talking about dragracing and engines for 45 minutes before I left. Well I get it to the shop, get it set on the engine stand, and decide to go over it with a flashlight. Then I found whats in the pictures below. I looked down the hole that the distributor goes into just to see how it looked inside, and where the gear on the distributor sits in the block is all ground down. Had the shop foreman take a look, says that maybe the cam bearings are worn and that the cam is not straight and it was putting stress down onto the distributor gear. He also says that judging by the coloration on the top of the pistons, that he thinks the rings are gone. I've never heard anything like that before, but who am I to argue with someone whos rebuilt more engines than I am years old. Anyways, what do you all think? It didnt cost alot of money, so I'm not really upset about that aspect, but I certainly wasnt expecting anything like this. Once again my failure to check over something thoroughly I'm buying used has bit me in the ass. I'll never learn I guess... I'll get a better pic of everything when I take my camera to work tommorow.

[Mercmarquis]

Coulda had a shitty reman dizzy in there. The gear might not have been pressed on enough...?

[Lincolnmania]

i dont see this damage you speak of......i keep walking over to montys engine block and looking.......does look like it's got flat top pistons and 2 are installed backwards..hope the bore isnt too large mang

[91LTDProject]

I was thinking all the dots should have been facing the same way. The other side is the same. I'll get a better picture of the damage tommorow, stupid camera phone

[torquelover]

Did you buy this intending to rebuild it or just use it as is? Do pistons ever get installed incorrectly from the factory, or has this one been rebuilt before?

[91LTDProject]

It was going to be an "as is" kinda deal, but its no longer looking that way. He said when he bought it, it had been "freshened up". It has all new frost plugs, so that leads me to think that someones been in there.

[gadget73]

wow, an 86 HO in the flesh.

It'll work if whatever yoyo had that apart previously didn't screw it up too bad. Can't run too much cam with those flat pistons tho. Stock HO cam is fine but if you get too much more radical you may have trouble. I'd pull it totally apart and inspect it. Its obviously been apart before. Who knows what was done with it. Check the bearings and crank out real close too since those pistons are in backwards. Might also have some out of round problems on the bores, but that would be easy enough to check with a bore gauge.

[cld783]

ill take it

looks fine to me from the pictures. if the cam gear is worn replace the cam, if not put a new dizzy in with the correct gear and you should be alright.

[91LTDProject]

I'm in the tear down stage right now. Has a brand new double roller timing set in it. Took the pan off and its super clean inside the bottom end, but there was some goo in the bottom of the pan that has me worried. Havnt taken any of the rod caps off yet. Will upload pics from the teardown when I get home.

Gadget, I dont have much worry about being able to run a more radical cam, stock H.O will probably be just fine for me. Chances are that these pistons wont even be re-useable since they have been installed incorrectly. I'm gonna see if I can borrow some measuring tools so I can start seeing whats happened to this thing, I dont think anyone here has a bore gauge though. I'll have to go see what my mechanic neighbour has when I get home.