Honestly, it's been horrible work. I have that extended bumper and somebody's version of a cow catcher on the front, plus the big elect winch. I climb up on that bumper and use that cow catcher like a ladder to access most stuff from the front. But I've spent plenty of my time up inside the engine compartment hovering over the engine with my feet where ever I can fit them.
All this stuff is plenty heavy, none of this stuff can be held out in front of you with arms extended. Not by me anyways.
I SHOULD have taken the hood off the truck, it would have really saved on my back. Now I'm nearly done so I don't think I'll bother taking the hood off.
To get this engine out I'd have to take the wheels off the truck and drop the front on it's axle to get the radiator support low enough to clear with the cherry picker.
Or take it outside and use a chain hoist off an oak tree branch.
I remember it not being a whole lot of fun, even before my spine needed work. Now it's just looking like a royal PITA. I surely can understand if you're sore after an evening of working on it. It looks like you are getting close; a good thing.
don't forget to put some kind of anti-seize (C5-A) or quality grease like triple guard on the flange. I learned that lesson the hard way about how moisture sits in that distributor cavity and welds it in place with corrosion over time. Engine looks great Dave!
Oh jeezus dont I know it. I love my fords but my god the distributors can really get stuck in these things. I'm using this copper antiseize on my bolts, a locktite brand. Maybe I'll use the same on the dist.
Well, going to hook up the heater hoses, re-attach the exhaust pipes, then head to town for my distributor and some antifreeze, posibly an oil change too. It would be good to drop the oil shortly after a test run beings I had this thing cracked open.
Well everything is hooked up, still havent gone to town to get the distributor though, mama wants to go with and swing by the farmers market... So a report on the engine will have a slight delay.
Looks goods, sounds good, I am jealous. Going to Kansas slowed me down. looks like you made good progress. Congrats love it when it comes out like you hoped and wanted!!