Reinz says to install the gaskets as directed. There were no directions. But okay.

 

Taking a break.

Almost there. Crane is off and I'm back to my normal ride height

Thank goodness for all of those strange harbor freight articulating socket wrenches and bends and whatever else. This is the first time I have used all of the transmission bolts.

I got tired and used the four short bolts on top (thinking I would do the hard part first) only to have to remove them and replace with long bolts. That was a low moment.

High moment was putting the coils on outside the truck and not having to deal with them at the back of the engine (hooked up and positioned before installing motor mounts). That was a time and hand saver. I left the plug wires on them and double checked their position with the rave, but when he wires stay on the coils (for a swap) and exit the correct side they obviously lay out in correct order by length. Hooking up the spark plugs was then super easy. The coils have always been a PITA for me so this is the way I will do them in any future swaps (put on before dropping the engine in... Get in position with bottom bolts loosely on before installing motor mounts).

When I realized that I had installed the AC compressor but not the power steering pump on their bracket I decided I was just too tired to continue.

Should be putting in fluids in an hour or so (more like 2 at my slow pace) tomorrow.

Edit: It is tomorrow. I am tracking my time. I spent about 5 hours yesterday and have about 2 to go. I wasted 30 minutes or more looking for a bolt that I thought had dropped in the intake (it was nestled in an impossible location on top of the bell housing, of course... Got it with a magnet). If I had ANY help I'd hope I'd be done by now. My longest chore now is finding or replacing one pulley bolt I can't find. There's always one...

 

An unforcasted rain shower that was invisible to radar has slowed me down a tiny bit this morning and probably ruined my rave manual but all I lack is the exhaust and fluids. I am sort of frightened to start it up after my recent experiences so I'm going a little slow, and slowing still. The only thing that keeps me going is that I am so dirty I can't go in the house.

I couldn't find one of my water pump pulley bolts so I went to the store and they are m8x20mm 1.25 pitch, for posterity. I added a washer and they came out perfect. Sadly one of the holes decided to go crazy on the thread. The new bolts are flat on the end and I didn't bother to grind a cone on them, so I had to run a bolt in from the back to straighten it out, all while the whole thing spins. If you are familiar with the water pump and consider the overhang cause by my ARB bumper and are over 20 years old, you'll know how my back feels right now.

Next report will be post start.

 

I take ibuprofen for my back before I start and project that requires a lot of bending over it works great for me.
If I forget to to take it before and take it after my back is sore the next day, if I forget completely I can't get out of bed the next day!

 

That's good advice.

First start up was vexing. I'm seeing several misfires, though it runs. And the oil light is on (though I need to check the wire to it and am pretty sure that's the issue).

I re used my coils, plugs, and wires just to be sure I didn't grab something bad out of my junk yard. I left the coil end of the wires plugged in and before I put the coil back on I used the rave and checked to be sure that the length of wire designated the right cylinder. For instance, that the shortest wire on the driver side went to the #7 position on the coil, the longest went to #1, etc. But I've definitely got something out of wack so I am going to recheck everything. The coils got rained on briefly today but everything had hours to dry off before I put them on. I'm going to recheck everything and see what I find.

 

Did you pack your oil pump with assembly lube or vaseline before start up?

I wouldn't think the rain would matter, but it might.

 

I woke up at 3am and had a terrible thought. I couldn't remember doing the final torque on the main caps.

This Rover has become a science experiment so I tossed and turned until about 5 then waited for the sun to came up and took the oil pan off. I had a terrible feeling that the bearings weren't tight and had spun. So, I pulled the oil pan and the pickup tube (had a little non metallic trash in it but nothing to keep it from working... And cleaned it again. I then put a torque wrench on the caps and they were all tight. The cylinder walls are oily. The piston bottoms have oil on them. Looks good. Then, in isolation, I had the idea that the bearings had spun and we're wedged against the caps, making them tight.

I pulled a cap. #2 is the easiest to pull. Bearing is perfect. Not spun, not scratched. Alot of work but worth it for peace of mind. Putting it back in now. If they were loose they were all loose, so I am satisfied with checking one.

I did pack the oil pump but with engine lube not Vaseline. I can still see it in front of the timing chain. That makes me think that the oil pump is not pulling oil. It should be washed away from even a very short run. But when I removed the pickup tube.... Meaning the moment it came out of its hole.... Oil poured out of it. That's tells me that there is suction between the oil pump and the pickup tube and that the oil pump pulled oil.

Before I put the pan back on I'm going to spin off the filter and make sure it is full.

Then the front cover will have to come off to check the gears and swap the sensor or go to harbor freight to get an oil pressure gauge. Our sending unit it is a bad spot!

I haven't addressed the coils, plugs, maf misfires yet.

And it looks like rain hahahahaha. This engine is cursed! I am cursed! I need an intervention!

Suggestions? Anything. I'm up for ANYTHING.

 

Chill and don't remove front cvr unless no OP confirmed. Thought you suspected wire off of sensor?
......

 

I did. It was in but I haven't traced the wire. I really thought I'd failed to tighten the caps.. All of that is back together.

I've also confirmed that the oil filter is full of oil by backing it off a tiny bit to see oil come out and tapping on it. It sounds full.

The reason I was going to take the front cover off next is that I have to have the oil pan off to remove it and the oil pan is already off due to my main bearing paranoia. Replacing the oil sensor with the cover on is super hard.

I should add that I turned the crank quite a bit before starting it and there was a considerable amount of non combustion turning before the gas reached the engine after the swap. That should prime the oil I think. Maybe not.

A little lost here...

 

Well just looking at how the oil flows I can't see how the pressure could be low. Pan to pickup tube to filter to crank and internals; everything has fresh oil in and on it. I'm going to replace the oil pan and pull the connector to the fuel pump and crank it some. As a last resort I'll pull the upper intake and check the driver side rockers. If they have oil it has to be my newish oil sender and I can move on to something else.

I double checked the middle main caps and bearings. All good. This was very time consuming. At least now I know I could change the bearings without removing the engine but I sure wouldn't want to...