The weather is rarely good, and even the most reliable engine can struggle to fend off its effects. Ford’s 351 cubic inch Windsor V8 is a sturdy and well-loved engine, but sitting on a shelf for nearly 20 years was catastrophic for the plant, which seemed to have lived far too long with excess humidity.
A new I make cars The video takes apart a 5.8-liter V8 that originally powered a 1997 Ford F-250, the engine’s final year of production. It was taken apart and put on the shelf 17 years ago after 210,000 miles. The Ford engine initially produced 210 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque.
It’s obvious from the teardown that the engine’s glory days are far behind. Many components are rusted, including a complete set of valves. The intake ports are clogged with grime, while even the cylinder heads show rust. Many cylindrical walls have hatching.
But not all the pieces are destroyed. The water pump comes off in one piece and appears salvageable. Even the risers slide smoothly. Unfortunately, there is very little oil in the pan, mostly water and gunk. It looks like he spent some time sitting in the water.
However, time and rust made it impossible to completely dismantle it. The cam remains stuck, as do several pistons, which appear to be rusted on the cylinder wall. It’s unclear exactly how the engine died: there were no signs of a catastrophic problem that could have killed it. Maybe it just got a little tired and was put on a shelf, forgotten, which is something we should all fear in life. Either way, the water has well and truly put this old Windsor V-8 out to pasture.
