I finally got it done. What a mess. I put the engine together with the cork gasket that came in the rebuild kit from EB and it leaked. So I wanted to pull the pan to remove the gasket and put it together with FIPG. Well I had that stuff all up my arms after I got the pan back up there. I had to remove the pickup tube to pull the pan and so then I had to reinstall it with the pan part way installed and reaching in there without messing up the gasket sealer was not easy. I was hoping that with dropping the diff I would be able to get away without removing the pickup tube, but I was not so lucky. I tried.. I even had to jack the engine up some to get it off cause the pass side diff mount bolt got REAL hard to turn and I was afraid it was going to snap. I soaked it with PB Blaster and let it soak over night but it still kept popping and I did not want to have to drill out a broken bolt... Oh well I just finished and all looks good so far.
I have had quit the fun with this engine and leaks, when I put the exhuast manifold on, two of the rivets holding the heat shield on were interfering with the bosses on the head and the manifold would not seal all the way against the head, EB said he had only heard of this happening once before. So I drilled out the two rivet heads and it fit fine. I rebuilt the engine and had the crank ground, blah blah blah and even with the crank polished at the rear main and the viton seal in EB's kit, I had to pull the tranny to replace the seal the next weekend. I have been fighting this oil pan leak for a little while hoping it wasn't the gasket leaking. I tried swapping the oil sending unit cause the leak was right in that area but that didn't help. Then while working on the oil pan I notice the brand new water pump I installed 2000 miles ago was starting to weep out of the hole. I wiped it clean last night and when I came out this morning to work on the pan, there was a puddle of coolant under the engine and the coolant was starting to run out of the weap hole faster. Glad it happened now instead of while the wife was driving it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
So I am crossing my fingers now.. I started it up and let it get up to temp and no leaks so far. I am letting it cool off now so I can check the coolant level.
The engine does run great though with EB's parts. I have rebuilt alot of engines but this one has given me the most trouble.
Thanks for the tips
Jeff S.