Engine Rebuild Procedure Feedback

[SpectralSamurai]

To anyone who has rebuilt a turbo 2.3, I have a plan of attack as it were, and I wonder if anyone has some feedback. Currently, I have it to an assembled shortblock. I'm about to pull the crankshaft and pistons, I'll be using the Federal-Mogul kit from Northern Autoparts.com. After that, I have this, what are your thoughts?

1. Hone cylinders
2. Replace Main/Rod bearings
3. Re-ring pistons
4. Re-install crankshaft
5. Install roller cam in head (?)
6. Install oil pan
7. Install oil dipstick
8. Install distributor
9. Install auxillary camshaft timing gear
10. Install water thermostat/water pump
11. Clean injectors (?)
12. Clean fuel rail (?)
13. Install Head
14. Install Lower intake
15. Exhaust Header/Turbo
16. Coolant lines/pipes
17. Upper intake install
18. Acquire large VAM
19. Acquire LA3

That's my plan of attack so far. Engine mounts are waiting until I determine whether or not the mounts from a Merkur will fit a mustang (my guess is no, so I'm going to recycle the ones from my current engine).

I plan on purchasing:
New Head bolts
New Exhaust Header bolts
Rering kit

Cylinder hone and piston ring tools: Rent or buy, what do you think and what type should I use? The cylinders do not require boring, so I intend to hone them and install the new rings. Also, how do I determine what ring size I need? If I'm only honing the cylinders can I use standard or will I have to go mildly oversized?

Sorry, that's kind of alot to dump into one post, this all just sort of came together tonight.

Dan

 

[kiddiccarus]

I have the same question for the motor mounts. Will the Merkur mounts work in a Mustang? 86 Merkur to a 93 Mustang?

Your set up looks good I am doing the same thing in a slightly different order, Yes clean the fuel rail and the injectors if they are not new. I have the head mounted already on mine and have to set the timing this weekend some time. I am waiting on my Header to show up in the mail from Drew and then that will be cleaned, painted and mounted then I can move on with other things.

My oil dipstick tube isnt staying in the hole, Do you know how to fix it or do I have to get a new one?

What is your time frame looking like? I dont think I will do the actual swap until next year in the spring at the earliest.

 

[mr_woodster]

1. Hone cylinders

Stripped block (nothing on it,in it, or near it)
Flex-Hone 3 1/4" (30-40$ at local part store)+ Drill (cordless for convience)
bucket of soapy water, tolet brush(any brush non-metalic)
-scrub cylinders after hone
Pressure washer (if avalible)...get ever last metal shaving out... spray down
blow dry (air compressor if possible), wipe down cylinder walls each with clean rag.
Spray down cylinders with wd-40 as rust prohibitor
------Tip: i found out a local machine shop for 30-50$ will hot tank+hone+clean the block if its brought in disasymbled....may save you alot of time (heart ache!) if you can pull something like that locally.

2. Replace Main/Rod bearings
3. Re-ring pistons

Pistons: pull inspect for colapsed ring lands, abnormal wear on the skirts and cracks etc.

4. Re-install crankshaft

inspect crank, if it has pits or groves, it needs to be Turned under!(by a local machine shop). If it is turned under say .010"
(10 thousandths) then you need rod bearings that are .010" over...it is a good idea usualy pick up a "crank kit" if your crankshaft has any wear. Basicly it comes with a crank that is already turned, along with the proper main and rod bearings. (think mine was around 70$, remember you turn your old crank in as the core)

5. Install roller cam in head (?)

Cam is in the head, dont worry about that till your done with the "block"

6. Install oil pan
7. Install oil dipstick
8. Install distributor

Out of order, main bearings>crank>torque main caps>re-ringed(filed Fit) pistons compressed/installed>rod bearings installed>rod caps on/torqued> at this point the crank should move faily easily with a rachet...if you did everything right. Mind you a chiltons manual is invaluable..due to the little details like dipping pistions in oil before installing, usuing lubricant on the bearings etc.

9. Install auxillary camshaft timing gear

Install auxillary shaft, oil pump and the driving shaft for the oil pump.
The oil pan goes on !only!after:
main caps=tq to spec
rod caps = tq to spec
auxilary shaft= installed, retainer on, new seal, new gasket+front cover
oil pump =mounted primed
Crank= Turns fairly easily with no real "tuff spots" in the turns.

10. Install water thermostat/water pump

11. Clean injectors (?)
12. Clean fuel rail (?)
13. Install Head
14. Install Lower intake
15. Exhaust Header/Turbo
16. Coolant lines/pipes
17. Upper intake install
18. Acquire large VAM
19. Acquire LA3

another day , another post, not part a part of the block anways

I plan on purchasing:
New Head bolts
New Exhaust Header bolts
Rering kit

use your current 2.3 motor mounts...merkurs are differnt (im fairly sure).

head bolts = ARP head stud if you can afford them (70$ summitracing.com)
---re-usable, a replacement set of head bolts is ~30$ so after 1 head gasket you would have pretty much bought the head stud kit.

Why new exhuast header bolts?

Re-ring kit = Buy a complete engine rebuild kit which comes with rings + gaskets and all the seals you need anways.

Hopefully this information helps you, remember what i said about the manual, also having someone around that has done a rebuild before is a Giant step in the right direction. Price stuff out, see what you can afford ...you have a good aproach as far as planning out a plan of attack, remember to plan for the unexspected, and everthing takes 3 times longer than you planned it

 

[ka0tyk]

for the love of god, dont forget to LUBE EVERYTHING!!!

and before starting prime the oil pump with a drill motor on the distributor oil pump shaft...

I took out all the rubber from my mounts and replaced with aluminum bushings and a grade 8 bolt thru everything... solid mounts are sweet. theres a little vibration but not too bad...

 

[Pro-Hawk]

for the love of god, dont forget to LUBE EVERYTHING!!!

This very true

When installing the main cap bolts ( that bolt the crank down) and head bolts, put lube on the tip of the treads. They don't have to be completely covered. Then put lube under the head of the bolt where it clamps down to the surface. This is where the most stress is locaed at. Now a good thing to do also is chase the threads in the bolt holes to clean them out. Just becareful not to use to big of a tap & Die ( forget which is which lol) so you don't remove any metal doing it.

When installing the head bolts make sure you keep an eye on if they are TTY bolts. These bolts are usualy easy to spot sent all new bolts this way now and have 6pt heads on them. The old stock bolts had 12pts. The 6pt TTY bolts has to be what I call stretched on using a "Toruqe Angle gauge." Now if your old set of bolts had already been replaced by the 6pt bolts you may need to buy a new set. I believe the TTY methood bolts are one use only but don't qoute me its been 10 years since I installed a set

Good luck and have fun

 

[Red_LX]

Re-ring kit = Buy a complete engine rebuild kit which comes with rings + gaskets and all the seals you need anways.

I think he's talking about one of those rering kits from someplace like northern that has the gaskets and bearings and stuff.

Don't buy a FULL rebuild kit if you aren't replacing the pistons. The pistons most of those kits come with are junk anyway. And if you're not using a stock cam there's no sense in it either.

 

[SpectralSamurai]

What is your time frame looking like? I dont think I will do the actual swap until next year in the spring at the earliest.

I intend to have everything installed no later than July 15, tops. My goal is June 15, give or take shipping time.

Why new exhuast header bolts?

Because the old set has three bolts which are "double ended", that is, there is the header bolt and the head of that bolt, and extending beyond that is a second thread with a nut on it. The nuts on each of them are frozen and the metal itself is just stripping away as I try to loosen it, ergo I'm not gonna mess with it; I'm just going to buy a new set of bolts. This engine has alot of frozen/low quality bolts on it, I had to cut the bolt holding the alternator in place off, demolished the O2 sensor to get an impact wrench to actually remove it from the header, etc.

for the love of god, dont forget to LUBE EVERYTHING!!!

and before starting prime the oil pump with a drill motor on the distributor oil pump shaft...

Yes, I know, everyone has hammered that point in so many times I thought it was assumed procedure. I also knew about priming the oil pump, learned that one watching an engine building speed competition (not all TV is pointless....just the vast majority)

When installing the main cap bolts ( that bolt the crank down) and head bolts, put lube on the tip of the treads. They don't have to be completely covered. Then put lube under the head of the bolt where it clamps down to the surface. This is where the most stress is located at.

This I have not heard before, thanks for the heads up.

I think he's talking about one of those rering kits from someplace like northern that has the gaskets and bearings and stuff.

I was. From what I can tell the pistons are fine, I can't afford aftermarket forged pistons so I really hope they are indeed fine; the same thing goes for the crankshaft.

In regards to the bearing sizes, they are given in millimeters over, not inches. If nothing is wrong with the crank I can just use standard size on the main bearings, standard on rod bearings, and assuming the pistons are good and the cylinder walls are just honed, standard on those as well, correct?

I hope to get working on the crankshaft/pistons tomorrow. I'll be checking for machine shops that will hone+hot tank my block, however the one I talked to previously wouldn't do it unless they built the entire engine, so I need to look around some more and call that other shop back and confirm this.

Dan

 

[kiddiccarus]

Wish you luck man take some pics of that good clean install for me I need more pics of everyones installs.

 

[Pro-Hawk]

Wish you luck man take some pics of that good clean install for me I need more pics of everyones installs.

Yup

I always try and take pics so people who cross that bridge that I'm on can see whats envolved in doing it. I got about 29 pics on my site so fair but sometimes it don't pull them all up for me. There should be 12 pages so fair, so if you don't see 12 you know its acting up on you. Also when Stingers pic are working he's got some killer shots on his site.

 

[SpectralSamurai]

I'll be sure to get pics for everyone. Right now though my most important question hasn't been answered yet, and that is:

In regards to the bearing sizes, they are given in millimeters over, not inches. If nothing is wrong with the crank I can just use standard size on the main bearings, standard on rod bearings, and assuming the pistons are good and the cylinder walls are just honed, standard on those as well, correct?