Need serious help

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Dave Haertel

New Member
Just some quick back story. Bought a 98 automatic with a head gasket and water pump issue for my daughter. The teardown went well with the exception of my not marking and separating and all in all organizing the bolts I took off. Life intervened and several months later, I have a pile of parts, with no idea. So, question 1, does anyone have a service tech level manual for this engine that would show reassembly? Question 2, does anyone know of an organized fastener kit for the pieces for the accessories, including A/C? Question 3, if this ends up being too much to complete, what's a fair price if I take it somewhere with the parts and ask for it to be put back together at a shop.

Status now is; heads have been milled and stock valve job done by a machine shop, block mating surface was cleaned, heads are on and torqued down with new head bolts and new head gasket, rocker assemblies, and pushrods are all in place and torqued down. At this point, it needs manifold, throttle body, water pump, and front accessories to be installed.

Any help would be welcome here at this point.
 
fasterthanyou

fasterthanyou

Active Member
I've had customers with this exact same scenario. You're going to fork over quite a bit of cash for whichever shop you bring it to to un-fudge what you fudged.

By the way, check YouTube. I just typed "3.8l mustang head gasket replacement" and somebody uploaded a multi-part series of videos on how to replace head gaskets. Good luck man, sounds like you're gonna need it!
 
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Dave Haertel

New Member
fasterthanyou said:
I've had customers with this exact same scenario. You're going to fork over quite a bit of cash for whichever shop you bring it to to un-fudge what you fudged.

By the way, check YouTube. I just typed "3.8l mustang head gasket replacement" and somebody uploaded a multi-part series of videos on how to replace head gaskets. Good luck man, sounds like you're gonna need it!
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Thanks, the heads and the head gaskets are all on and torqued, as are the rockers and pushrods. It's literally just the manifold/throttle body on the top and then the accessories on the front. I've been looking through YouTube like mad and have seen some things similar and some different so it's probably going to be trial and error. I was really hoping to find an actual service manual, since the Haynes manual isn't enough for me to get it all.
 
6 Shooter

6 Shooter

Well-Known Member
Suggest you do one thing at a time. Start with the timing cover. See photos from a 2000 motor attached below. Notice in detail the bolts, the sizes, lengths and nuts on the cover. Same on the second photo with the oil pump bolts. Also notice their locations.


 
Pete fender

Pete fender

Pete Fender
Ahh, sir, one more thing, as Frank Colombo would say....
It's the larger accessory drive bolts that get confusing the first time. You can't see some of them, some times.
Find a video on how to change the timing chain, and note how the accessory section (Alternator and power steering pump and brackets.) section is disassembled, and it should become more clear.
I have changed complete assemblies on the job, and can almost rebuild any Crown Victoria or mustang blind folded.
With experience come knowledge!
 
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snyderbj

New Member
Dave, I bought a Chilton Manual from AutoZone. You can do this. The bolt locations and torque specs are in the book. You need to convey inch pounds to foot pounds for the throttle body, and Plennum, but the A/C compressor is Foot Pounds to torque. Good Luck.
 
douglass

douglass

Active Member
Dave, where did you get all the torque info for the head bolts, and rocker assemblys? I do have a factory Ford service manual for a 98 Mustang, and have torn down my v6 more times than I would like to admit. I'm sure we can get you on track for assembly.

Did you remove the timing cover or just the water pump?



Douglass
 
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Dave Haertel

New Member
Thanks so much for the responses, I'll try and fill in the gaps.

Douglass: The torque specs were from an internet search for stock head torque specs 98 mustang v6. I remember even that was difficult to find. Where did you find the service manual if you don't mind? I'd love to purchase one if I can get one.

Snyderbj: I'll recheck the Chiltons, I don't remember seeing the actual assembly sections for them but if you remember them being there it's worth looking at it again.

6 shooter: I only purchased the water pump but it hasn't been installed yet so I can do the timing cover and the timing chain if that's worth doing at this time. Actually, just those pictures do help a lot. I'm not sure about if I can match up the studs and bolts perfectly but that's definitely much more information than I currently have on them and trial and error might get me where I need to be. I do remember that the bracket that housed the driver's side accessories was quite a pain in the ass to get out, I remember not seeing at least 1 bolt, possibly a second one and literally had to stick my head down in the cavity to see the one bolt.

It's funny but I broke one of the timing housing studs off and it literally took me days to get it out, so I knew I would need to get one and I was at one time looking for the whole timing assembly just for that one stud, so that's probably the way to go.

I'll jump back on to YouTube and see if I can get closer with this. Many thanks for the responses, in only a couple of days, I'm already feeling at least more hopeful than I have in the past couple of months.
 
douglass

douglass

Active Member
I picked up the service manual from Ebay. I'll try to post some pictures up tonight. Are you just in need of specs and sequence, or do you also need to know where the bolts go?

To confirm on your head bolt torque. Did you do a three stage torque sequence followed by loosening one bolt at a time, torque to spec, then tighten 180 degrees in sequence?
 
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Dave Haertel

New Member
douglass said:
I picked up the service manual from Ebay. I'll try to post some pictures up tonight. Are you just in need of specs and sequence, or do you also need to know where the bolts go?

To confirm on your head bolt torque. Did you do a three-stage torque sequence followed by loosening one bolt at a time, torque to spec, then tighten 180 degrees in sequence?
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Thanks for those pictures. I'm needing to match the bolts with the right parts/brackets. The intake is the one that concerns me the most, I am 2 bolts short on the intake manifold (can't identify 2 of them, but I seem to recall that 2 may have been studs for the plenum/TB to sit down on, and am not sure which studs those would be or where they go.

As for the three-stage torque on the heads, I did but I didn't have the appropriate degree gauge so the 180 at the end was eyeballed.
 
douglass

douglass

Active Member
Two intake bolts will have treads on both ends. Are you able to take pictures of the bolts in question? I have an engine out of the car that I can help reference with.
 
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Dave Haertel

New Member
douglass said:
Two intake bolts will have treads on both ends. Are you able to take pictures of the bolts in question? I have an engine out of the car that I can help reference with.
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I'll take some pics when I get home for sure and upload them as soon as I can this evening.
 
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