I just got this 72 Ford F100 Ranger XLT. 41K original miles Body /interior in Excellent shape ! Excited about about a new project been a while (decades ) since a really started playing with motors on a regular basis . Motor needs help from sitting . Smokes on start up. 
But does not smoke when driven . Good power for age /great (tight steering)for age all stock .Older gentleman owned it . So He didn't use 1 tank (bed tank).So it checked for gas (no gas in tank.) dont want to use ? Might just pull it? because could be contaminated. He changed oil (on mileage) hardly driven .But not for long periods of time?I'm a do it yourself / DY .Enough to be dangerous
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So I pulled the valve covers .I suspected valve oil drainage was plugged (explains some start up smoke on top of valves /reasonable guess?) Well it was . Not sure about pulling out valve seals yet ? So as I was cleaning the caked on cork gasket .Cleaning up oil .Behold ? no #8 cyl Intake was missing a push rod 
It was there it seem like? a few minutes ago? So in a deep panic? I don't see well because of my age .. nearly blind in one eye . So I looked Couldn't see a thing ? went to auto zone to get a flashlight lazer magnet .They said I was doomed .Young wiper snappers
Got back it (fished it out ! 
was broken in half ? dang . (stuck valve ? collapsed lifter? not sure so I tapped on the valve/spring with a rubber mallet .seem to be okay? so waiting on new push rod .Hope it was just a weak (push rod) and a stuck valve? that caused it NOT sure ? any guess? Don't want to pull heads? pulled rail cleaned /reinstall that the covers (clean and paint/new gaskets /and find out? After I change /with clean oil pan/filter (suspect a real dirty pan ?0 dip stick wasn't to bad on muck?) So I decided to drop the oil pan ? clean it. paint it put on new gasket? So I got the stuff I needed at parts store. Drained the oil . (dang who invented the drain plug?on cross member?
Dropped the pan / To my surprise? cant take it out? Hummmmm Lift the engine just to clean oil pan? One eyed jack? 
