Is this the original engine?

[Bill_Morgan]

As I dig deeper into my '92 Bronco project I've become suspicious the 302 in it is not the original engine. All the EFI components appear correct, but the exhaust manifolds don't line up or look the same as the ones on my '95 parts engine. My problem is that the sticker on the passenger side valve cover is completely faded out. Any suggestions as to how I can identify the long block?

 

[miesk5]

Yo Bill,
See

A Guide To Ford V8 Engine Block Casting Numbers, 1952-1996​

A Guide To Ford V8 Engine Block Casting Numbers, 1952-1996

This guide covers engine block casting numbers associated with Ford Y-Block, FE, Windsor, Cleveland, big-block Ford, and more!

www.enginelabs.com

 

[johnnyreb]

As I dig deeper into my '92 Bronco project I've become suspicious the 302 in it is not the original engine. All the EFI components appear correct, but the exhaust manifolds don't line up or look the same as the ones on my '95 parts engine. My problem is that the sticker on the passenger side valve cover is completely faded out. Any suggestions as to how I can identify the long block?

I see your still at it Bill. So am I.,but I,m getting less interested in driving it. Still think about that fire . Hard to shake

 

[Bill_Morgan]

I, too, had a traumatic fire experience. In 1985 I was installing an electric fuel pump on my '81 F250 and forgot to disconnect the battery before starting the job. I bolted the pump down and connected the hoses. I then started to wire it up, but when I touched the wires together I heard a small "tick" followed by the "whomp" of ignition of all the fumes from the gas in the grass and on my hands. I rolled 35 feet to my neighbor's fence, setting the grass afire all the way behind. My shirt was still afire so I had to tear it off.

The end result - second-degree burns on both hands, forearms and abdomen and third-degree burns on my left upper arm. I was told I'd be hospitalized for a month and off work for three months, but I cut that to sixteen days in the hospital and five weeks of missed work by doing my own burn debridement and wound care, a real exercise in mental toughness.

All these years later those burn-scarred areas are still very sensitive to cold, and every time I shiver it feels like a thousand pin ****** in them.

Overall, it was an experience I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

 

[Bill_Morgan]

Yo Bill,
See

A Guide To Ford V8 Engine Block Casting Numbers, 1952-1996​

A Guide To Ford V8 Engine Block Casting Numbers, 1952-1996

This guide covers engine block casting numbers associated with Ford Y-Block, FE, Windsor, Cleveland, big-block Ford, and more!

www.enginelabs.com

Back on topic...where, please, is the block casting number located on this EFI 302?

 

[johnnyreb]

I, too, had a traumatic fire experience. In 1985 I was installing an electric fuel pump on my '81 F250 and forgot to disconnect the battery before starting the job. I bolted the pump down and connected the hoses. I then started to wire it up, but when I touched the wires together I heard a small "tick" followed by the "whomp" of ignition of all the fumes from the gas in the grass and on my hands. I rolled 35 feet to my neighbor's fence, setting the grass afire all the way behind. My shirt was still afire so I had to tear it off.

The end result - second-degree burns on both hands, forearms and abdomen and third-degree burns on my left upper arm. I was told I'd be hospitalized for a month and off work for three months, but I cut that to sixteen days in the hospital and five weeks of missed work by doing my own burn debridement and wound care, a real exercise in mental toughness.

All these years later those burn-scarred areas are still very sensitive to cold, and every time I shiver it feels like a thousand pin ****** in them.

Overall, it was an experience I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

I was getting ready to take mine out for a test run. I went to start it and it backfired. So I quit crqanking .Then tried starting it again. Nothing.So I thought I check the wires.As I got beside the open hood. It was all flame. I ****** off my coat and throwed it upon the motor and jumped up on it and tried to smothher it out. Till the coat was almost burnt up.Then the fumes started getting to me and I almost passed out. I jumped back off.Took my t-shirt and started all over--till it was almost burnt up. Then my niece came out and asked what happened. I told her to get a fire extinguisher and call the fire dept. Then she told me her phone needed charged. I told her to run in the house and use the phone. I ****** off my pants and in the process my pictol (revolver) fell out and I jumped back on the motor fighting it. With one sock and my undershorts. Then my niece came back out and said they were on the way. I grabbed the fire extinguiser and it was empty-so I ran back in the house to get another one .Tried it and it was empty. I jumped back on the motor and then had the fire down about the size of your fist and hear came the fire dept. The fire capt noticed the gun on the ground and I asked him if they could go ahead and hose it down.To make sure its out.They did and he nopticed the gun. I told him to lay it on the truck hood and he acted really scared of it. I told him go ahead--it not cocked. Then he said he was wondering if its loaded. I told him sure--a empty gun isn,nt gonna do you any good if you need one--its not cocked--just lay it on the hood. hahaha Later I put baking soda on it .To take out the fire. NEVER DO THAT. IT BURNS UNBELIEVEBAL.Go ahead and laugh about me fighting the fire in my shorts--I know it seems funny.

 

[johnnyreb]

I was getting ready to take mine out for a test run. I went to start it and it backfired. So I quit crqanking .Then tried starting it again. Nothing.So I thought I check the wires.As I got beside the open hood. It was all flame. I ****** off my coat and throwed it upon the motor and jumped up on it and tried to smothher it out. Till the coat was almost burnt up.Then the fumes started getting to me and I almost passed out. I jumped back off.Took my t-shirt and started all over--till it was almost burnt up. Then my niece came out and asked what happened. I told her to get a fire extinguisher and call the fire dept. Then she told me her phone needed charged. I told her to run in the house and use the phone. I ****** off my pants and in the process my pictol (revolver) fell out and I jumped back on the motor fighting it. With one sock and my undershorts. Then my niece came back out and said they were on the way. I grabbed the fire extinguiser and it was empty-so I ran back in the house to get another one .Tried it and it was empty. I jumped back on the motor and then had the fire down about the size of your fist and hear came the fire dept. The fire capt noticed the gun on the ground and I asked him if they could go ahead and hose it down.To make sure its out.They did and he nopticed the gun. I told him to lay it on the truck hood and he acted really scared of it. I told him go ahead--it not cocked. Then he said he was wondering if its loaded. I told him sure--a empty gun isn,nt gonna do you any good if you need one--its not cocked--just lay it on the hood. hahaha Later I put baking soda on it .To take out the fire. NEVER DO THAT. IT BURNS UNBELIEVEBAL.Go ahead and laugh about me fighting the fire in my shorts--I know it seems funny.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

 

[johnnyreb]

Back on topic...where, please, is the block casting number located on this EFI 302?

As you take the starter of--on the passenger side--it is above the place were the starter bolts too. You,ll have to clean it off good.Better have some saftey glass on and disconnect the battery first.

 

[ragtop69]

The VIN was stamped into the block behind the intake manifold on my '69 Mustang 302. Is that area covered by the EFI intake on a '92 version?

 

[miesk5]

Yo Casting number is on th thpassenger
side of block behind the starter. You might have to pull the starter to see it.

 

[chrlsful]

there may have been 2 exh mannies on them, both fit (no Johnny. it is not funny 2 me, sorrows to Bill as well. I may B 'ignoring' as this is the rougher, harder prt of life I avoid when able. It is still here for many of us tho. Not wishing to ignore our humanity together, condolences to the 2 injured brothers).
One, the 300/4.9 "efi" ones we like, only the heavy duty more ('stevens' used by the big trucks back in the day, great flow rate). The "3 and 3" flow 2nd best if U have a 300 (I assume U don't?). Stevens:


EDIT:
oh, wait, now I C it - "302", sorry.

 

[Bill_Morgan]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

Well, it was 36 years ago, so I can joke about some of it now. In fact, when I arrived at the ER that day, the doc on duty said rather gruffly, "Did you learn anything from this?" I replied, "Yes, sir, I can burn regular for about 10 seconds." That was the last funny thing I said for about three months.

 

[johnnyreb]

Well, it was 36 years ago, so I can joke about some of it now. In fact, when I arrived at the ER that day, the doc on duty said rather gruffly, "Did you learn anything from this?" I replied, "Yes, sir, I can burn regular for about 10 seconds." That was the last funny thing I said for about three months.

Well I was given Vitenal for pain that night and I can,nt see why anyone would want to take it -weirdest feeling I ever had and made me really paranoid. I sleep like a baby that night --no pain and I never had any pain afterwards. People couldn,t believe me and thought I was lieing. Glad I didn,t and your doing good. Did you get the starter off and find the code numbers? You can type in what you are looking for in the address bar and they have pictures. Its even in the same place on the 67 Ford 289. If I remember right--it even has the size--mine was 289

 

[johnnyreb]

Well I was given Vitenal for pain that night and I can,nt see why anyone would want to take it -weirdest feeling I ever had and made me really paranoid. I sleep like a baby that night --no pain and I never had any pain afterwards. People couldn,t believe me and thought I was lieing. Glad I didn,t and your doing good. Did you get the starter off and find the code numbers? You can type in what you are looking for in the address bar and they have pictures. Its even in the same place on the 67 Ford 289. If I remember right--it even has the size--mine was 289

Wold83 is a memeber and lives near Lubbock

 

[Bill_Morgan]

I have a second EFI 302, looks like a '96, that was sitting on the ground where I bought a man's gooseneck stock trailer. He said I could have it and the automatic transmission (4R70W) attached to it if I could load it. I pulled the trailer home and immediately returned with my Ford tractor sporting a front loader.

The engine will turn only 180 degrees, bad sign number one. Got it on the engine stand today, and the first thing out of the oil pan was about a pint of coolant, bad omen number two. Got the upper intake manifold plenums off and the #3 cylinder port is coated in black grease, bad sign number three. The heads and oil pan come off tomorrow so I can finally identify the problem. I somewhat suspect a bent rod banged on the bottom of the cylinder bore until the block cracked. If the block is toast, I'll still have a buttload of spare parts.

Getting the transmission torque converter off was a real pain. I had to rotate the plate that sits between the engine and transmission until I could get a nut extractor and impact wrench on the nuts holding the converter to the flex plate. I have a buddy who's been building transmissions for more than 30 years, and he's going to check out the transmission for proper function. We are optimistic that it's still good since the engine quit running. I can't use it on my Bronco, but it'll make good trade material or generate some more financing for the Bronco project.

When the Bronco's engine and transmission come out, the engine's going to a shop 30 miles away for overhaul, while the E4OD goes to my friend for overhaul and conversion to 4WD use. I'm hoping to have everything rejoined, including transfer case and driveshafts, and in the truck before Thanksgiving.

 

[johnnyreb]

I have a second EFI 302, looks like a '96, that was sitting on the ground where I bought a man's gooseneck stock trailer. He said I could have it and the automatic transmission (4R70W) attached to it if I could load it. I pulled the trailer home and immediately returned with my Ford tractor sporting a front loader.

The engine will turn only 180 degrees, bad sign number one. Got it on the engine stand today, and the first thing out of the oil pan was about a pint of coolant, bad omen number two. Got the upper intake manifold plenums off and the #3 cylinder port is coated in black grease, bad sign number three. The heads and oil pan come off tomorrow so I can finally identify the problem. I somewhat suspect a bent rod banged on the bottom of the cylinder bore until the block cracked. If the block is toast, I'll still have a buttload of spare parts.

Getting the transmission torque converter off was a real pain. I had to rotate the plate that sits between the engine and transmission until I could get a nut extractor and impact wrench on the nuts holding the converter to the flex plate. I have a buddy who's been building transmissions for more than 30 years, and he's going to check out the transmission for proper function. We are optimistic that it's still good since the engine quit running. I can't use it on my Bronco, but it'll make good trade material or generate some more financing for the Bronco project.

When the Bronco's engine and transmission come out, the engine's going to a shop 30 miles away for overhaul, while the E4OD goes to my friend for overhaul and conversion to 4WD use. I'm hoping to have everything rejoined, including transfer case and driveshafts, and in the truck before Thanksgiving.

Look where the starter would be and you,ll find the numbers--sameplace where they will be on the bronco.

 

[Bill_Morgan]

Nope, nothing there but a small raised circle with five numbers spaced around it. Those usually denote the shift and line on which the engine was produced. I'm no newby at casting numbers, but my area of expertise for almost 20 years was in '60s Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles...had most of those memorized. I don't find a casting number anywhere on this block.

However, I did note the injector rail identification sticker has a 1997 parts number, and the spark plug wires are dated 1997. The transmission had a 1996 build sticker on it.

I have not yet crawled back under the Bronco to examine the starter area on its engine. The originality of that engine really has become irrelevant since it's being rebuilt. All the EFI stuff is correct, so I should eventually be good to go.

 

[Bill_Morgan]

OK, the stink's on me. I found the date code on my spare engine, 3K27 (September 27, 1993). I was looking on the block skirt beside the starter, where the casting number and date code appeared on the 289 and 302 of the late '60s-early '70s, rather than on the ****** directly above the place at which the starter protrudes into the bellhousing. However, a thorough wire brush search still found no casting number anywhere on the block.

After pulling the intake, heads, and oil pan, I found the cause of the engine's failure to rotate beyond 180 degrees. A blown head gasket had allowed enough moisture into cylinder 5 to create a slight rust ridge at the top of the cylinder. A liberal application of PB Blaster and a forceful turn of the crank with a 3/4-in. drive ratchet resolved that problem, and the engine is now at the machine shop to be rebuilt for a new life in the Bronco.

 

[Bill_Morgan]

Time for an update. The cylinder with the rust ring required a .050 overbore to clean up, but I won't use a 5.0 bored beyond .040 over, so I pulled the original engine from the Bronco and sent it to the rebuilder, who got it back in shape with a .030 overbore. I already have the long block in my shop, and I'm slowly painting and installing all the ancillary components.

The transmission rebuilder's findings were not pleasant to hear. The transmission had experienced water circulating through it, such as happens when an oil cooler splits inside the radiator and introduces coolant into the transmission, and all the soft parts - clutches, etc. - were ruined along with the torque converter. Since reliability is one of my main goals for the truck, I had him proceed with a total rebuild, which came in at $1,125.

Given the approaching winter, I've now hoping to have the Bronco up and running by Spring. I'm still mulling over revised paint schemes.

 

[Bill_Morgan]

I've hit a weird snag with the transfer case shifter. I bought a new shifter, but it didn't come with a nut to secure the pivot bolt to the shifter mounting plate. I've not been able to identify the threads on the bolt, which appears to be 9/16". In fact, the experts at my local nut and bolt supplier were not able to come up with a nut in the proper pitch. I've googled to near blindness and not been able to find anyone providing the nut with the shifter. Any ideas?