$arge, like many of us probably, I've been caught on the roadside too often. Luckily, never in the high mountains like Wyoming. Ain't fun. I had to change a water pump in Texas, near Waco, when we came up in the Fairmont wagon. Some little 3 store village, with a tiny parts counter at the back of the grocery store. They had a pump and the gaskets. Amen! Thank goodness you've got web access. When you get back home, get those lifters checked too.
Some tech tips and pics and stuff on oil pans and pumps and sumps (click the red notes): (Hi-perf cast iron pumps around $65 to $75 USD$.) http://www.gessford.com/cobraparts/fmisc.htm
Now I did it. Pictures and Part Numbers for the 352/390 engines: http://www.gessford.com/images/352-390Parts&pics.htm Tech tips PLUS - Oil Pressure is in there too. http://www.gessford.com/engine.htm And more: http://www.gessford.com/cobraparts/fords.htm On the road sooner $arge, I hope, I hope...
Not related really. Its a list of blue-printed pumps for racing/hi-perf guys. http://claysmithcams.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=257 All my searching was done with BING: http://www.bing.com/search?q=Ford+390+Oil+Pump&filt=all&first=11&FORM=PERE
well if you ever need to break down in the mountaineous areas do it in cody WY. people are friendly here. they try to help out anyway they can and they put on a good show downtown. Greacias Norm with all your help. it ended up being the oil pump drive shaft sheared towards the bottom end. i ended up taking it to the ford dealership charging me 3.5 hrs to fix it. the replaced the shaft with a hardened one by melling and a new oil pump and of course oil pan gasket. total total 482.00 it hurts but it beats the crap out of laying in 37 degree weather rainning on you with crude handtools. so i'll post pictures later when we have a better internet connection. ho hum onto mt rushmore and we'll see how that trip goes. Raf p.s. we should rename this thread everything you wanted to know about the ford 390!!! i feel much better now.....:2_thumbs_up_-_anima
Pricey, but worth it. Too cold for bare-handed, on-your-back in frost car-jockeying. Did they have other recommendations?
$arge you know what? Having your computer along on the trip is one HUGE help! I'm thinking a small laptop is an essential car-tool.
I thought about that too, but he could start it easy enough. I think the 390's had a few quirks, IIRC. They changed them for the next engine versions based on it. One of them was the oil pump shaft.
well i guess ford made the oil shaft as the weak link in the system, i ck'ed out the chain while the mechanic had the wagon on the rack and it seemed fine no slop in it. the history on the engine is known, its a modified 390 by modified i mean an eddie intake a RV cam and a eddie carb and a few other things. but im thinking that chowder head that built it either used the old pushrod or its from me beating on it when i had the mini spool on it. im now in rapid city SD and it ran fine other than 14 miles a gallon. jejejje onto sioux falls in the A.M.
A hard drivin' man. That's a pile of driving. Sounds like you got it. You'll be passing right under Andy and I, by a few hundred miles. Drive safe.
hard driving for sure, im going to spend some time with the fam in Kansas City MO then off to Gratis OH then onto valdosta GA. have to be there by jul 10th to start the new life and no im not in the witness protection pgm.... lol p.s. heres a picture of the oil drive shaft