'88 GT Convertible - Croatia, Europe

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Tell me, what do U see?
Those were bearings before third teardown with original crank, 300miles in them
 

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Hello guys!

Waiting for contracters to connect water and utilities to stang :-( sad but.. hahaha

Really, I am affraid to drive.
Dissapointed with determination in basement I wait for... dunno what.
As allready said, some guys in USA can't kill that 302 making burnouts at 6000rpm and I had it three times apart just to loose oil pressure after rebuild... where is the luck, justice, force, God or whatever You want to call it???

Now with 5w40 semi + Liqui moly MOS2, I have 40psi when I touch accelerator, but like 15psi on hot idle.
Oil pressure still raises with RPM I can see that in drive, but at idle it drops.
No sounds except maybe a little louder rockers, but in this mental stage I am not subjective person to talk about resonable sounds. I hear more then I should.

As I'm thinking about it, it must be some hairline crack in block. I loose pressure with hot engine and oil. If block is cracked paralel with oiling channel, it wide opens when hot and loss of pressure occurs.

Or is it a leaky hyd. lifter? Allhtru they are new, is there a chance that 1 or 2 pcs are throwing out oil unrestricted?
I saw two of them squirting oil at priming engine on stand, but I ignored thinking oil pump pulled air (there were only 2qt for priming inside at the time)

I checked assembly pictures for 10 times, and can't find a problem. Only thing I saw as a potential suspect is rear gallery oil plug (under intake) PUNCHED IN MORE THAN FACTORY ONE WAS. But if I am right, that one would affect only lifters...

So as I think, I have half an engine brand new, so I pinpoint really only options left after researching pictures of assembly, parts and possible failures:
a) hydraulic lifters
b) rear lifter galley oil plug under intake punched in too deep and restricting flow
c) cracked block


Any of You guys willing to help and sell and ship a long or short block to Europe?
Where I could buy for example reproduced/renewed shortblock with shipping to Europe?

Thnx!
 
I screenshot pictures of rear plug before (with powertape) and after (new with blue gasket)

Also I see overflow tank 1/2" coolant drop per 20-30miles drive. No oil in coolant nor coolant on oil visible....
 

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One more time then, put a high volume oil pump in it
Or you could put a washer or two under the spring in your pump.
That will tighten the oil pressure relief spring, and increase the oil pressure out of your pump
 
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@manicmechanic007 HV pump is a supression of the source problem, ain't it? But in this mental state I may use it...

Cam bearings are 2nd set of new ones, cam is new Melling, journals in middle of spec.

I found an exact foxbody HO engine in Germany. Status unknown but has compression and is turning... Tempted to buy a spare for approx 1500 bucks :-(
 
I know your cam bearings are new
I am concerned about the actual clearance (means painstaking inside and outside mikes on the cam and bearings)
I thought you had measured the cam journals once and found one or two undersized?
The HV pump is always a good idea regardless of bearing clearance
My Boss 302 is set up loose (to run) and my HV pump keeps up
You have to go back to the fifties? To see a file photo of a technician with the oil pan off and pressurizing the crank
They would watch it leak oil out the rods, mains and cam journals and see just how much oil was leaking at a certain pressure
Nobody does that anymore and the test equipment is long gone
Good luck
!5 psi is below spec but real common
I'd run the hell out of it (you deserve it)
 
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@General karthief no V8 explorers here, 4.0 V6 mostly...but I am working to buy 302HO engine. Apparently it turns and has compression...pic attached.

@manicmechanic007 thnx! I also stabbed new camshaft at rebuild due to those two journals being suspicious...
And THAT really hurts : Everything that was making me look twice I changed and still no go... What was ment to be an easy rebuild become a nightmare....
Therefore if I get that (attached) engine I will simply just re-ring, change bearings and run it.
 

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( joking) - Have you thought about locally available engine swaps? I have a friend who is into racing Yugo’s. One of those engines should have plenty of room in the Mustang.

Seriously, this is not an air cooled Porsche engine with too many pieces. I’m sure you’ll find what the oversight was.
 
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( joking) - Have you thought about locally available engine swaps? I have a friend who is into racing Yugo’s. One of those engines should have plenty of room in the Mustang.

Seriously, this is not an air cooled Porsche engine with too many pieces. I’m sure you’ll find what the oversight was.
Well, I did, really. But ship me a 302, I will ship You two Yugo's and do a swap and race. I am sire it will be a race to hell hahahaha :)
You could also fit and use second Yugo's engine in booth, like for a boost

As time goes by, I am pretty sure it will be something so simple and stupid that we will laugh, it is almost a rule for mystery problems in general.
 
Okay fellas... as I wait for a spare engine I started to drive without mental brake :)

Went to meeting 60 miles away, and even joined 1/16th mile race. Lost by hair to C3 Stinger 5.7 :), started to catch up bu track was too short hahaha

Oil pressure like stabilized on 20psi hot idle with 5w40 and bottle od MOS additive.... Possible?
 

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Backup arrived.
I still need to identify engine (by casting numbers I suppose) as I don't know where or wrom what it comes from.
It was a manual, flywheel is still there :)
 

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Everything there looks correct for an 87-93 Mustang engine. Has an underdrive crank pulley on it
Yeah, looks also to me... pretty close call it came from Foxbody. Gray painted upper intake would make it younger than '88 (I guess).

I forgot how filthy and dirty they are in reality , mine is still like new.
Oh, if it is consistent I will see engine age on valve cover decal which I saw after posting picture :)

Don't know if it was a runner. Let's just hope that internally everything is fine and will require simple rebearing and re-ring job....