Engine rebuilds?

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Do any of you do engine rebuilds. I would not know where to begin. Looks like a lot of trouble and I would think you would need years of experience to to it,imho.

Here is a sample video.
 
I've built a handfull, including twice parking the car amongst a pile of parts on Friday night, doing a short block swap, cam and head(s), exhaust carb, dizzy and tuning....commissioning/run-in on Sunday, and drive 40 miles to work Monday.

Nowadays, and LIM feels like a big day out on a weekend, and work is only 10 miles away.
 
Yes I've done engine rebuilds.

Step 1 : Remove engine from car
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
It is getting more difficult with every new generation of engines.
Anyone can do it but not everyone can do it right.


amen to that................
 
If I knew how, I would try it, but I'm afraid I do not know all the extra things, like talking clearances to someone, machining language lingo, and all the specialty tools needed and so on. I have got a 1500 sq ft basement to do many projects, just no skills in that area,,,oil changes, some brake work, but I dont do that anymore, u get old and lazy after awhile...mercy.
 
I'll be doing a Ford 3.8 in a couple of weeks, but when you figure in all costs (such as running around to the manchine shop and parts shipping charges), it's probably cheaper just to get a good reman.
Still, if you do it yourself, you know exactly what's in it.
 
Having worked in the marine and automotive racing industry, not to mention my current job in aviation, I've done plenty of overhauls and "rebuilds".

The work itself is not all that hard. Especially if you contract a competent machine shop to complete the critical items.

However, when dealing with used parts, there are nearly always "issues". Including metal fatigue, corrosion, wear, cracks, distortion, bending and so on.

When I overhauled my aircraft engine, I chose to install all sorts of new parts. Even though it was not required. This ensures a good service life from the engine without risk of installing a used part that might not have much life left in it. If I had the funds, I would have purchased a brand new engine.

Aluminum, for example, has a fatigue limit. It is capable of just so many fatigue cycles and then failure results. We can perform all sorts of non destructive testing on aluminum parts, get a clean bill of health, and still have a part that will fail in short order.

Those that "rebuild" or "overhaul" engines need to have detailed knowledge about the particular engine. Armed with that, the results can be spectacularly good.
 
I'd love to be able to do my own rebuild some day, but the lack of tools, space and funds has pretty much killed any chance of me ever doing so.
 
It is kind of sad, the only engine I've ever had completely apart, was a briggs and stratton in class in high school. It ran quite well with a couple pulls too once I got it back together.
I did rings and clutch springs on my 2T dirt bike as well, but that's it.
I agree with Trav too, that engines are getting harder to rebuild properly and with the price of remans or even junkyard engines, doing a common engine yourself may not really pay off.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Yes I've done engine rebuilds.

Step 1 : Remove engine from car
grin2.gif



Indeed.

Once helped one of the mechanics in the garage i managed, back in early 90s, to change the big end bearings on an 87 or 88 Toyota Corolla Executive. Never again.

Almost as bad as helping on of the mechanics do the valve stem seals on his mk1 Micra with the head on situ.

Never gripped a pair or pliers that tight before or since as i held each valve in position.

He had done it many times before on other Micras. He used to buy smokey Micras at auction for minimal cost and then change the seals and sell it on.
 
Would love to. In my spare time. On a vehicle that I don't need to rely on. And could do cheaply.
 
1600 VW,302 Ford,231 Buick,another 302 Ford,2.2 Chrysler,289 Ford...Every one came out strong and solid.(the 289 has 80 lbs oil pressure at high idle).
 
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Especially if you contract a competent machine shop to complete the critical items.


I did my first rebuild alone with a Haynes manual and guidance from a local machine shop.
 
I've done a few Ford 302's, a number of B&S's, a few Johnson/Evilrude outboards, a few snowmobile engines (Kawasaki, Bombardier) and had my hand in the building of a few SBC's.

Newer engines, as Trav noted, are a much more involved endeavour and definitely a lot harder to DIY.
 
some engines easier than others. the ones I've been involved in haven't needed any special tools beyond a ring compressor and a torque wrench and feeler gauge. bimmer top-end needed a cam alignment (to the sprocket) tool (dumb). Have always taken the heads/block/cam/crank/valves to a machine shop for the measuring and grinding. Valves I've lapped myself but there's less room for error having the shop just do the whole head.

smaller engines are easier to handle just because of the weight but once you're in they are pretty much the same. some accessories or ancilliaries get complex like VVT pistons but it's all still located in simple modules that can be approached one at a time.

For me the hardest procedures are getting them out of the vehicle, and then back in. there's always some sort of issue with something breaking by acident, dealing with A/C, and decisions on what else to replace while in there, like questionable wiring harnesses and stuff. When you see all that stuff, the prices start to go up...
 
Yup...several times.

1979 VW 1600 (super beetle) - carried the engine to my basement by myself...

small block chevy 305

Olds 2.5L iron duke (this was done in car)

chevy 355 small block light performance build for marine use

GM 2.4L ecotech

all the engines I still have in my possession are still running like new, and the marine engine my brother in law owns now, and is also still running like new.
 
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