VTX1800N1

I'm rebuilding the engine in my son's 2002 Mustang. I was able to borrow a stand from a friend, and I got the engine on the stand (barely) when I took it apart, but I think that was only because there was a slight mismatch in the thread pitch of the bolts I used to mount the engine on the stand. I have the block back now (Romeo 2V), and I chased all the engine to transmission bolt holes with a M10-1.5, which is the correct size tap. I bought the correct bolts, however the arms on the stand are not long enough to reach. I really need longer arms, but I cannot find them anywhere. I don't want to buy a new stand just to find out that those arms are too short too. Anyone know where I can find some longer arms or an inexpensive stand that actually fits Ford modular motors. I asked the guy I borrowed the stand from and he said they mount Chevy 350s on it. It's about 1/4" too short for all 4 bolts to fit. The same problem would be experienced by anyone building a 4.6 or 5.4 out of a F150, so I figured I'd ask here.

vintageman

don't know if this will help or not but I am rebuilding a Honda engine and had to go to Home Depot to get some angle iron, cut and drill mounting holes to get my engine to bolt up on the stand. Took about an hour to cut and drill out the holes and put the engine on the stand. Good luck.
Tom

papa tiger

Or simply grind the brackets some to enlarge them. Flat washer the capscrew head then.

VTX1800N1

That's not an option, since it's not my engine stand and to grind them in the direction I need to would weaken them.

I did figure this out. I had to remove one of the transmission locating dowels. That was a real bear to get out. It was the original, and with 143K miles, it was stuck in there good. It took me a while with a pipe wrench turning it and pulling, but I got it out. That hole was close enough for me to get the last arm to reach over and get the bolt in, just barely.

It's on the stand and ready for paint.

VTX1800N1

Now for the bad news... the machine shop didn't bore cylinder 4 correctly. Either the boring machine didn't go all the way to the bottom, or it got off-center at the very bottom of the cylinder. After getting the block on the stand and starting to prep it for paint, I could see the ridge in the bottom of cylinder 4. I can feel it and it's definitely a problem. I had this machine work done before I ordered the pistons and confirmed with the shop that .020 over was going to work. So, I have to contact them Monday. I don't think they can correct this without making the cylinder too big (going .030), which means one of two solutions:

1. They buy us a different block and machine it to .020 over, hoping they get it right this time.

2. They machine this block to .030 over (max for this block) and buy us new pistons and rings and then rebalance the rotating assembly, which will mean adding some weight to the crank (expensive).

Either way, it's their mistake. I really hope they step up and fix their error. This could get ugly....

vintageman

Yea, looks like you may be in for a good argument with them to cover the cost. That's probably the reason that I did my own on the engine that I have on the stand now, Good luck, let us know how it goes.
Tom

VTX1800N1

Well, I don't have the multi thousand $$ machine to bore my own block over....

papa tiger

Oh My ! That does look sloppy in there almost like a dull tool; even loose, but improperly done for sure. That's novice work at its worst.

VTX1800N1

This is supposed to be one of the premier shops in my section of the country, too. Mistakes happen, but this should have been caught. I don't know if it's repairable or not. The bore cutting head might just follow the ridge and cant to the side when it gets to the bottom of the cylinder. That would cause it to remove more material from the opposite side at the top of the cutting blade, causing another problem. I have a feeling that boring to .030 over is now the only way to save this block. In that case he will have to buy us new pistons and rings, and he can have the ones we have now.