Need help putting engine back together 99 air Nautique basket case

[Kuleinc]

So I got this 1999 air Nautique in a trade for tractor work. Engine was apart. I have it mostly in the boat and somewhat back together. I didn’t take it apart. I’m not familiar with ford engines. I was a mechanic for many years. The previous guy working on boat left four exhaust manifold to head gaskets in the boat. I found 8mm hex head bolts in manifold holes. So I got a manifold assembly put the bolts in it, hung one gasket and got it bolted to the head. I have found not all the bolts tighten down. They all seem to be the same length but some bottom out. Are two gaskets used doubled up per manifold to remedy this? Dip stick tube bracket seems to want to be bolted to front port manifold bolt area at front of engine but the tab seems too big. Any help would be great. Trying to surprise wife with this nice boat. We are avid jet skiers.

engine is 5.8L

[gary s]

Is this a MPI engine or a carburetor one? One gasket on the manifolds. Stainless steel allen bolts are best - they are 3/8 16 by 1 1/8” long. Ford used a lot of different dip sticks over the years a picture would help. Does yours go into the block or direct into the oil pan?

[Kuleinc]

Sorry. MPI engine. Why would the Allen bolts bottom out before snugging manifold down to head?

dip stick goes to oil pan. Dark outside now so no pics.

[hal2814]

My limited experience with previous owner’s work is that if the work were that easy they would’ve already done it. The reasons that immediately come to mind for bottoming our are incorrect bolt size, a broken off piece of bolt in the bottom or some other obstruction, or someone getting a little too zealous filing the mating surface of the manifold if it wasn’t flush leading to the manifold‘s mating surface being too thin. There’s no case where doubling up the gasket is a good fix or should be needed.

[Kuleinc]

I just found what look like exhaust manifold spacers in a box of parts. Has anyone taken their manifolds off and found these in use on these engines?

[gary s]

With out pictures it will be hard to tell what you have,the PO could have done anything. PCM parts book shows nothing except bolts. My 2 GT40's have dipstick tubes like 18B

[Kuleinc]

My dipstick tube has threads on the end like 18a, but also has a mounting tab like 18

i have discovered probably why he gave it to me. There may be something stuck down in the engine inside of the distributor hole. As the distributor will not go in it’s hole very far at all. Broken stub of old distributor? What could this be?

[Kuleinc]

Here are some pictures of problems areas. I don’t understand why the distributor on this engine doesn’t drop in. It’s like it doesn’t mesh with the oil pump drive shaft or something. There’s is a picture of the distributor hole. Also some
pictures of how the dip stick mounts to oil pan and where the top of the dipstick ended up, I’m not sure where the bolt hole tab attaches to?
also some pictures of the fuel filter area as this looked to be modified, possibly due to stripped threads in block or head where this mounts. There is a picture of the water pump area as the hoses and fittings from raw to engine water pump seem rigged, any help on buying the right parts?

[gary s]

It sure looks like you have a lot of parts that are not from the original engine. I also suspect that you have a 302 block and not a 351 and that may be why the distributor does not fit. A 351 block is taller therefore a 351 distributor is longer, not to mention that the shaft is a larger diameter -hard to tell from the pictures though. Check out these two pictures below you can see by where the arrows are pointing to the easy way to tell where the differences are.

302-



351-



Oil pan pictures don't click either. It looks like you have the dipstick mounted into the drain plug area where a drain hose actually goes. The OEM pan has a boss in it on the left side of the adjustable motor mount. Mounting it in the drain hole will make it seem shorter not to mention that the shorter 302 block will change it's position.



This is where it ends up on a GT40

[gary s]

This is the picture in question- you can see the black of the manifold but the blue of the painted block does not rise above the distributor mount....

[Kuleinc]

Gary! Super helpful. It does seem like I have a 5.0l engine. I’m a little confused because the valve covers say “pro boss gt 40 efi” on them ♂️

how is the oil dip stick mounted on a 5.0L?

i am also completely
lost with mounting the alternator and computer bracket.

unfortunatly I did not take this apart.

i tried to put intake manifold on but the spark arrestor hits the port exhaust manifold keeping the manifold from lining up with the intake. I already put one exhaust gasket between exhaust manifold and head. I have another, I thought one went on each side but maybe they both go on the port side so the intake will fit?

did someone scam the previous owner and swap in a 5.0l or is this kosher?

[gary s]

Well your going to run into nothing but trouble IMOH. Some where someone decided to substitute a 5.0 for the 5.8 who knows whats is left from one and tried to use on the other,so many variables I don't even know where to start. By the decals we do know the valve covers are off the 5.8 First off you'll be down 100 hp using a 5.0 vs 5.8. What ECM do you even have, a car one wont work and the 5.8 marine wont work with a 5.0. I guess you need to figure out your budget and go from there. What kind of shape is the boat itself in? Got pictures of it and the interior? If the boat was worth saving you might look into a bobtail engine,it would include everything but the trans.

[Kuleinc]

The fuel injection says 5.0 HO

[distinguishedmotorsports]

I've got a 99 air i am restoring right now. I do NOT have a gt-40, just a a base 260hp carbed engine. but i can take pics and show you what mine looked like.

[Kuleinc]

Anything would be helpful. I’m not sure how the alternator, FCC, and engine computer plate mount.the front pullies are also super close and maybe touching but I might be able to scoot the water pump up enough for them to clear I can’t find any decent pics googling of this engine.