I should do this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daVDrGsaDME&feature=player_embedded

Great video! Thanks Rem. I'll tell you what, the video production was just as impressive as the act of restoring that engine.

Yeah that's something else, having taken the time and taking that many pictures. I've always wanted to rebuild an engine, but got turned off once I heard about making sure the main bearings are the right gap. I suppose if I looked into it myself it wouldn't be so bad, the guy who told me all the horrors of rebuilding an engine was my boss at the time and I found out later he had a habit of lying, stealing from the store, and embellishing things pretty much anytime he was breathing.

Well, I've rebuilt engines and it's not so bad. Some engines are different from others, but if you take your time, think things through, and follow the service procedure you'll be just fine. Don't be afraid to outsource certain steps if need be, such as having the cylinder block and head(s) blueprinted and machined if necessary. Oh, and talk to people that have done it before.

A GoPro would make the picture-taking aspect easier, just work in its frame or wear it on your head. There's a setting to have it fire off a picture every n number of seconds in preset increments from 1/2 second to 60 seconds. The GP works from within a clear waterproof case so greasy hands aren't a huge concern. Just wash your hands or have someone with clean hands pull the GP from the case, then handwash the case with some Palmolive or other grease fighting soap.

Engine building ain't too bad though I can't yet speak from experience. I do want to get into the Studebaker engine and fix some things but that shouldn't be on this trip. My Mazda racing friend race(d/s) RX-7s and Miatas. As a result his brother has rebuilt 12A rotaries, 1.6L and 1.8L Mazda engines, all of which have been endurance tested in the NASA 25-hours of Thunderhill. I imagine, as in most things, with practice one becomes better.

The racing brother is scared as all-Hell of breaking down and repairing a differential. He and his dad did one on his '68 Mustang and the diff. whined something fierce when it was put together. After that experience he went to Currie Enterprises to have them professionally build his next rear end.

I've done some extensive engine work over the years of tinkering on my various projects. Engines and transmissions, especially automatics, are rather simple machines in most cases. Care has to be taken when rebuilding them, especially newer ones (which are more complicated), but if approached methodically and if parts are labeled as they are removed, and order of removal is kept on a suitable bench (or the floor), it's kinda like playing with Legos. Everything has it's place. A good (Chilton doesn't really cut it in most cases) rebuild manual will help shorten the process, and so will the specialty tools called for in lots of cases. If you can rent the tool, do it! If not, you will have to improvise. I used a PVC coupler with two large sections cut out of the sides of it and a set of screw-type spring coild spring compressors as specialty compression device when rebuilding my 41TE transmission (Tux probably knows what tool I'm talking about.), and while it wasn't prefect, it worked well enough to complete the job and cost very little (whatever the PVC coupler and my time was worth).

The worst thing you can do is rush the job, especially the first time you attempt it. And label! I used to not do this, thinking I would remember where things went. Then life got in the way, and 6 months later when I had a chance to finish the project, I was staring at a pile of bolts and wondering how I was gonna figure out where each one went. Plastic bags don't cost much, and knowing exactly which screws/bolts/etc go where can be a life-saver.

Simcik wrote:(Tux probably knows what tool I'm talking about.), and while it wasn't prefect, it worked well enough to complete the job and cost very little (whatever the PVC coupler and my time was worth).

You mean these tools?

I really lucked out, because the first time I ever did any internal work was on my '85 Supra. I bought it with the head gasket blown between 4 and 5 (inline 6), and due to back problems "hired" 2 friends to do it for me. Well, they got it torn apart, and never came back. So, a few months later I tackled it on the weekends. Head gasket up, no manual, no idea how it came apart. I was making runs to and from Auto Zone for stuff they kept breaking so I had NO clue what was what. After a month of working on it during the weekends it was finished. Fired right up, and ran at a smooth 3,000 rpm idle. As it turned out, I crossed 2 of the vacuum lines (egad there were a lot of those things on that car) and once those were reversed the car ran awesome. 25,000 trouble free (engine wise) miles later I sold it after part of the frame rusted out and threw the right rear shock on the ground. I rebuilt my boat engine from the crank up, but didn't touch the connecting rods. Just put new pistons on, put the new cylinders on, put the carbs and exhaust on, and put the top on and away I went. I've gotten down to the head gasket from the top, and gotten up to the connecting rods from the bottom, but never rebuilt an engine. And never had to do anything with main bearings. That's my hangup. Well, that, and I have no engine to rebuild other than one for a 2003 Cavalier but I don't feel like forking out $300+ for a crankshaft and then another several hundred for a gasket set. Oh well, I can leave that for more talented people, until the time comes I need to step up and do it.

TuxTshirt wrote:

Simcik wrote:(Tux probably knows what tool I'm talking about.), and while it wasn't prefect, it worked well enough to complete the job and cost very little (whatever the PVC coupler and my time was worth).

You mean these tools?

That's it!

Remaggib wrote:I really lucked out, because the first time I ever did any internal work was on my '85 Supra. I bought it with the head gasket blown between 4 and 5 (inline 6), and due to back problems "hired" 2 friends to do it for me. Well, they got it torn apart, and never came back. So, a few months later I tackled it on the weekends. Head gasket up, no manual, no idea how it came apart. I was making runs to and from Auto Zone for stuff they kept breaking so I had NO clue what was what. After a month of working on it during the weekends it was finished. Fired right up, and ran at a smooth 3,000 rpm idle. As it turned out, I crossed 2 of the vacuum lines (egad there were a lot of those things on that car) and once those were reversed the car ran awesome. 25,000 trouble free (engine wise) miles later I sold it after part of the frame rusted out and threw the right rear shock on the ground. I rebuilt my boat engine from the crank up, but didn't touch the connecting rods. Just put new pistons on, put the new cylinders on, put the carbs and exhaust on, and put the top on and away I went. I've gotten down to the head gasket from the top, and gotten up to the connecting rods from the bottom, but never rebuilt an engine. And never had to do anything with main bearings. That's my hangup. Well, that, and I have no engine to rebuild other than one for a 2003 Cavalier but I don't feel like forking out $300+ for a crankshaft and then another several hundred for a gasket set. Oh well, I can leave that for more talented people, until the time comes I need to step up and do it.

This might help for times like that:

http://arrc.ebscohost.com/

User/Pass is "tech"/"tech" with no quotation marks.

Sometimes you will have to scroll down and click on "Auto Repair Reference Center," but then it will take you to the right location.

I will have to look into that when I'm on my desktop computer, thank you!