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oil for 2.8?

J

jzuk7

Donation Time
I just reassembled my 2.8. What type of engine oil should I use?

Second, what oil filter should I use? I assume a filter for a ranger or bronco II, but I want to make sure the filter will fit in the engine bay.

Third, I would like to pressurize the oil system. What can I use to connect my drill to the oil pump drive shaft?


Thanks,

Joel
 
V

V6 JOSE

Donation Time
jzuk7 said:
I just reassembled my 2.8. What type of engine oil should I use?

Second, what oil filter should I use? I assume a filter for a ranger or bronco II, but I want to make sure the filter will fit in the engine bay.

Third, I would like to pressurize the oil system. What can I use to connect my drill to the oil pump drive shaft?


Thanks,

Joel
Click to expand...
Hi Joel,

I recommend using a good quality 10/40 oil, (straight 30W is also OK) not one of the ones advertised for gas mileage. Some of the guys on this board are more up to date on the latest oils, so you might want to ask them which brand. I personally, run the engine for about the first twenty minutes, then change the oil and filter. I then run it for another 100 miles, and change oil and filter again. After these first two oilchanges, I run it for 2,000 miles and change it and filter. I don't like to run more than two thousand miles between oil changes, but that's me. I would recommend not going more than 3,000 miles between changes, period. I use Mobil 1, 20/50 after the break in, about 3,000 miles, but if you want to run parafin based oils, I highly recommend using Kendall 10/40, or 20/50.

Does your engine have the Ranger oil filter adapter on it? The aluminum adapter that you put the filter in from the bottom? If you don't, you will need to run one, or you'll have to use a very short filter in order to clear the frame. I recommend using Purolator filters for the Ranger (PER 1). Fram is a pice of junk, as far as I'm concerned.

To pre-lube your engine, you'll need a 6mm. socket, that isn't any larger on the O.D. than the lower part of the distributor gear. Take a short extension, about 6" long, and put the opposite end into a large drill motor chuck. With the rocker covers off, spin the drill motor till you see oil coming out of the rocker shafts. The drill needs to be turning in a clockwise direction, for the oil pump to work. Try to get a socket that fits tightly onto the extension, so that it won't fall into the engine, when you go to remove the driver. I would also suggest turning the engine over by hand at the same time that you are running the drill motor, so that oil gets to all the rod bearings.

Congratulations on reaching one of the last stages on your conversion journey.

Jose:)
 
J

jzuk7

Donation Time
Jose,

Thanks for information. I have the oil filter adaptor from a bronco II. I was not sure if the filter for the ranger/bronco II would fit within the frame, and a different filter was needed.

I'll try a socket and my drill to turn the pump.

I hope I am overlooking something, but I have not be able to rotate the engine after I set the rod caps and main caps to the specified torque. I don't want to use the crank bolt to turn the engine over, because I fear I will break the bolt. Prior to tightening the rod and main bearings, the engine turned free. I had the crank cleaned and polished by an engine machine shop, and they set me up with correct size bearings. Is there a better way to turn the engine over than using the crank bolt?

All I have left is to cut the tunnel and I'm ready for the kit. Of course I have a few "little" tasks like setting up a clutch slave cylinder, radiator, driveshaft, ect.

Thanks,

Joel
 
V

V6 JOSE

Donation Time
Joel,

When you were assembling the engine, did you turn it over by the bolt? Did the engine turn over rather easily? After each rod is torqued, the assembly should be turned over to see if that rod isn't too tight. I rebuilt a Falcon 200 inch six once. Everything went fine, till I bolted up the last rod. The assembly locked up. I had to disassemble it all over again and return the crank to the guy that had turned it for me. He had to weld up one of the journals so he could save the size, and accidentally turned the welded journal back to stock. I hated to redo the job all over again, but that is what I had to do.

If your engine doesn't turn over relatively easily, I would suggest removing the oil pan and move eavh rod side to side, to assure yourself that you didn't mix up the rod caps, or put one on backwards. These things happen frequently, even to experienced mechanics, so if this has happened, don't feel bad. The other way to turn the crank without using the crank bolt, is to put a couple of flywheel bolts in the end of the crank and use a large screwdriver or pinch bar between them to turn the crank. You will find that there will be more and more drag with each piston you install, because of the new rings.

The Ranger/Bronco II adapter will accept a regular size filter and also clear the frame rail easily; anything else will cause problems.

Jose :)
 
sunbby

sunbby

Past SAOCA President
Donation Time
jzuk7 said:
I hope I am overlooking something, but I have not be able to rotate the engine after I set the rod caps and main caps to the specified torque. I don't want to use the crank bolt to turn the engine over, because I fear I will break the bolt. Prior to tightening the rod and main bearings, the engine turned free. I had the crank cleaned and polished by an engine machine shop, and they set me up with correct size bearings. Is there a better way to turn the engine over than using the crank bolt?
Click to expand...

Don't be offended if this is really obvious, and I've never worked on a Ford engine so...

Back when I knew even less than I do now, during my 1st ever engine rebuild, I didn't realize all of the main caps need to go back in the exact same spot and orientation, since that's the way it was machined. I mixed up some caps and the crank wouldn't turn after I tighted them up. I've since learned there is usually some mark or something indicating where things go (this was on an old BMW 1600 engine and I've since seen it on various motorcycles).

I know, very basic, everyone probably knows this, but I didn't. One of the many lessons I've learned the hard way, taught me to always get the shop manual too, since it pointed this very fact out and had a picture of the main cap markings.
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Joel, the engine should not be that difficult to turn over, so some detective work is definitely in order. Something you need to consider: The crank should not be rotated until all mains are torqued to spec. Until the mains are torqued, the bearing shells are not perfectly round and bearing damage can occur by turning the crank. Likewise, each rod cap needs to be torqued before it gets its trial spin.

If you have to start all over again (not a bad idea, especially if the engine is still on the stand), the crank should spin effortlessly when all mains are torqued and no rods installed.

Bill
 
J

jzuk7

Donation Time
Thanks for the tips. The engine is not in my garage, so I cant look until tomorrow. The rod caps had a number on them, and I put them in order, 1 at the front, 6 at the rear. If I remember correctly, they have an arrow that is supposed to point to the front.

Fortunately it is still on the engine stand, so next chance I get, I will take the oil pan off and try to figure this out. Again, once everything was torqued, I did not use a lot of force to try to turn the engine over, because I dont want to break the crank bolt.

IIRC, I torqued the rods to 25 lbs, and the mains to 65. Does it matter if I torqued the mains or the rods first?

Thanks again,

Joel
 
J

jzuk7

Donation Time
On second thought, i think the mains are numbered and not the rod caps. I'll figure this out tomorrow
 
V

V6 JOSE

Donation Time
jzuk7 said:
On second thought, i think the mains are numbered and not the rod caps. I'll figure this out tomorrow
Click to expand...
Joel,

The rods also have numbers, and they must be be facing in the same direction. In other words, you should be able to see both the rod and cap numbers at the same time. If you don't have them like that, the caps will not align correctly and you will cause the crank to seize. Remember too, that the little oil hole on the rod, must always face to the passenger side of the engine.

Jose :)
 
Jeff Scoville

Jeff Scoville

Donation Time
One of the first Ford motors I rebuilt as a 302 for my wifes MustangII. I purchased the short block from a friend who had gotten all the machine work done and destroyed his Cougar before installing the motor.
Anyhow, sometime between his having all the work done and my getting the motor he had been "looking" at things and swapped all the rod caps.
Needless to say after assy. the motor would not turn over.
This being one of my early efforts, I thought "hey let's try the crank bolt".
The good news is it didn't break the bolt, the bad news, I put soo much force on everything that I even tweaked the cam out of shape!
ALL the new bearings went in the garbage, entire short block to the race shop.
All rods had to be re-sized and the crank polished, everything re-balanced, cam straightened. By this point I just let them reassemble the whole thing.
Shifted that motor @7000 rpm, what a runner!

Point is, you have without a dought gotten something installed incorrectly and before you do any further damage, do yourself a BIG money SAVING favor and bring your rods and crank to a machine shop and have everything gone over.
That thing should spin VERY easily, being just the rotating assy.
At this point don't even try to figure out what or why is wrong, just know that the only way your going to get it right is to start over.
If the shop is patient and careful, they may be able to re-match up the rods and caps, and maybe even save your bearings if you haven't tried too hard with the turning.
Trying not to preach but believe me, your lucky it won't turn at all, rather than maybe hard. If you had gotten it running with maybe a couple tight bearings, you would be re-doing a whole lot more than just rods and crank!
 
J

jzuk7

Donation Time
problem solved

On looking at the rod caps, I had placed a few of the caps on the wrong rod:eek: . After making the changes, and re-torque the caps, the engine spins free :) .

I knew it had to be something stupid.
 
J

jzuk7

Donation Time
I was also able to hook my drill up to the oil pump, which it works. How much oil does the 2.8 take? I put 4 quarts in. I have a Mustang II dipstick, with the ranger oil pan, so will it show the correct level?

Again, thanks to all for the help!

Joel
 
Jim E

Jim E

Donation Time
Pretty sure it is 5 quarts, on my car with 5 in it it reads a quart low. Not sure what dip stick I have but it is a Bronco engine.
 
V

V6 JOSE

Donation Time
The best way to find out what the oil capacity is, is go to the auto parts store and ask them. They have all the capacities (oil, Water, transmission grease, etc.) of most cars. I don't think it takes more than 5 quarts, in fact, I seem to remember something like 4.5 quarts, but I wouldn't swear to it. I wouldn't put more than the five though. You don't want the crank to be hitting the oil all the time. it not only will froth it, but you draw horse power when the crank hits the oil.

Once you find out what the capacity is, I would put that much oil in and mark the dip stick accordingly.

Jose :)
 
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