5.0 HO winter salvage thread

[andymac0035]

Woot!!!!!!! I am stoked!! Free parts!!

Okay, some of you have heard this one before....but bear with me.

Over the summer I had a chance to "pilliage" a 1990 mark VII. The "problem" was that I kept getting all kinds of crazy overtime offered to me at work. With the economy being what it is I couldn't turn it down. Sooo, eventually, it was decided to let someone else have it. Well that person never came for it.

I asked about it today and was given the green light to take whatever I wanted!!!!! (again).......

The good:

Intact powertrain
weeks vacation coming up
I have many tools, 3-4 jacks, and 4 jackstands
a place to keep the parts

The Bad

It's fucking COLD out!!!!!
I've never done this before
I do not have a hoist
I do not have torches
This is the 2nd winter the car has sat through....I foresee several broken bolts.....

Any advise tips and trick would be much appreciated.

[andymac0035]

I know for sure I'm going to pull the top-end and computer.
I need advice on getting the computer out (the interior is filled with junk)
How heavy is the motor with the top-end off and all the accessories pulled off the front of it?

[Brandon]

The motor itself is still going to be heavy. Id say 250 to 300 pounds. You still going to need an engine hoist.

Does that car have the aluminum wheels on it?

[andymac0035]

Does that car have the aluminum wheels on it?

No, it's an LSC SE and the wheels are going on an 88' LSC.
......but that means there will be some 88' tubines kicking around....

[87gtVIC]

I need advice on getting the computer out (the interior is filled with junk)

Computer will be behind the p.side kick panel. Couple of screws to remove the sill plate molding along the bottom of the door and then just pry at the kick panel. If none of these pieces will be used again you can just pry from the get go. One it is removed there may be some other connectors in your way of unbolting the mega harness plug from the ecm itself just pull everything out of the way and then use 10mm socket iirc to remove the mega plug from the ecm. It is a long bolt so it may take a while.

[andymac0035]

If none of these pieces will be used again you can just pry from the get go.

Bingo!
And most of the interior is hacked anyway. He bought the car for hard to get trim pieces.

[87gtVIC]

Also what can help you out tremendously would be purchasing something like this:



I used heat in so many situations to get suborn bolts off. Just heat up the bolt for a good while and it will back right out. It is really useful and handy to carry and lasts for a surprisingly long time.

[gadget73]

I'd yank the whole motor complete and pull the front accessories off at your leisure. That will give you all the parts, plus a block with better pistons that you can clean up, rebuild, paint, or do whatever you'd like on the stand without having your car down for any length of time. When you're ready to swap the engine, it becomes a pop and drop operation instead of a take it all apart and put it back together deal. Need a crane to do it, theres not a chance in hell you're getting that block out of the hole without it, but for time spent pulling the whole shebang is the way to go. Engine cranes are fairly cheap, or I'm sure you can rent one.

[87gtVIC]

last resort you can pull the car under a heavy tree limb and rig up a pulley system to yank the motor out.

[andymac0035]

Need a crane to do it, theres not a chance in hell you're getting that block out of the hole without it

Not an option (unfortunatly for me).
To quote Jonny Cash, the only way I'm getting things out of that car is "one piece at a time".

Here's pics illustrating why.

There are (junk) wheels and tires on it now....as well as a foot of hard crusty snow all around (and on top of) the car......and trees on either side. If it had been backed in a hoist might be feasible, but I don't see how I could hope to do that as it sits. Also, my storage is in a basement (read downstairs). If two people can't reasonably safely carry it, I'm S-O-L.


Pic of the engine.


pic whore alert!....The 88' that the parts parts car was bought for.

[andymac0035]

last resort you can pull the car under a heavy tree limb and rig up a pulley system to yank the motor out.

My Dad did that once!

[andymac0035]

Let me back up here for a minute on the engine hoist thing......
I'm no expert, many of you guys are though. So lets hear some thoughts on this.
If there is a practical way to pull the block I'm all ears.

I don't know if the car could be moved. keys are most likely lost and the interior is packed (as in FULL) with junk. The car is parked nose-first in a small open clearing. There is a stream in front of it. Trees on the left side, a small space (before more trees) on the right with a large rock/boulder in the way (there's a board over part of it in the pic above), un-even ground that is now snow-covered. The driveway/yard area is dirt and also un-even.

I rent, this is not my place, but I do more-or-less have permission to do what-ever. There is a garage, but the landlord uses it for storage. Also, said garage has no door on it anayways.....

This place is like an old farm-house. There are 3 apartments. We all get along, no issue's there. My place is small, I don't have enough room to put large car parts, let alone an engine inside. I suppose my F-I-L's "tent" where he store's the Mark VII is possible, but it gets humid as hell in there, LOTS of condensation going on. Lots of his tools/ect have rusted like crazy.

Landlord gave me a section of the downstaires basement to use. It's (relatively) clean and dry down there. BUT it's down a flight of stairs. So I don't know what else to do but limit what I take to parts I can lift (or lift with the help of a friend).

Anything I pull off the parts-car will be sitting till springtime

[FatNasty]

If you stripped it down to the block, then you could probably get the block out by chaining it to the middle of a board or something and lifting it out from each side of the car with a friend. Lift it out and walk it towards the front. Taller you are the better probably. my two cents.

[P72Ford]

Andy, do you know anyone with a wrecker?

Get the engine ready to come out, and then pull it with a wrecker. Even if you don't know anyone, it won't cost that much. You can tear the heads off and such to lighten it up, and it shouldn't be a problem to carry down into the basement (the shortblock).

The lincoln transmission isn't really of use for you, as its longer, but it may be easier to pull the engine/ trans as a unit, and seperate them out of the car.

With the engine and trans out, you can remove your parts with ease.

[gadget73]

backhoes and pole trucks also work to haul engines out with. As for storing it, smear grease or spray oil that won't run off the metal surfaces on the block. As long as the water can't lay on the iron, it won't rust, and its easy enough to wash off with solvent.