OLD MEMBER - New Account - Advice needed!!

[97M832V]

Hello,
I used to have an account on LVC. My username was TravisG32v. Made a new account. I need advice as to what I should do with my Pewter-Jade metallic 1997 base mark viii.

The situation: Some time ago my car started making excessive valve train noise from passenger side of engine. I pulled passenger valve cover and discovered both the Intake and Exhaust Camshafts have damage to the lobes. Cylinder head has very small amount of metal shaving sitting on head surface by camshafts on passenger side, upon further investigation I also discovered my primary chain is very loose where it is tensioned on passenger side, chain is still tight with no slop or "play" on driver side. Don't want to beat a dead horse but what is my best route to get the M8 back on the road?
Option #1 - Replace timing chain tensioners and passenger side camshafts with engine still in car and hope for the best.

Option #2 - Replace engine with used engine and hope used engine is healthy and problem free

Option #3 - Use cash I have saved up and buy a clean low mileage 97-98 LSC and swap my 4.10 gears, track lock, aluminum 1 pc driveshaft, and 2 1/2" exhaust w/ x pipe, and new front suspension off of my car and on to the new car, scrap my 97 and sell engine out of it to recooperate some of the purchase price for a new Mark 8.
Really want your guys input on this. Car is sitting with no intake manifold or passenger side valve cover on engine inside my shop out of the weather. I need to come up with a solution soon.

 

[97M832V]

I need a solution ASAP I have a dirty dog 3600 stall, trans cooler, Kooks Stainless Mark 8 headers, Ported cobra Intake, & SHM stage 3 cams ready to use just sitting around new in boxes. Would really like to see something happen with car, weather I should try to fix this Mark 8 or swap everything I have to a lower mileage cleaner Mark 8 is my main dilemma. Please any and all comments and opinions are more than welcome!

 

[97M832V]

Passenger side Intake cam lobe damage. (Note: That is dust in pic from not having valve cover on engine, not metal shavings. Just to clarify)

 

[97M832V]

Exhaust cam lobe damage (once again that is dust from having valve cover removed, not metal shavings)

 

[97M832V]

How engine currently looks in car as of 5 minutes ago

 

[Dougviii]

I haven't been into one of these 4 cam engines but I have lost a cam lobe or two over the years and that metal will go through the oil pump and I have seen it get to the crank and inserts/bearings

 

[Dougviii]

You should always at least check the bottom end, best case it does little damage to the oil pump and gets caught in the oil filter, worse case it gets to the crank and rod bearings/inserts

 

[97M832V]

Would it be best to spend the money and resources pulling this engine and rebuilding it or at a bare minimum spending money for a new timing kit, oil pump, etc. or would it be best to just swap in a used engine and hope for the best? I still think it might be easier to just buy another Gen 2 mark 8 and swap all my parts on it off of this one. I have cash in hand now to buy a decent Mark, just don't know if that is the way to go or not

 

[Dougviii]

It would be nice to have a second mark8 for parts

 

[Dougviii]

But it sounds like you've done a lot to your mark 8 so maybe 5.0 Coyote engine

 

[97M832V]

I wish. I couldn't afford a coyote with my other projects I've got going on right now. Just wanting to get the car running well again. I have an 85 GT now too so that takes up some of my money and time. Anyone else care to share their thoughts?????

 

[chris2523]

if there is a substantial amount of metal in the motor, you're just going to want to get another motor.

 

[97M832V]

if there is a substantial amount of metal in the motor, you're just going to want to get another motor.

Chris if it were you would you rather put a new engine in this 97 mark 8 with my 4.10 gears, exhaust, etc still installed on car, or would you buy another low mileage mark 8 and swap all the parts from the 97 to the new mark 8. Trying to decide if it would be better to replace the engine in my 97 or just buy a new gen 2 altogether and swap all my parts over to it

 

[97M832V]

FYI my car is gutted and has no a/c. I lost a lot of weight on car but I kinda regret taking the a/c off too. So that would be a potential incentive of finding a new mark 8 as well, working a/c.

 

[chris2523]

depends on how much you like the current shell.
if its rusty or beat, get another.
if its not and you like the color or whatever, then don't.

 

[97M832V]

depends on how much you like the current shell.
if its rusty or beat, get another.
if its not and you like the color or whatever, then don't.

The shell is virtually perfect, clean title, no rust, hardly any dents etc. could just use a repainted. I have no way to jack the car up high enough to pull the engine from the bottom with the tools I currently have, that's why car has been sitting and I haven't got it going again. Wish their was someone in my area who would do engine swap for me. Anyone know of anyone in the Daytona beach area that would be interested in helping me out?

 

[97M832V]

Car is getting picked up by Danny's towing in Daytona Beach,FL in just a few minutes and getting brought to US-1 auto to have the engine removed. Ormondgt98 is rebuilding the engine and installing the Kooks headers

 

[97M832V]

Car is ready to be picked up

 

[97M832V]

I am paying 800.00$ to have engine removed and re-installed by US1 auto. 675$ + parts to have the engine rebuilt by OrmondGt98 and 65$ to have Danny's Towing pick up the car. If all goes well car will be running like a champ again in 3-4 weeks

 

[97M832V]

Bye bye M8!

 

[Spree]

I been lurk'n around LVC ever since I got rid of my 8. Sold it for this. Couldn't be any happier! Maybe trade up? You won't regret it!...

 

[97M832V]

I'm keeping the M8, it's gonna have a new 4v in it with a cobra Intake and Kooks headers in just a couple weeks. Is that a Lincoln MKT? How do you like it ?

 

[markup97]

Good choice on keeping it. I decided to keep my '97 after bouncing it off a guardrail (on the Florida Turnpike between St.Cloud and Kissimmee).
The 4V has a lot of potential, and with the mods you already have, keeping that car would be your best bet.

P.S: I also had an '86 Mustang GT T-top, and have several other FOXes. And, do I see an '87-'88 TurboCoupe in the background in one of your pics (I have an '88 TCoupe as well)?

 

[97M832V]

That is awesome man! Yeah I'm glad (so far) that I've decided to keep my pewter 97 m8 instead of get a new one. The Turbo coupe in the background is a 88, how do you like yours? Ours is getting a new top end and 73 mm t3/t4 hybrid Turbo and fmic right now. Do you have pics of your 86 GT?? I love four eye foxes! You can see my dads 70 Mach 1 tube chassis drag car in the background of one of the pics too.

 

[markup97]

My '88 TC was a 'free' car; a friend bought it for the wheels/brakes/rear diff/hood/instrument cluster. He is installing all of that (ok, I will be installing all of it for him) into an original 12,000-mile '88 Tbird V8. He told me I could have the rest of the car for the labor. It was a Southern car, so no real rust issues (surface from the paint being baked off). I am going at it with a Bilstein strut/shock install, 5-lug 1994 Cobra front brake swap/'99 Cobra IRS swap, and am doing up an NA head (cut into a Turbo head) with a .655" lift/242* cam/HX40 turbo/FMIC/SC TB..........

My '86GT T-top car is long-gone, but I do have an '84 GT Turbo also being resto-modded.