smart idea or no?

because i do not yet have the skills/time/money to do the full swap i have planned for my B2 im planning on making what i do have last longer until i can compile what i need for the future so what im thinking is to rebuild/refurb the 2.8 that's in it now and update it with a new carb/ignition to get rid of teh crappyness that is the stock set up.

im not sure how much it would be because it depends on the source of the stuff but should be around a few hund(400-500?) that's VS the cost of the swap, that is going to be over 700+ as the headers for the GTP-40 5.0 are 700 alone plus the cost of the engine/D35/8.8 ect a project like that takes time and the trucks out of service longer

the reason i want to get it back up and healthy is so that i know its a safe bet if the Jeep or Dakota goes down and who knows whats lurking in that engine waiting to go wrong.

I would say that is a safe bet.

Duraspark it and run 'er 'til she blows!

sounds good to me.

idk about swapping all that stuff. not sure how it'll effect the proformance.

the 2.9 in my b2 runs like a champ. i'm just going to give it hell till it quits then do a 5.0 swap.

and it's always good to have a back up vehicle you can DD if your #1 DD goes down.

Sounds expensive to me. Rebuild/refurb + duraspark > 400-500. Adds up quick. I would pass, but it's your decision.

mn_smokeater said:

because i do not yet have the skills/time/money to do the full swap i have planned for my B2 im planning on making what i do have last longer until i can compile what i need for the future so what im thinking is to rebuild/refurb the 2.8 that's in it now and update it with a new carb/ignition to get rid of teh crappyness that is the stock set up.

im not sure how much it would be because it depends on the source of the stuff but should be around a few hund(400-500?) that's VS the cost of the swap, that is going to be over 700+ as the headers for the GTP-40 5.0 are 700 alone plus the cost of the engine/D35/8.8 ect a project like that takes time and the trucks out of service longer

the reason i want to get it back up and healthy is so that i know its a safe bet if the Jeep or Dakota goes down and who knows whats lurking in that engine waiting to go wrong.

Click to expand...

Spending more money to replace the engine than the truck is worth.......not a good idea. If course if the truck has sentimental value, that is another story.

I figured it out a couple years ago, it costs about the same to rebuild a 2.8 as it does a 302. Stuff isn't as common so they stick it to you more on parts. Cheapest option would be find a good running 2.8 to poke in to get by on.

But if you make it down to the Omaha area, I have a 1.08 2150 2bbl that needs rebuilt and a low mile DS dizzy I could make you a swinging deal on.

To be quite honest, a set of new tires is worth more than most 1st generations are worth, and nobody is junking a good running truck just because the tires are bad. IMO it makes about as much sense to re-engine an older truck as it does to buy a late model one, because either way you will never get your money back out it. Do what makes you happy, because at the end of the day that is all that matters.

Does it run? I wouldn't lick a blank check, stick it to my forehead, and walk into a machine shop with it. If the engine seals okay, like gets 90+ on all the cylinders and doesn'r keep blowing the oil cap off, and gets 20 or so psi on the oil gauge, I'd just look toward making it reliable. If it isn't getting 90+, connect your compression gauge to an air hose and with all of the plugs out, roll the engine around to find TDC on each one and see if it is leaking a spectacular amount of air out of either the exhause, oil cap or (doubtfully) the carb.

The only thing I've ever done to a 2.8 is take it out and trade it for a case of Strohs, which I used to water my prize poison ivy patch. I'm willing to bet, though, that dizzy can be used with one of these--just about anything from a chainsaw to a carnival ride can be run off of this:




For a carb, as I said in a different post, I'd run a Weber ICH.



It seems like a small carb, but it's 150cfms. It's enough to run a 170cid motor with 80% VE to 4,000rpm. I put one on my sister's 200cid Mustang and it has razor sharp throttle response and pulls hard to 4,000. Those carbs are extremely simple and tuneable. You can probably find a 2bbl to 1bbl adapter for $20. That's what I would do. I'm sure you could pay $3-400 and find a new carb that will bolt right on your manifold, or find a used one without the fuel valve in it and make it work.

If your motor does need work, don't just automatically rebuild it. Mike the cylinders and see if you can squeak by with rings. If the bores are sort of round and sort of within wear limits, hone it with some emery paper and run new rings. If the oil pressure needs help, see how close the journals are to bad and if they aren't too, run new bearings, std. size. If the valves seal, lap them a little or just leave them be.

If it's smoking on startup, replace the valve seals.

Rebuilt means you went through the entire more and returned each spec to new or better. The factory service manual doesn't even say to do that. It says you should bore one cylinder if only that one is bad--oversized pistons are the same weight as standard pistons. Spending money to replace good parts is a waste.

Edit: by the way, I did this in 2002 with my 4.0 which was at 140,000 and having problems. It's still buzzing around with no issues.

Alright! i knew i would get some good guidance here, il keep the 2.8 i have and check it out then do teh weber carb and the orange box thinger if the engine checks ok from what Will said.

To the end of the 5.0 im aware that the truck is not worth much but its like Press 1 said it has sentimental value to it.

Will i can do all that with the engine still in the truck right?

Is it worth pulling the engine out and cleaning the exterior?

mn_smokeater said:

Alright! i knew i would get some good guidance here, il keep the 2.8 i have and check it out then do teh weber carb and the orange box thinger if the engine checks ok from what Will said.

To the end of the 5.0 im aware that the truck is not worth much but its like Press 1 said it has sentimental value to it.

Will i can do all that with the engine still in the truck right?

Is it worth pulling the engine out and cleaning the exterior?

Click to expand...

The 1.08 2bbl 2150 is stupid common on smog era 302's, I got mine with a '78. It is what Ford ran on the 2.8 in the Pintos, Mustang II's and Mustangs.

I like my Duraspark, if you want do a 302 and intend to keep it carburated I think it is the way to go. I unplugged the 2.8 dizzy, yanked the 2.8, dropped in the 5.0 and plugged it in. I used the factory coil, a pigtail off of a junked 400 and a $8 JY DS module. New modules are not all that expensive either, I think like $40 for the cheaper one and $60 for the better one. Since my engine is all pretty now I got the better one and threw the factory JY one under the seat for a spare.

If your truck has AC pulling the airbox makes working on the PS of the engine much easier. If it has AC that doesn't work and you have no intent of making it work put a non-AC box on it and ditch everything in the engine bay... makes everything much easier to get at. I fought around that stupid thing for years thinking it would be a pain to remove, turned out to be cake. Otherwise, everything aside from the pan gasket/rear seal isn't too bad to get at with the engine in the truck.

mn_smokeater said:

Will i can do all that with the engine still in the truck right?

Is it worth pulling the engine out and cleaning the exterior?

Click to expand...

Not really on both counts.

Most of that stuff is best done on an engine stand, but not physically impossible to do in the vehicle.

Also, pulling the engine out just to clean the outside is not worth the trouble.

Engine bright man. Engine bright.

mn_smokeater said:

Alright! i knew i would get some good guidance here, il keep the 2.8 i have and check it out then do teh weber carb and the orange box thinger if the engine checks ok from what Will said.

Click to expand...

Remember that I said it's what I would do. First, compression check that motor. Fresh battery with a charger on it, all cylinders checked twice and all get the same number of cranks, 5 or 6. Compression should build rapidly and all should look about the same as far as needle jerks on the gauge.

Measure the carb mount and find an adapter. Do that before you buy a carb. Have a great idea of how it's going to be before you spend any money. I don't have a 2.8 so I have nothing to look at if you need help. Also, find out what else fits a 2150 base just in case there isn't an easier answer. I tend to find something I like, the Weber ICH for instance, and try to use it for everything. I figurd out how to tune it and I know it now, and it's the right size, so I'll probably put one on my riding mower some day. I know Holley carbs, AFBs and Weber ICHs. There are simpler carbs, but not all are tuneable so I don't say I know them. Hell, engines didn't always HAVE carbs. An engine will run without atomized fuel. I know I can make an ICH work on your engine, but I'm not sure of your ability and such. That's for you to say. I'll help however I can from 4 states away. I would want to study the vacuum advance on your dizzy and also the throttle linkage.

The orange box is an easy thing. I'd like to see the pickup inside your dizzy, though. Any coil will work. I'll draw you a picture of how it hooks up.

Carb pics think the linkage is shown ok?











whats this for i wonder?

Pictures of the enemy. Which way to the nearest trashcan? That's a 2150 alright, but packed with bullshit.

That's an automatic? Or does it have cruise control? Does it run? It's missing the oil fill cap.

There's a zip-tie AND a bread twisty on the choke linkage. And people want to ask how to get this thing working? This feedback carb IS a ziptie and a bread twisty, courtesy of Ford.

This is your project, not mine. I have experience at making things work. If you were my neighbor, I would say, go the way I suggested because I could help you with the couple things that might give you trouble. I don't know what you should do. I only know what I would do.

If you do not have emissions tests to worry about, you can save some money on the D/spark conversion by using the stock carb until you can afford the non-feedback 2150, just unplug the wiring connections......make sure to keep the wire that plugs in for the choke.....

You will also need to plug all of the carb vacuum lines that you do not need, connect a short hose to each of the vacuum ports & plug them off with a golf tee or a small tight fitting bolt.

I ran 2 '85 B2's & an '84 Ranger that way for quite a while, it is not the ideal setup as it tends to run rich but it will get you by & run pretty well. If you have emissions testing, you can get through with a little tweaking of the carb & timing but it is a PAIN..............

Unfortunately, the 2.8 is pretty expensive to rebuild......I LOVE the 2.8 no matter what anyone say's because I know what it is capable of.... If your's runs decent, do the D/spark conversion, it will probably last longer than you think....


B2