Aside from an engine swap of course.... Is there anything I should be doing maintenance wise on my 2.8 4spd while the engine is down. I'm not talking about anything like tearing the engine apart and rebuilding it, I'm thinking more like tune up kind of stuff.

I would just give the engine a good look over. Leaks, manifold cracks etc.... Maybe a tune-up while it is easy to get to (if it needs it).

Are you dropping the cradle? If so... while you have easy access to the heads, it would be a great time to remove and port the exhaust manifolds. Gives a reported 8 HP boost, and IMO improves the exhaust tone as well (which already sounds pretty good from the 2.8 V6). Just be careful removing the exhaust manifold bolts. However, if you break any (or discover some which are already broken/missing), having easy access to the heads makes drilling out the broken bolts a whole lot easier!

Depending on mileage / evidence of leaking, wear, damage or corrosion

- water pump
- timing chain and gears
- front seal
- rear seal
- rear cam cover gasket
- oil pan gasket
- check coolant crossover pipe
- hoses
- suspension and cradle bushings
- engine and transmission mounts

[This message has been edited by olejoedad (edited 07-04-2019).]

Clean and detail your engine bay and engine before reinstalling.
A few rattle cans of paint can make a world of difference.

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3.4L Supercharged 87 GT and Super Duty 4 Indy #163

One critical oil leak point is the O ring at the point where the distributor fits in the block. I would check it. If it needs replacement make sure that you index the distributor/rotor position for proper re-assembly.

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