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1968 T Bird engine ?
Radar
Member Posts: 2,312 ✭✭✭
My wifes Dad gave us a 1968 T Bird that has been stored in one of his garages for about 30 years,he bought it new and still has the sales invoice it has not been started for about 20 years. The engine is not frozen but I don't want to turn it over much or try to start it until I get some lube in the cylinders for the rings so I will pull the plugs and put some lube in for a couple weeks then try. What would you use for a lube,Trans fluid,marvels,engine oil,diesel or ? It is in great original condition with only 42,000 miles and has been covered for 20 years,even the paint has shine to it. I know the old 429 will need all new belts,hoses,ect and the trany will need some work and the fuel tank will need cleaned out,brake system,air cond.system,OH CRAP ! What did I get into ?
Comments
.....and pics.[;)]
http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Freeing_a_stuck_engine
Here too:
http://www.badasscars.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=275/category_id=13/mode=*/prd275.htm
Same with a 68 Vette 427 4 -speed.No trans. heat,no racing..
Only one of the classiest cars made.
I'd use Marvel in the cylinders. Used plenty, more than you think necessary and then turn the crank over with a ratchet. Just a couple revolutions will do.
That engine should be the Thunderjet. Check the head casting number to be sure. You'll be looking for a C8AVC8VE-A or E.
got the number wrong
I thought the 429 was a HEMI design
That was only the Boss 429. Most 429s were wedges.
Hello are you sure it is a 429 Not a 427 or 428 .
Ford dropped the FE engine and went to the 385 series for 1968 in the T-Birds.
The Thunderbirds got 429's while Lincoln went to the 460.
Did they put the 429 in the 4 door?
Brad Steele
What'd ya get into?
Only one of the classiest cars made.
I'd use Marvel in the cylinders. Used plenty, more than you think necessary and then turn the crank over with a ratchet. Just a couple revolutions will do.
That engine should be the Thunderjet. Check the head casting number to be sure. You'll be looking for a C8AV-A or E.
U sure that it wasn't a "Cobra Jet"? I remember guys looking at it and calling it a Cobra Jet.(while slobbering)
Yep... Cobra Jet.. Google is my friend.
quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
Hello are you sure it is a 429 Not a 427 or 428 .
Ford dropped the FE engine and went to the 385 series for 1968 in the T-Birds.
The Thunderbirds got 429's while Lincoln went to the 460.
+1
They were wedge heads too rated at 360hp(for insurance purposes)
Radar is it a 2 or 4 door? The 5th gen T-birds are very good looking cars. My Dad had a 1970 2 door and thought is was one of the best looking cars going.
http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird1968specifications.html
....Turning radius---42 feet !!! About the same as the Queen Mary II.
[:0]
Yes its the 4 door ( suicide ) I will get pictures as soon as I get it home.This is the first car my wife ever drove. Have to put tires on it to roll it out of the garage.It has the studded snow tires on the back so they go back to the days when you had a set of tires for the summer and a set for the winter.
With that car and engine, you may want to consider continuing the tradition if you plan to drive it during the winter.
Brad Steele
quote:Originally posted by asphalt cowboy
What'd ya get into?
Only one of the classiest cars made.
I'd use Marvel in the cylinders. Used plenty, more than you think necessary and then turn the crank over with a ratchet. Just a couple revolutions will do.
That engine should be the Thunderjet. Check the head casting number to be sure. You'll be looking for a C8AV-A or E.
U sure that it wasn't a "Cobra Jet"? I remember guys looking at it and calling it a Cobra Jet.(while slobbering)
Yep... Cobra Jet.. Google is my friend.
The CJ/SCJ came out in '70-71. Head casting would be a D0XX-X or D1XX-X.
They were named the ThunderJet due to being installed in Thunderbirds.
My wifes Dad gave us a 1968 T Bird that has been stored in one of his garages for about 30 years,he bought it new and still has the sales invoice it has not been started for about 20 years. The engine is not frozen but I don't want to turn it over much or try to start it until I get some lube in the cylinders for the rings so I will pull the plugs and put some lube in for a couple weeks then try. What would you use for a lube,Trans fluid,marvels,engine oil,diesel or ? It is in great original condition with only 42,000 miles and has been covered for 20 years,even the paint has shine to it. I know the old 429 will need all new belts,hoses,ect and the trany will need some work and the fuel tank will need cleaned out,brake system,air cond.system,OH CRAP ! What did I get into ?
For boats they make an aerosol can spray fogger, you can spray that in there, or Sea Foam has a spray lube / cleaner, that might be good to loosen up any corrosion.
For boats they make an aerosol can spray fogger, you can spray that in there, or Sea Foam has a spray lube / cleaner, that might be good to loosen up any corrosion.
It is a good sized, car, but the 'boat' phase of the T-bird came a few years later.
Brad Steele
With the suicide rear doors, this is one car where the 4 door is about as cool as the 2 door.
Did they put the 429 in the 4 door?
Yepper, only engine available in that generation Thunderbird.
IIRC it wasn't until '72 that you had a choice of two engines. The 429 and 460.
I think it's the camshaft you have to worry about. It's the highest metal-to-metal pressure in the engine. The oil that it would be wet with at startup has dripped off long ago. I guess it would probably do to turn the engine over by hand to get the oil pump running.
Marvel works fine. Be careful and pull the plugs to reduce the compression. Turn it over by hand. Always after getting it loose, change the oil , then try and start it.
This would be the guy I trust the most as far as old cars. Gary seems to know about them[;)] My friend had the 429 in his shelby, if I remember correctly. I cannot be positive as I am NOT a car guy. I just kinda remember it being a Boss 429, yellow with a black stripe. He totaled it in an ice storm. Damn Oak tree wouldn't get out of his way[V][V][V][V][V][V]
The car also was a 2-door hard top convertible, with NO port holes.
Radar; Is your car a convertible or strait hard-top? Does it have port holes? (I think 68 was the only year U could get the convert. hard top without port-holes.)
I was only 17 and what I was worried about was getting the trans. hot enough to shift it fast.I hated loosing money to guys that knew that,and I didn't..[:(!]
And yes,the 427 split window Vette was much faster than the Ford.[:p]
Why use Marvel and not ordinary lubricating engine oil? That's the job it's meant to do and it's just going to go out the exhaust when you turn the engine over.
I think it's the camshaft you have to worry about. It's the highest metal-to-metal pressure in the engine. The oil that it would be wet with at startup has dripped off long ago. I guess it would probably do to turn the engine over by hand to get the oil pump running.
Spot on.
Regular oil is fine.
Change oil in crankcase. Change the fule filter between the fuel pump and the carb.
Pull the plugs turn it over by hand in the direction the engine normally turns.
Pull the distributor and get an oil pump priming tool. Hook it to a drill and slide it down the hole where the distributor came out. Spin the oil pump for about 45 sec to oil the internals.
Put everything back and try to crank it. If the gas tank has bad gas in it, pull the hose on the supply side of the fuel pump and put it in a clean gas can.
look at the link in my 1st post it tells you exactly what to do. If you want to use some fancy oil that is fine but if the engine will turn there really is no need to use anything but 10w-30 motor oil.
Once you get it running you may hear some knocks but that is because the engine wants leaded gas.
it has to start working that valve train. I'd change the oil again
after it has run for a couple of hours, and then again in a week or so
just to get all the crusties out of it.[;)]
Dump all fluids, replace, then make or buy as Mobuck says a devise to get pressurized oil to all areas of the engine.
I use an old distributer, take off the camshaft drive gear, reinstall into engine and use the oil pump in the engine to pressurize the oil system.
Zinc and Lead additives a must in the oil and fuel systems.
The 60,s 70,s Ford Thunderbirds are in my opinion very unique and cool cars.
My Father had owned several with 429s, a great car to learn how to drive.[8D]
Zinc and Lead additives a must in the oil and fuel systems.
Running synthetic oil or conventional oil with a diesel classification will eliminate the need for a zinc additive. Better yet would be a synthetic with a diesel classification, such as Chevron Delo 400 5W-40.
'The CJ/SCJ came out in '70-71. Head casting would be a D0XX-X or D1XX-X. They were named the ThunderJet due to being installed in Thunderbirds.'
Unless you are referring to the Thunder-Chicken only that isn't exactly accurate.
The Ford 428 FE engines were being used in both Mustangs & T-birds in 1967, when Tasca Ford learned that putting the 427 heads onto a 428 Police Interceptor made for a screamer.
They talked Ford into doing this, and Ford started putting these engines in their cars in Mid-68, calling them Cobra Jets & Super Cobra Jets.
There was not HP gain from having an SCJ. It just had stronger made guts, Crank, Rods & Four Bolt Main.
The only visual way of knowing if a T-Bird, Mustang, or Cougar had an SCJ 428 in it in mid-68 was looking at the rear end. All SCJ cars came with Detroit Locker rear ends.
My 1968 GTKR500 Shelby had a CJ-428 in it, as did all GTKR500 Shelby's for 1968. I had a 70 Cougar Eliminator that had the SCJ-428 in it, and unless you knew how to read the VIN# the rear end was the only way to tell it wasn't a Plane Jane CJ.
Trinity +++