Need Distributor Cap/Parking Brake/Oil in air filter advice

[timmkish]

OK, so I just bought an 87 Bronco V8 5.0L

I have the firing pattern for the Distributor cap, but how do I tell which is the 1st location(where cyclinder 1 goes) on the cap?

Second, when I depress the parking brake, the pedal won't lock. I was told that there is a component in the rear brake drum that must be adjusted/replaced.

Lastly, I changed out the air filter and noticed A LOT of oil in it. It seems there is a hose leading from the air filter to the engine? What is this for and why am I seeing the oil in the air filter?

Thanks!

[amac209]

i think there is a number 1 on the cap where #1 goes. i believe the distributor rotation for a 5.0 is counterclockwise. also cylinder numbering goes straight back starting with the front right bank. you probably need a new park brake assembly unless the release cable is stuck. oil in the air filter could be caused by a clogged pcv valve/port or excess blowby from bad rings.

[Truck]

The oil in air filter is from the PCV system. If you look on the right-hand side bank (looking at engine) you'll see a hose leading from the valve cover to the air intake. That is your PCV tube. It is designed to take air from the valve-train (over the 5-8 cyls.) to the air intake to burn up deposits. It is designed to be dirty, and a mess. (Get a new pcv filter along with air filter.) The "Air Box" has the two filters in it. Air / Oil comes FROM the PCV filter, and goes INTO the Air Filter before going into the Air Intake / Throttle body. (That's why the PCV filter is lower in the box.)

The parking brake can be adjusted at the rear wheels. If you look at the inside of the drum assembly, you'll see a little slot with a wheel, and a lever. That is how you set the brake. Lift the lever with a screwdriver, and turn the wheel with another. It takes some doing, and you'll no doubt blow apart the entire assembly as you do it. (After so many years, not much holds them together but dirt and prayer.) You can get a rebuild kit cheap (like $15 is what I paid for mine 8 years ago.) It has all the mounts, springs and other parts that aren't the shoes, and cylinder. While you're under the truck, take a look and see if you see any fluid leaking from the wheel cover. (inside.) You don't have to take the wheels off to do it. Again, old slave cylinders have a tendency to blow apart. When they do, they'll leak brake fluid. Slave Cylinders are also pretty cheap. (It's better to have a good look at the entire assembly-and replace what needs to be replaced now. I've had the rear brake blow apart OTR, and that wasn't fun at all.)

[jolaw]

This works for a '86 302 (5.0L) EFI,

To locate the distributor position after removal, e.g., #1 spark plug firing when #1 cylinder is at top of compression stroke, you have to pull the plug. Use a test gauge, else you may well install the distributor 180° out. Everything will look good. It won't start.

The parking brake is a cable, a lot like on a bicycle. The cable runs from the foot pedal all the way back to a "y" splitter that branches off to the rear wheels. The parking brake only uses the rear shoe in each drum. I believe you would adjust foot pedal travel somewhere in the cabling. The "star" roller adjusters, at the rear of each rear drum, set the release distance for both brake shoes. With wheel freespinning on a jack, hand spin the wheel while making this adjustment. You can set it too tight. You can set it too loose. If working properly the linkage is designed to automatically adjust each time you brake going backwards.

If you're getting engine oil in the air filter you're pressurizing your crankcase. PCV valves open when the crankcase pressure builds slightly. If you shake a PCV valve it should rattle. You can see the "valve" move on most. If it's stuck change it. There's a small filter inside the air box for the PCV line. A stuck PCV valve would take a while to saturate this filter. If you're getting oil (enough to have to sop it out) in the air box, look to your emission controls. If you have the "air gulp" pump that feeds clean air into the exhaust pipes to help burn residual hydrocarbons you also have a check valve between the pump's output hose and a riser attached to the engine block. There a a couple of configurations, but look for an aluminum can screwed onto the riser cross-connect pipe. Mine was shot, not only causing my emissions to peg at the smog testers, but kept about 8psi positive pressure in the crankcase, which blew the oil out the PCV and into the airbox. It has also blown out the engine's rear seal.