When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I would not polish those ceramic coated headers. They're not meant to shine like chrome or stainless and AFAIK won't take to polishing well. I could be wrong on that but I know I wouldn't want to remove any of that coating with polishing.
A lot of guys buy these things with the intent to just drive them as-is and maybe do a couple of bolt on speed parts. A lot of those guys end up selling them quickly when they realize what all it takes to make these cars reliable, stout, and enjoyable to drive. You've definitely taken the time to research and build this right from the get-go. You were also smart enough to buy it cheaply enough to throw money in the right places (everywhere). Should be a real beast and well-sorted once you're done.
Thanks, man. The kind words are certainly encouraging. I have done research but honestly I almost feel a little lazy because almost all of the info is right here, created and contributed by you guys. I couldn't imagine doing any of this without those who came before me and posted the results right here. So...thank you all!
A lot of guys buy these things with the intent to just drive them as-is and maybe do a couple of bolt on speed parts. A lot of those guys end up selling them quickly when they realize what all it takes to make these cars reliable, stout, and enjoyable to drive. You've definitely taken the time to research and build this right from the get-go. You were also smart enough to buy it cheaply enough to throw money in the right places (everywhere). Should be a real beast and well-sorted once you're done.
Cheaply and go fast have never worked well together. I'm in a similar boat though, fix all the issues so it's reliable then throw a cam/fast intake/exhaust at it but by the time you do that you might as well just go ls3 top end. But then if the heads come off you think it's got 100k should I just rebuild. None of the options are cheap but I knew that going in.
Got the cam out and it looks good. Cam bearings had some pretty scary rough spots. Not like catch a fingernail silliness..real rough, like sand in the surface of paint. Guess the oil was doing its job keeping this from chewing on the cam. Glad I am replacing these. Never done it before, but bought the tool so I am committed.
Further evidence this engine has been worked on..RTV under the crank bolt and chunks non-factory thread locker on the threads. Bought a genuine(used) set of Kent-Moore LS engine tech tools. Gives a little extra confidence to guys like me that haven't built a thousand of them. So I can get the crank pulley and sprocket off with a $5 puller. But the metal button insert that makes the end of the crank flat is a really nice touch. The alignment pieces are really what I was after. Second LS engine using these.
Got a middle of the road bore gauge set and using such a device for the first time was a bit nerve-wracking. The first 752 times I tried it I freaked myself out thinking the engine had been previously bored. Then I realized I was in the wrong frame of mind. Bore gauge you "zero" to larger than the size range you are measuring, then the gauge is telling you how much smaller it is and you subtract. Not hard at all but rather different than measuring that non-machinists usually perform. Or maybe I'm just an idiot that finally figured it out.
With the gauge "zeroed" at one (dial)turn in at 4.017, I was measuring between 13.5 and 14.5 clicks on the dial from cyl to cyl. 4.017-0.0135=4.0035 and 4.017-0.0145=4.0025.
So bore is 4.0025-4.0035. I think that is good enough to hone and go but I'm going to check a few more times and look at taper and OOR again. Seemed insignificant on both counts but it was 120 in the back of the shop and I am going to hit it again soon with dry underwear.
Always ALWAYS remove the rear cover before you mount the block to a stand. 45 second job turns into 10 minutes of cursing. I was being a good boy and keeping all the bolts with the main caps until I went to spin the engine a little to get to some of the rear cover bolts. Out fell all the main cap bolts. LUCKILY the crank didn't fall out too!!! My heart skipped a beat but swung it back quickly and the caps fit pretty tight anyway.
Here's everything together and the resulting empty block. Crank and crank bearings look good enough to forego a polish so I'll check clearances later with new stock-size bearings and roll unless something is out of whack.
I tried to do an engine rebuild, didnt tighten one of the connecting rods properly and ruined the crank...
I give it to my friends with all the neato stuff ans i still pay them their rate blindly...Anything goes wring, its their job to fix it, not mine...
Once you buy all the tools, you could have paid for rebuild labor on several engines so you are taking the fiscally responsible as well as safe route. For instance, before I decided to do rod bolts I didn't even know what a bolt stretch gauge was. Guess who owns one now? I always try it the hard way first. Usually rewarding. Occasionally horrifically embarrassing. And that's what whiskey is for.
PS--I won't be starting this engine for the first time in front of ANY audience, not even my dog. Even he knows "bang" is bad. Well...maybe the fire department, just in case...
In keeping with my budget build mantra for the short block, I've decided to sorta redneck-deck the block, really just to clean up the surface.. I've seen guys do this with sanding blocks and I am left pondering when I have ever bought anything at Home Depot that was actually straight or flat.
So I had a couple pieces of real heavy steel C-channel(like 25-30lbs for a ~20" piece) and my brother just bought an old mill I have been dying to go play with. We aren't ready to start milling heads where we say we are going to take exactly .0xx" off the entire surface, but I figured we could make something perfectly flat even if we didn't know how much we took off--as long as we solidly mounted the piece and the face-mill bit touched every area of the workpiece. Going to put a couple of handles on top and rig something up to hold sandpaper to it and be REAL gentle with it. It's actually just-right sized so it will cover the whole deck and I don't have to worry if I hit the whole surface evenly. Plenty to worry about doing it this way, but one less worry at least.
Congrats on the progress man, I am enjoying watching this build!
Thanks!!
Any comments from the more experienced builders on my bore size? I am about double the high side of factory-advertised spec(which seems to be 4.0005-4.0017) but I figured that was at least partially due to how hot it is. I have read plenty of evidence that these should be checked closer to room temp(68 degrees??) yet it's been so hot every day here the engine always feels like it was run in the last couple of hours. Thinking maybe of leaving a fan blowing on ot overnight and sneaking over there before work at like 5AM when it might still be below 80 degrees. Could take temp and extrapolate that down to room?
Here's a pic from a few days ago after I remote-started(~5 mins) and drove my truck for 5 mins. It was much higher at first and outside temp was only like 101-ish but I figure thus is about where the block is after baking in a non-insulated metal shop:
Sure; not by itself. My point was that temps drop 40-50 degrees at night(outside temp drops 20-25 but without the sun, inside temps drop more) but there is so much metal in the block it acts as a big heat sink. Typically by the next morning, the block is still warmer than the room. The fan would just be there to counteract the block's tendency to hold the stored energy from the previous day. Make sense?
I appreciate the pics and the details you're sharing. I also like the good old boy head decking process you got going there but I just don't know where you guys find the time for all this stuff...I'm buying a crate motor!!!😀
I appreciate the pics and the details you're sharing. I also like the good old boy head decking process you got going there but I just don't know where you guys find the time for all this stuff...I'm buying a crate motor!!!😀
It is tough to find time. Usually 4 hours on a Saturday and if I'm lucky, a couple hours on a Sunday. My GF manages retail so weekends are her big dollar days - she likes to schedule herself to work those days. NOT complaining.
Honestly this is the part I enjoy the most--I am learning. If I were to be tasked with producing the same exact thing again, I very well might just buy one as I've been down that road before.
At least I haven't started building my own transmissions yet..Then this would be a 3 year project. Though with all the other crap I have around I should probably have a T56 of some flavor around to build on when I get bored and stupid..again.
Yep! I got the idea from Youtube user "oldskool funk" or similar and he mentions he got idea from "some old dude on Youtube." Funny. He isn't exactly the strongest linguist and apparently gets a lot of flack from viewers, but honestly his backyard tricks really speak to me. I love rigging ****.
I wonder how the wife was with the glass tabletop after he tried to throw the whole block up there!
07-20-2016, 08:13 AM
Though with all the other crap I have around I should probably have a T56 of some flavor around to build on when I get bored and stupid..again. 