Rocket Doctor

I've got a 67 F100 4x4, with 352, 4 spd, and Dana 20 'in and out'. I'd like to put the divorced 205 into the truck that I have on hand, but don't want to keep it as a divorced case, that is, I'd like to convert it so that it mounts to the transmission. I would imagine that the input bearing, shaft would need to be swapped, but has anyone else done such a thing, and what is needed to get it done?

I'd have to vote for the York, if it'll mount up or is adaptable to the engine. I'd like to mention, however, that if a guy's on a budget, as I constantly am (I didn't win that last BIG lottery!) he might consider one of the 12V Arnott electric air pumps used in GM cars, and it seems, on some of the Lincoln's as well for their air ride suspensions . Gotta be a gazillion of 'em out there. Seem to be fairly inexpensive, as well. Have no idea what sort of volume they put out, but if a guy had a decent-sized tank, the pump would run as long as the key was on, keeping the tank aired up with enough volume/pressure to do a lot of tasks. Just a thought........

The wife and I headed up on a road trip yesterday, pulling off US 93, and heading up over a trail that includes a long, steep grade on not much more than an old mining trail, (Cherry Creek Rd) reaching an elevation around 8950 ft. over Antelope Pass, and then dropping into Copper Basin and the head waters of the Big Lost River. The day was 'around' 85-90 deg, zero wind, zero clouds. Absolutely gorgeous. We took the 04 F250 with the Triton V10 on the trip, because it is SO comfortable. Had the air conditioner on, crawling up the grade over that pass, and around 8000 ft, we got a check engine light, the temp gauge pegged, and the motor started running on perhaps 5 cylinders. NO place to turn around, or for that matter, maneuver so that we could take advantage of the few up-canyon breezes. Also, the "pucker factor" was up around 8.5-9, as a look out the passenger window revealed a drop, with nothing between there and the bottom of the draw, of around 1,000 feet! Sooooo......we pulled off, made lunch, let the dogs chase ground squirrels, shot the "new" 10-22 a bit bit, and, after a short nap, and around an hour and a half wait, the temp came down, and we started up, and went on our way, though this time with the AC off, in a lower gear to keep the engine rpm's up, with less lugging, and to move a bit more air through the radiator. Now, we've apparently "set a code". The engine now runs as well as it ever has, with all the power it ever had, we just have a "full time" check engine light that we'll have to see about getting rid of.

We need to get down that way again. South out of Twin Falls to Jackpot isn't terribly far away, though we have to pick the night when they have a good show, because I've yet to be a fan of throwing money away! Got some friends that used their hounds and horses in those hills to pursue mountain lions and bobcats. Never took one, if I remember right, but always enjoyed the chase. Maybe it was the campfires and the jug that got passed around!

Thanks for your response, Moses! I enjoy this little Ford tractor, but it does have it's foibles! A "live" PTO would be great. One that would turn independent of the clutch would be nice. A deeper set of gears in the transmission! A 12V conversion, and hydraulic steering assist would be noticeable upgrades! I sure do appreciate that so far, this little gasoline powered flathead 4 banger starts up on the coldest of days. Seems like it also takes forever to "grind down" this six volt battery. Not sure that I ever did understand why that seems to be so with 6V systems in general. IIRC, Ford and Ferguson shared Ferguson's patent on the hydraulic lift. Eventually, there was a lawsuit, and Ford was forced to make changes, and the 8n was dropped, it seems like sometime around 53 or so. The niece's husband has a Ferguson, and I thought they were twins, until I actually needed to use his Ferguson one weekend. In all, though, I sure do enjoy using my "Red Belly" Ford! Over the last three years, we've also accumulated a 3 bottom Dearborn plow, 12 point Dearborn cultivator, Dearborn wood saw, scraper (box scraper is in the works) PTO driven 10" post hole auger, 4' rototiller, and Dearborn sickle bar mower. This summer sometime, I've got to find a mower deck to keep the pasture in check during fire season. It's a bit much for the small garden, but just about perfect for chores on our little 6 acre "hobby farm". There are some days when taking the ride into town for a sody pop and ice cream sammich just needs to be taken on the tractor in my bib coveralls and straw hat! (keeps the tourista's along US Highway 93 annoyed, but slows 'em down enough to notice the mountains and enjoy the scenery)

Been awhile, but here's an update on the 304. I was greeted with a very nice looking block, that looks like perhaps the block was "decked". Spankin' new .040 pistons of unknown mfg. installed, and the bores are indeed cross-hatch honed with no trace of ridge in any cylinders. Cylinder heads had four exhaust valves replaced, oddly, all in the center two cylinders on both heads. Heads were surfaced, tanked, new teflon valve stem seals installed. I won't be able to see what the crankshaft looks like till I can get the thing rolled out of the 'shed', and where I can get the lift on the tractor onto it. The motor mounts are only loosely attached at the chassis, and there's only two bolts loosely installed in the bellhousing to block. I'll lift it out with the 8N Ford, and haul it over to the shop and get it on an engine hoist before I take the pan off........ I was worried that there might have been some water invasion, as the spark plugs were removed, and there was no carb installed, but, my fears were unrealized, the bores were rust-free, with only some dust and cobweb accumulation. If my math is right, the overbore should've let the motor realize 310 cid.

The ones that I've actually seen photos of did not mention the level of modifications needed to pull this off. I DO distinctly remember someone using a Ramcharger (Blazer clone, not the current pickup) chassis to do it. I've got a 82 K5 sitting in the pasture (This Is FORD Country, where, on a quiet night, you can sit and listen to the Chevy's rusting.....) and it has the "Flintstone" floors in it, and rear quarters are "gone". I've been shopping for a Willys pickup for one of these. Replacement K5 body tubs are few and far between here. One of those deals where they're either garbage, or pristine, with not a lot of 'serviceable' bodies around anymore. The last few years' steel prices seem to have sent most auto bodies to the shredder, to be turned into rebar and fence posts at Nucor Steel in northern Utah. Anyhow, trimming the bed would seem to be a lot easier than "adjusting" frame or wheelbase length, and I've even seen some done with just the cab, and they've done a flatbed or "Truggy" conversion.. Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread.......BTW, the "coloradoK5 bunch" do seem to have a great deal of knowledge hanging out there without the bullies and trolls that some other websites are infested with. (I'd 'trade' a whole BUNCH of the projects sitting in my pasture for a useable 72 K5 Jimmy!)

While I haven't actually done it, I've heard and read about guys using the K5 Blazer/Jimmy for such hybrids with success.

Moses, they claim it will fit any of the 4.0 engines, as well as the AMC 258. "Must use" 1991-2006 intake and 1991-1998 4.0 stock or aftermarket exhaust header. They mention using an "appropriate" (whatever THAT means) intake/exhaust manifold combination on a carbureted engine. (port matching, most likely) I DID see one slight snag in the whole mess, and it only affects a few of us, perhaps. Jeg's lists the head at $1504.00 with "free" shipping.

I see an ad in a recent print magazine from Edelbrock, announcing their 4.0L Jeep I-6 aluminum cylinder head. They mention a lot of "improvements", longer valve stems, longer guides, polished valves, changed the ports a bit, and thick face, but I'm wondering if there's any real world improvement to be had over the stock 4.0 HO head I have in my 98 Cherokee now? Not trying to be a stick in the mud about this thing, really, but if they were going to jump into cylinder heads for older I-6's, I can think of a few that I personally would rather see.....oh, like a big valve, big port 240/300 Ford, or 250, or 292 Chev/GMC. Is this "Jeep" head from Edelbrock something that the stroker motor guys might need? Just wondering...............

No, the intake manifold gasket is a plain steel valley pan with raised "crush" grooves around the ports and water passages, with orange paint on both sides. Only other seals were front and rear valley seals of rubber like material and had a bit of RTV at each end. The intake and exhaust manifold bolts were all evenly torqued, and took some effort to break loose, so I have to assume they were all adequately torqued. The valve cover gaskets were cork, and had shrunk, perhaps that is the reason that those bolts were so loose. BTW, the lifters appear to be new, and well lubricated with an assembly type light grease, as are the lobes of what appears to be a new camshaft. I rotated the crank both directions a short distance, and noticed NO slop. As soon as the crank moved, so did the camshaft. Must assume that it's a new, or really good condition timing set. Weather is returning to what I'd expect for mid February, so I'll have to wait to drop the oil pan and inspect the crank. In the meantime, I had to pay some attention to other vehicles and move them around while I had the good weather.....

So.....the weather is giving us a few days respite. Temps up in the mid-50's, unseasonably 'warm' for Feb, In any event, cabin fever set in, and I headed to the shed with the tool kit. Dropped the exhaust manifolds off, to find new exhaust valves looking back at me, in sparkling clean ports. Next off was the valve covers, and indeed, saw the tops of the new valves, both intake and exhaust, with new springs, seals and locks. Tomorrow, I'll take the intake off, and see if I can get a look at the cam. One thing puzzles me, though, and it is that none of the gaskets I encountered have had any sort of sealant applied, and a lot of the bolts are installed loosely, as if it was slapped together in an attempt to make an assembly and not lose any parts. More detective work to follow.........if nothing else, it's probably going to need at least a new gasket set.

I used to joke about three brothers in Montana back in the 70's, who wrecked at least three Piper Super Cubs while chasing coyotes. One would pilot the craft, another would hang out the window with an Ithaca 10 ga. automatic full of 3 1/2" 00 buckshot loads, and the third brother on the ground with a radio on a snow machine to collect the pelts. Seems that the "pilot" always managed to get way too involved in the chase, outside the window, instead of what was in front of him. Well, sir, I managed to do sort of the same thing. Only in my 98 Cherokee. Wasn't looking while rolling through the sagebrush, trying to work binoculars, keep the rifle from falling out the window, and keeping the Jeep in motion. Ran over what was left of a three strand barbed wire fence, which snagged the exhaust pipe at the junction in front of the catalytic converter, and pulled it apart. Also pulled the wiring to the 02 connector apart. Well, it's been a long, long time since I've had to shovel snow out from under a rig to work on it. Wasn't too bad. Managed to slip the pipe back together, as well as remove the barbed wire that was entangled underneath. Fortunate indeed that the driveshaft didn't grab that wire!!!! Now, I've got to splice that wiring back together, as I didn't manage a 'trail fix' on it, and it sure runs like crap without that signal! Just thought I'd share an afternoon's worth of "fun" with ya......oh, didn't get no coyote, but DID get a shot at a wolf. A very, very long shot that only managed to make a lot of noise.

Lenco lists it's C S 3, two speed, rated at 1800+ hp. Downside is that you'd have to get the reverse gearbox, which adds length. http://www.lencoracing.com/CS3MasterPage.html

Okay, so I don't have much to add that's informative, nor a question, so much as a statement that I had a great afternoon today. Managed to go pound around in the hills today and take a look-see what the deer hunters were up to. Met a rancher and his two sons, and had a real nice visit with them over a cup o' mud and a stale PBJ. Spotted eight or ten Speedius Goatius, otherwise know as 'antelope' or pronghorns, but with deer season six days old, they were spooky as hell, and I had to use 40X on the spotting scope to make out what they were, as they were flat covering some real estate, and I was the only rig in the small valley! Didn't see any Mulies, nor elk, but did take a "Poke 'n Hope" shot at what looked like a real dandy of a badger at around 200 yards with the 5.56mm. S'Okay, as the last one of them that I tried to take with a .22, I had to shoot 18 times before he expired at my feet! Came home, turned on the tube while lunch was warming up in the nuke box, and NetFlix decided that I might like to watch Hatari! Ain't seen that since I was in knee-highs! First thing to jump out were a couple of right hand drive CJ6's, and a couple of FC's with flatbeds trying their darnedest to roll over out in country that looked a LOT like what I'd just rolled in from! As a matter of fact, it was long enough ago that those vehicles could still be purchased new, and some of my neighbors had 'em up in the foothills and out on the desert. If you're up for a decent flick that you won't be embarassed to have your little ones, and even your grand little ones watch, you might wanna check 'er out! Have fun, don't git caught!