Truck has about 120k miles on it.  No mods, has just been a reliable stock daily driver.  Noticed a fuel smell a few months ago.  Took it on a 2 hour trip about a month ago.  It was fine on the way there.  When I got home there was fuel dripping in front of the passenger front wheel, the inside of the wheel was wet, and fuel was all over the battery on that side as well.  Truck runs fine.  Did some searching, and there was fuel in the valley between the heads.  Replaced the hard fuel supply on the passenger side head, no improvement.  Took off the fuel filter bowel, replaced the drain valve, o-rings, fuel filter and cap.  No more fuel in the valley, but still leaking fuel in front of the passenger wheel.
  The front of the motor is completely dry.  There is no leak in the valley now.  You can sit with the truck running for 20 minutes and no leak.  I tried putting it in gear, and sitting still loading it with the breaks, no leak.  It looks like somehow fuel is spraying forward onto the radiator overflow tank, and getting blown by the fan over to the passenger side battery when driving.  I tried shoving rags around the filter housing, fuel lines, and injector pump.  Drove the truck.  Rags are dry, but there is still fuel all over the battery, dripping down in front of the passenger tire.
  All of the fuel lines run up from the drivers side into the valley of the motor.  They are all dry.  The injectors are under the valve covers.  I have now idea where the source of the leak is now.

Paul

Looking at a Sunbeam Alpine tomorrow that had a Ford v6 conversion.  I think Offy is the only game in town for a 4 barrel intake.  They are stupid expensive new, and hard to find.  Any leads on a used one would be great.  Will anything else work?

Thanks
Paul

I never cancelled the Bronco I had on order even after my Raptor Bronco fiasco.  After 2 years of waiting, Ford finally sent me an email that said my Bronco will be built the week of September 12th.  They assigned the Vin.  I want to see what discount, if any, it would qualify for.

Thanks
Paul

I was running Felpro composite gaskets.  They had a good squish pattern on both sides of the gaskets.   They were installed dry, no sealants or grease.  They had a pretty good leak on both sides.  So I changed the gaskets.  I used Felpro cork gaskets, Motorcraft T31, and red grease.  I made a full bead of T31 on the inside lip of the valve covers, inside the bolt holes.  I stuck on the gaskets, and lightly greased the head side.  I set the covers on the heads, and just put the bolts in enough to hold everything in place until the silicone set.  I snugged the bolts up the next day, and took it out for a run.  I can see oil running down from the bolts, on the top surface of the covers.  Not just the bolts on the bottom bolts, but also from the bolts on the sides.   A decent amount of oil leaking, considering I did not drive it that long.  Any ideas?

Paul

OK, I will give you the long version.

  Like most of you on here, I bleed Ford blue.  I have pretty much driven nothing but Fords my whole life.  I currently have 13 Fords in the garage.  From projects, to fully finished nice vehicles.   I retired last year.  I ordered the Bronco as a retirement present to myself.  I could care less about getting the newest, greatest, latest anything.  I placed the order in October 2020.  I had no idea this COVID thing would stretch on this long, and I am in the medical field.  I also had no idea the economy would be actively crushed for a political agenda.

  Ford corporate started this reservation system.  It was their idea, but they wanted to have it all.  Very greedy.  Forty percent of all the Broncos produced to date bypassed the reservation system.  They went directly to the dealers so they could have something to gouge the public with.  These are facts reported by reliable news agencies, not internet gossip.  I brought this up with my dealer.  He suggested they were probably "base models that nobody wanted".  Nobody from Ford or the dealership ever contacted me to see if I was interested in any of these "extra base models".  Go on Facebook marketplace and see how many new, nicely optioned Broncos come up.  They are listed by Ford dealerships that are asking 5 to 10 thousand over sticker.   Amazing Ford can find the chips, tops and pieces for these, but not the Bronco I ordered.

   I can afford to buy whatever I want.  I wanted a hotrod version of the Bronco from day 1.  Nothing was available.  This summer Ford officially announced the Bronco Raptor.  I tried to hop on it them, and order one.  No way to do it.  On January 27 Ford sent out an official email about the Raptor version.   Click the email link if I was interested.  It was pretty much of a lottery to see if you got a Raptor.  On Feb 11th I was told I did not win the lottery.  I called up Ford corporate and asked them what was up.  The rejection email said I should just go ahead with my reservation of the regular Bronco.  I have been waiting a year and a half, and Ford had sent me an email previously that said my Bronco would be built first quarter of 2022.  I should just about be on the top of the reservation list by now.  That is when the rep slipped up and told me that the dealers were getting allocations of the Raptor versions.  The dealers are supposed to make the Raptors available to the reservation holders according to Ford corporate.

I hate getting screwed by car dealers.  This place is great, and I have had the opportunity to use the X-plan pins because of the members on here.  You cannot use an x-plan pin for any of the special Ford vehicles.  That means if the dealer wants to gouge me over on the price of a Raptor, my only option is to not buy it.  I reported the dealer to Ford corporate for price gouging today.  Ricart Ford in Columbus Ohio is the dealer.  I believe they are still the largest Ford dealership in America.  Nothing will happen, despite what Ford top brass have said recently.

Paul

Long story, I will try to make it short.  I own nothing but Fords.  Have about 15 Fords in the garage right now.  Wanted a new Bronco.  Put in a reservation and deposit in October 2020.  I still have no vehicle.  Really wanted a v8 in my new toy, but nothing available.  I put in all the options for what I could.  About $54,000.  Heard they were doing a Raptor version this summer and tried to sign up.  No way to do it.  End of January got an email from Ford.  It said if I was interested in a Raptor Bronco, click the link on the email.  They would let me know by Feb 11th.   Got a no love email from Ford on Feb 11th, said I couldn't get one.  Called up Ford corporate to see what was going on.  Basically it was a lottery email they sent out.  Maybe gave one guy a chance to buy the Raptor Bronco at sticker price, but they let it slip that the dealers would still get Raptors to sell.   Ford said they "should go to reservation holders" first.  After a couple calls to my dealer, they lied constantly about what was going on, finally heard that they were going to charge about $20,000 over sticker for the Raptor Bronco.  That means the sticker base $68,500 + $20,000.  Sounds like a good deal to me!  Really interesting right after Ford put out stories about cracking down on dealers up charging for specialty vehicles.   I am dealing with Ricart Ford, in Columbus Ohio.  I think they are still the largest Ford dealer in America.  I also learned that 40% of the Broncos produced are sold to walk in buyers.  No reservation necessary.  I will never give Ford another dime.  I am cancelling my reservation, will only buy aftermarket parts from here on out.

Paul

Thanks Gary.  Sent you a PM.

Paul

The manual states either a square tube or an I beam, does not state which is better.  Kind of a general guide, more than an exact recipe.  I have both sitting in the shop.  Just trying to figure  the best one for the application.  I have a 7 hp motor for the build.  It is bigger than what is called for in the build specs, but it is what I have.

Thanks for the help
Paul