So I have a spare 5L out of a 90 car. The engine ran fine when it became a spare. I want to do a very mild rebuild. It will be the first time I'm working on internals and I have a couple of questions. My main thing is what do I absolutely have to do in order to get it back together properly. What I mainly plan to do is replace all bearings and piston rings, maybe new springs and rockers. All fresh gaskets of course. My question is, since there was nothing wrong with the motor when it came apart, do I need to have any surfaces machined? I'm trying to do this 100% at home. It's apart right now, can I replace my stuff and bolt it back together?
Engine Rebuild Question.
- Thread starter maverick31210
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To do a proper rebuild, you'll need to take the engine to the automotive machine shop to have it worked on. If you want to cheap out and throw stuff together, it may not work well.
1.) The block needs to be checked for cracks and the mains need to be checked for alignment. I hope that you marked the main bearing caps prior to removing them. The same goes for the rod caps. The main and rod bearing caps need to go back to the same main or connecting rod that they were removed from and face in the same direction when reassembled. The crank will need to be checked and miked, and turned for undersize main or rod bearings if necessary. Rod and crank bearing need to be plasti-gaged for clearance. The cylinders will need to be miked for wear and taper, and may need to be bored oversize to get them ready for new pistons or rings. At the very minimum, the cylinders will need to be honed to the proper cross-hatch pattern in order for the rings to seat properly.
2.) The heads need to be checked for cracks and valve guide wear. Valves and valve seats will need to be checked and machined. Head surfaces will need to be checked and machined if not they are not flat or have damage. Valve springs and assembled valve height need to be checked.
3.) Pistons need to be checked and cleaned if they are serviceable. You may need new pistons to go with the overbore that the block needed to correct cylinder bore taper and out of round condition. Ring side gap and ring end gap clearances need to be checked and adjusted when the pistons are fitted with new rings..
I am sue that there are other things that need to be done in the machine shop, but that is all I can remember at this time.
1.) The block needs to be checked for cracks and the mains need to be checked for alignment. I hope that you marked the main bearing caps prior to removing them. The same goes for the rod caps. The main and rod bearing caps need to go back to the same main or connecting rod that they were removed from and face in the same direction when reassembled. The crank will need to be checked and miked, and turned for undersize main or rod bearings if necessary. Rod and crank bearing need to be plasti-gaged for clearance. The cylinders will need to be miked for wear and taper, and may need to be bored oversize to get them ready for new pistons or rings. At the very minimum, the cylinders will need to be honed to the proper cross-hatch pattern in order for the rings to seat properly.
2.) The heads need to be checked for cracks and valve guide wear. Valves and valve seats will need to be checked and machined. Head surfaces will need to be checked and machined if not they are not flat or have damage. Valve springs and assembled valve height need to be checked.
3.) Pistons need to be checked and cleaned if they are serviceable. You may need new pistons to go with the overbore that the block needed to correct cylinder bore taper and out of round condition. Ring side gap and ring end gap clearances need to be checked and adjusted when the pistons are fitted with new rings..
I am sue that there are other things that need to be done in the machine shop, but that is all I can remember at this time.
Last edited:
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
^^^^ what he said. At a MINUMUM you need to have the block and heads magnafluxed for cracks, the deck surface checked for straightness, the cylinders, cam and crank journals checked for roundness, the block and heads hot tanked, screw in oil galley plugs, new guides in the heads, the valve seats reground, and the heads milled. I'm leaving out about 20 other essentials but you get the idea. Spend a few hundred now or you will spend it the 2nd time around when you pull the motor out again.
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