LOCKED UP Ford 351W 5.8L V8 Engine Teardown. How Bad Could It Be? 

"It was on a shelf for 17 years" What they didn't say was it was the continental shelf.

Last year, I was in Oklahoma and bought a 1984 F150 4x4 with a locked up 300ci. I trailered it home and rebuilt the motor. It's my daily driver now.

Not a single water pump bolt broke!? Buy a lottery ticket immediately!!

I have a 1986 f150 show truck all original 5200 miles on it. We made those 351's in Windsor Engine Plant 1. The 302 was made in Windsor Engine Plant 2 back in the 80's. We used to pour our own blocks and cranks back then at Windsor Casting Plant. I remember we used to hot test (start) them on chains back then. Also that is the original colour we painted the engines with grey not blue. THANK YOU for sharing this teardown, it brings back a ton of good memories Eric.👍

I was fighting lug nuts on a project car I've been working on. Someone had stripped 3 of the 6 lug nuts on the drivers front wheel. I thought to myself, "What would Eric do?". 20mm deep socket took the other lug nuts off so I went and grabbed a 19mm deep socket and hammered it on the lug nuts....came right off.

"Dont throw that away! You never know when you'll need that." Said every hoarder ever.

I am absolutely useless with my hands and couldn't wrench if my life depended on it, but I watch a new video from you every Saturday night. Religiously. Love this content.

I could see an engine sitting for 17 years in a humid, un-conditioned shop collecting that moisture and water. 17 years of cold damp mornings with water condensing on the block and cylinder walls.

Your pre-teardown soliloquy can be summed up as follows: “take a giant engine, detune it until it barely runs and it will barely run forever”.

I worked on the line at the Windsor plant for 6 months in 1973(and 6 months prior to that in the foundry) to make money for school. My main job was to put 4 nuts on the rod caps then torque them down 2 at a time.

I am ready for my Saturday night episode of "Man Vs. Dipstick Tube: The Eternal Struggle."

"That was a mistake. Let's do it again." This is why I love this channel.

After seeing that induction tool work, I went to Amazon and bought one. You haven't lived until you've torn down and rebuilt a marine engine with raw water cooling that was used in salt water. Almost every fastener needed a hot wrench to remove.

I enjoy the respect you give each engine disassembly, regardless of age or condition.

There is an old retired man from Ford assembly line that made that thing going "Oh!, Damn!"...

My first engine I rebuilt was a 302 out of my 93 F-150. They're great trucks and great engines.

That's actually pretty incredible that you got those water pump bolts out

I think that was a record for the word “penetrator”! Lol!! Great job, Eric! Love the Saturday night tear downs!

Still daily my 1994 F150. No rust on the frame, despite living in PA, because every winter I get underneath it with a paint brush and a gallon of bar and chain oil.

Perfect timing! I'm right in the middle of helping a friend rebuild the 351W in his Bronco. If everything continues going according to plan, it should be back together and running better than ever by the end of next week😃

I had a 96 e150 van with that engine . Sold it at 250000 miles still running strong . It got oil changes every 5k miles . Saw it a year ago still running with over 300k.

Man I bought my first car, a 66 VW for $50 from a Vietnam helicopter pilot in the 70s. I've done so much in the 50 years since and many of the now priceless cars I've owned are in museums today. I love your attitude and the way you go about things. You say things I've said myself. It's just fun. Anyway, keep doing what you're doing and I'll keep watching. Will I learn anything? Who knows, but hey it seems like an adventure.

I sold my 1996 e250 van with 5.8 back in 2012. Had 250 k miles, ran like new, no oil leaks, no oil consumption. Replaced it with Chevy Express 3500 with 6.0l . It had so many problems and my old Ford e250 was bulletproof.

The stuff that came out of the pan looks like somebody fed it Taco Bell.

Remember the quote from Bojack Horsemen at 2:09. "When looking at things through rose colored glasses, red flags just look like flags"

Thats crazy. I was wondering earlier today when he's going to tear down a 351. There's still a ton of them at salvage yards. Awesome!

Luckily here in the south, you can still buy those OBS Ford trucks because trucks wear out, not rot out.

Here's an idea! Treat the remaining stuck cylinders with different compounds like motor oil, Marvel, trans fluid, etc for a couple weeks and then give them a go with an air hammer and report as to what fluid seems to break things up the best!

My 1992 5.8 Flareside extended cab is still going strong with 195k, no oil leaks, coolant leaks are prevalent as I replace hoses when needed. It's still my daily driver though, and has been for over a decade.

I currently own a 1997 F250HD with a 351 and a ZF5, and it's also 4x4. This is the 7th obs I've owned and by far the best. I managed to break the 2 outer most water pump bolts off in the block and it still seals with the rest of them in place. 😅 I plan on restoring the truck.

I had a friend who restored veteran cars. He'd have thought this was great and would have cleaned and repaired every single part. I remember a FIAT engine (Pre 1920 4cyl) from Brazil , it was rusted through on one side. He cast in new metal!! It was like brand new about two years later! An amazingly patient and skilled man, unfortunately gone now. Sadly missed.

I love looking forward to Saturday night for these vids! God bless!

0:28 All of those gas engines go straight back to the 1960s. The OBS was the end of the line for them. The longblock on your stand is a 1960s design with some 1990s set dressing haphazardly duct taped to the intake manifold.

It's crazy that you picked today to tear down a SBF, I actually spent my afternoon taking apart a 331 (ran when pulled, lots of metal in the oil).

Induction heaters are VERY handy.

I’m watching while sitting in my 19ft travel trailer that I have lived in for the last couple years. I tow it with my 2005 F150 that I bought new with 25 miles. It now has 340,000 miles and the 5.4 has been awesome. I did have to rebuild my transmission at 295,000 though. Damn Fords! 😐

Rust and crust enough to keep any acid bath happy for a week. Even then, there is no guarantee that the cam will give up its embrace with the block. That was a lot of work. But thanks for doing it.

Awesome thanks for breaking up my Saturday night boredom

Outstanding video. My Nephew has a towing company and he has been sitting on a ford mustang for over five years and it's wrecked really bad and I'm going to show him this video. I've been trying to get him to scrap it but he see dollar signs. I'm going up at the end of April to help out. If you don't mind I'll try and send a picture.

Thanks for the Saturday night entertainment Eric. Love seeing some of these older V-8s. My brother used to have a ski boat with a 351W, though it was older than this one, as the boat was an 86. Keep the great content coming.

One thing that made these engines so low powered is that they used the same small valve E7 heads that the Mustang used. They had lots of potential though.

_E7TE Heads Aren't Worth Much?!!_ . . if you say so. Anyway, I have a story for you regarding Ford transmissions. I won a scholarship from FoMoCo in the mid eighties to go thru Fords A.S.S.E.T. program (now called FAST) and I traveled to N.E. Ohio to attend. As an apprentice at an approved dealership I was often tasked with the job of parts runner. The shop truck was a 1980 F-150 with a 300-six and automatic tranny. In 1986 the truck already had over 700,000 miles on it. The engine was original and I got R&R it's seventh transmission.

I had a 5.8 in my 96 E350. Did a F250 4WD conversion and installed a 410W and lifted it back in 2015.

This is more an archeological exploration than a tear down!

When I was in college in 1986 and 1987, during the summers I worked for Dave Thomas Landscaping in Trenton, Mish-Gin. We had an '81 F150 stake bed truck with a 351 Windsor and a two barrel carb. 4 speeds on the floor, the truck had about 150 hp? Well, it was heavy and towed a trailer full of walk behind mowers around like it wasn't back there, but when we took it up I-75 into Detroit, I only did about 60 mph. I was scared to go any faster with this thing.... [We drove through a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit going to Connors Creek power plant; We used to roll up the windows and drive through stops signs in that neighborhood, and we were four big guys in a big truck with a lot of weapons handy, that neighborhood was BAD! And during my time working there, we only found one dead body festering in the long grass that we had to mow....] I've never understood the difference between 351 Windsors and 351 Clevelands, other than the Windsors were cast in Windsor, Canuckistan, while the other is built in that inferior state to the south with a loser football team named after an inedible nut. Why would you have two V8 engines of the same displacement that are not interchangeable, sold at about the same time? Someone got their cock sucked in order to make this one happen, and the Ford family members are famous for being utter and complete DRUNKS (good lord Benson Ford~!) and Edsel Ford III, who weighed 360 pounds when he was 10 years old, all in the Detroit area. Some slimy combination of the two must have happened. Anyway, Great video!

Babe wake up, Eric posted a new teardown video

This is what I've been waiting for, fantastic! I have the 1995 5.0 Flairside. 167,000 miles going strong still.

Looking at water pouring out to the oil pan drain plug, reminded me of my 67 Mustang 460. Last year in the spring, it rained so much, humidity was dripping off the oil pan etc big time. So glad I pulled the oil drain plug, as water poured from the pan for like 15-20 sec. I let it drip purge for an hour or so with a space heater under there, and changed the oil and filter. Then hand cycled the engine to get fresh oil up top etc. FYI for you guys in cold wet climates, even garage stored! Thanks for sharing!! My plan is to pull the 460 monster and pop in a 351W stroker (408). Cheers from Motown/Dearborn.

Had 2 of those trucks with that engine. Herer in NY valve covers, oil pans and egr tubes were eaten by rust.

Eric saved my meh Saturday night! Continue the Saturday night drops and keep up the good work!

Big fan of the old school Ford SBF and BBF and of course the 4.9 in-line, but the 4.6L 2V V8 was probably the most long lived Ford motor ever.

Those heads were made at the Cleveland Foundry plant, the markings cast into the head near the valves show that.

Ya here in Buffalo I can't find any older Ford's because rust consumed them all years ago. It's quite amazing because in the early 2000s there were Explorer's and Escape's all over the roads. I don't ever see any from this era on the roads today 😢. The AWD escape my dad had was a blast drifting in the snow. No nanny's and they weren't top heavy like other SUV's. To this day, it's one of the most fun winter vehicles I ever drove.

I think the line in the sand comment matches the cam gear flood line, must have spent some time stored on it's side outside?

When this was pulled out, it was a 10/11 yr old truck with 200k. Probably rusted out, just like current 10 yr old 200k mile trucks. My 1988 with that 5.8L was a gem. The engine drug the rotten skeleton that surrounded it for a few years through trade school.

i found this video at the perfect time for my morning coffee

Wiring harness removal ASMR!

Had a 351 in my 91 Crown Vic P71 Once I replaced the 2VV with a 2bbl Holley. Ran great !😊

It has been a long time between good dip stick tube battles. Old school Ford did not disappoint.

Must be Saturday. My favorite way to spend a evening

Back in 1977, I knocked a 1200 VW engine apart with that much rust. The cylinders were badly pittled but one reassembled, it ran pretty well. It was not put on the road. It did serve as a placeholder so cars woudn't have to be pushed. It smoked a little! I used a 2x4 and a small sledge.

holy moly! Those lower intakes are going for $350 on ebay! I have bought a few for $80-120. Make a custom upper for a turbo setup or whatever. Save that damaged harness, the only parts I use are the plugs for injectors and sensors.

I broke two bolts on a Buick 455 water pump many years ago despite penetrating oil and tapping it with small ball peen. I slathered on a heavy coating of Indian Head gasket cement and bolted it back together with the new pump. Amazingly it held and didn’t leak.

Absolute clinic in rusted bolt removal! We're not worthy!!

Thank you Eric!👍

I was down in Daytona last week and the exhaust pipe on my mototcycle came loose so I went to Harbor Freight to get a few tools and when I saw the a Pretty colored sockets similar to the ones you use I just had to have them. I guess we are best friends now.

I have to say, I am really enjoying the voice tone modifications for certain words and phrases. Adds some additional humor to the video besides all the pain and suffering you go through dismantling these engines.

I have a fleet of 94-96 f-series with the 300cid/ 5-speed drive trains...! They're bulletproof...!!

All right. I got beer, snacks, candy, SOCO, and my 24-year-old son who is an apprentice millwright, and wait for it....I DO CARS.

I'm getting choked up. Had a E250, the 1995 flavor. The Trans died at over 300,000 miles. Got me 22 mpg on the highway and ran well till I parked it in my cousins tree row. And it wasn't my best ford, my 91 t250 beat it out. It had the 302.

Thanks Eric this was a lot of fun. I got a bunch of laughs out of your actions, your craziness make things work and I learn a few little things. Great show.

Enjoying the light-hearted banter as well as the satisfying engine tear-down. 👌👌👍👍 Thanks for the video.

Should have used a ball hone to clean the cylinders before trying to push the pistons out. You did it before, and it worked great. Don't know why you didn't do it this time.

Your pry tool needs theme music. Like "Crystal Blue Persuasion"! 😁😁

You really have great techniques to untighten rusted bolts 🙂

Not once have I ever watched a video on this channel and not laughed a lot harder than I probably should. Keep ‘em coming, Eric!

With rusty cylinders, take a wire wheel and clean what you can out of the cylinders and then spray WD-40 or something to let it soak some. We then use a cut of torsion bar and smack the top of the piston from the rod side and if it breaks the top off makes removing the rods even easier. Evapo-rust is available at Harbor Freight. be best to clean off the scaly rust as much as you can before using it. Makes it clean quicker.

Great video Eric. Other than the Windsor series and the 300 inline six, meh....the best you can say about Ford is that even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Your perseverance is remarkable… I learn a number of life hacks with some of the challenges you work through…thank you!

I KNEW it was coming, but the water pump throw STILL was funny.

Drove a1992 loaded Bronco with 5.8 it was badass.

The biggest issue with the transmissions only shows up on the fuel injected units. The rubber grommet holding the tv cable to the throttle linkage would deteriorate. Replace it with a brass grommet, problem prevented. The fuel injected 351, as used in the trucks actually made less torque and used more fuel than the carbureted version used in the Panther cars through 91. Those did 390 lb/ft at 2200 rpm. I know because I had one in an 89 Grand Marquis with the Trailer Tow III Package. The car was rated for 6,000 pounds of towing capacity. The carbureted units used a different cam grind This engine would be a great candidate for a proper upgrade. New main bearings and a Chrysler 400 crank. Over bore the cylinders. Edelbrock Performer intake, cam, heads, and square bore carburetor. 400cid Small Block Ford, tuned right, and economy car gas mileage with better than 500 lb/ft of torque. My brother got over 550,000 miles out of one of his 86 351s and 700,000 out of the other. My 89 was running perfectly at 200,000 when the car was wrecked.

Another great teardown video. Thanks for sharing 👍.

I never thought you would get the crank out. Your patience is amazing.

Yeah here in the south we still have a ton of these still driving around but I’ve witnessed a few that are still driving but they are all at that point of needing rebuilt. Even the low mile ones need help. That 351 was the most common base model engine Ford put in everything. Pretty tough Motor. These ECM’s fail a lot.

Here is a "mild suggestion" for FORD engineers... Apply anti-seaze to ALL Bolts durring engine assembly!

My wife's family had a 1970 Mustang with the 351 Cleveland engine. (It also had a popular option for the time that I never liked-the vinyl top. They lived fairly close to the California coast and rust was already popping up under the vinyl on the less than 10 year old car).

Those are E7 heads, in my experience one of the best stock heads besides the GT40 heads.

That timing chain and pulley will make a great conversation piece for somebody's workshop...

Great video as usual. I had been hoping you would tear down a 5.8 because I own a 1990 F-250 4x4 with this engine in it. It's my snow plow rig & I really learned a lot about this engine from you. Thanks Eric!

I like 351windsor and 302s they make an engine shop like me a LOT of money. Simple to do, cheap parts, quick turnaround and every ford guy wants one! Of course a 351cleveland would be a real treat wink wink nudge nudge although they're hard af to find now, bad or good. Unfortunately the roller 351w have a casting flaw so they are no good for power. It's fun watching a tear down of something so familiar. For rusty engines like that keep a large diameter rotary flap wheel or steel knotted wire brush, attach to a drill or die grinder and go at it a while until you see good metal. The bores are screwed anyway needs an overbore, but it does make getting the pistons out a LOT easier. Follow that up with a little heat on the pistons so the rings which are rusted against the bore breaks free, and then WD40 or Acetone+ATF or a good penetrating fluid. Done a lot of marine engines.

I think you used your entire can of *PENETRATOR* on this engine. Lots of fun to watch, and appreciated! Keep 'em comin'.

I have a 97 F250 HD sitting in my driveway. 351w. 130k miles. I gets about 2000 miles a year. Mostly hauling firewood

Valiant effort, Eric! You're right: sometimes you just have to walk away. All in all, another great video!

That engine came apart easy considering! Like working on most anything in the rust belt today! Now I watch the whole video and realize it was possible flood engine! Wow! Surprisingly that crank looks okay to machine! Great video!

I think you must have had a good teacher.You're very patient.My dad was the same way and that's how we taught us.

I miss my 351M. It was in a 76 LTD. It had 134,000 miles on it when it got tired. I wish I could go back in time and get it back from the crusher.

The state between liquid and solid is called soquid. Pretty much sums up what came out of that oil pan.

My 351 days go back to the early 70's, such great memories, Fuck ! i miss those days

Wow that engine takes me back. I remember working on them back in the 90s when I was a young mechanic. The good old days. LOL Great video thanks.