So Close, And Yet So Far

I was really disappointed the other day. I was putting my engine back together the other weekend, and was intending to drive it to see if my head swap did any good. Well, Murphy's Law struck. I was running the distributor hold-down bolt into the hole to clean the threads, and when I pulled it out, it jumped (yes jumped) out of my hand, and down the distributor hole. It decided to be a real pain, so instead of just sitting on the oil pump shaft, it went down the hole INTO the working mechanisms of the engine. More than likely that stupid f*@$#ng bolt is sitting in the bottom of the oil pan.







So, the oil pan has to come off, and I have to fish the bolt out. I have another bolt to use, but no way am I trusting the oil pump screen to prevent the bolt from being sucked up into the working mechanisms of the engine. I have to oil pan unbolted, but it is not the correct oil pan for my engine/vehicle application. (I have spent a lot of time correcting what other people have done with this truck.) So now that I have the pan off, I figure I will get the bolt out, replace the oil pump, shaft, pickup tube, gasket, screen, AND get the proper oil pan for my application. This means more delay, and more money, but *Shrug* it's worth it to me, and everything I do would have to be done sometime, might as well do it now, and not rush putting the engine back together just so I can drive it.







My best friend gave me an oil pan to use, but that oil pan was from an engine that has the dipstick going through the timing cover, and engine block. My engine has the dipstick going into the side of the oil pan. So I am currently scouring Ebay for a good, low priced oil pan. My best friend is coming up this weekend and we are going to do some junkyard hunting as well.

I am including some pictures of the engine.... from the top it is, and looks complete. I will be sanding and painting the power brake booster. Also please disregard the nasty, rusty exhaust manifolds. Shiny chrome, or ceramic coated headers are a bit out of my price range right now. I have a pair of headers that my best friend is supposed to be sandblasting, and ceramic coating, but it is taking a loooooong time.