Some days you just want to give up!!
 

I read many posts of the DIY struggling with issues that were driving them crazy.

Lets get something clear, us Pro's have those days as well. Often in a much larger scale as well. Many won't admit to it.

We spend thousands of $$ on equipment and tooling. They break, stop working, always when the need is extreme. Then you spend all day(s) fixing, often finding out that the machine that is only a few years old is no longer supported. Now you are into making parts.

We have cabinets full of measuring equipment. Bore gages long and short, for big holes and small, mic's the same, to name just a few, etc etc. They all seem to measuring slightly different. So you invest in calibration equipment for checking. The least expensive are ring gages. Now depending on who you buy from, are they accurate? So you get all of your measuring junk out to measure the checking tools. But which one do you accept as been right. We send stuff out to be re calibrated and still there is a difference.

Today we measure in microns as most of the engines we work on are European. This requires the equipment to be really accurate. You question everything and this drives you crazy to often say to yourself, I give up!. We set a standard and calibrate everything to that. This includes making our own setting gages and rings, and using equipment we have accepted as "right".

I spoke to a long time friend in the UK who currently works for a major FI engine supplier and asked him how they go about this. They have the same issues and it was on his recommendation that we set our own standard and use that. They have huge budgets that we do not have and an inhouse calibration dept.

What I did find out and thinking about it, found somewhat amusing. In all of this high tech stuff we use, it comes down to an acceptable spec and engines built to this, that did not fail.

We get so involved in what is right and correct and forget that the objective to have an engine that does not fail. Its not only what you measure and how, it also important to look at the parts and understand what went wrong.

Take care of your tools, have them calibrated and invest in some simple checking devices that you can check against. Build then engine with those and if it survives, accpet those tools as been correct.

I guess the stress of the economy is a factor as well. If it’s no longer fun, is ot time to get out and work for someone else?

First of all, always an enjoyable read. Your always striving to clarify the information on tools, procedures, new advances, and yet your never too busy to still cover the basics as well. All these things are done with a confidence of blunt honesty. Whatever tools you have, get to a set baseline, accept it as THE reference and stick to that. Great advice. I rebuilt my top end on my 88 Carrera and it was very difficult to turn that key for the first time. Do you , after all these years and experience, still have a twinge of apprehension at start up time? I would expect with the pros , its just another Tuesday. I have learned so much over the years it feels like I should have student loans to pay off. My point is, thanks for shedding light on information over the years we novices would never see Mr. Henry, much less understand. It takes time.

Every time, you ask yourself, privately, did I do everything. It never changes and it never should. It is this that makes you honest about making sure it is as perfect as possible.

Remember, "nothing will humble a man more than an engine or an angry wife".

I am for sure the engine will not kill me in my sleep..... lol, noted....

At least I can park the troublesome engine in the corner and ignore it til I am wiser or braver, or richer.

My engine won't leave me for another car...

Said subject (engine or wife) blew up the other day ...
Made some horrible noises
Left a total mess
Ruined my day, maybe my week
I don't even want to look, for fear more bad news is coming
Is about to cost me a fortune

Which one am I talking about?

Some days you just want to give up!!
Since this is a thread to vent , why not me ??Last summer got my 87 Targa's engine and tranny out to rebuilt/refresh .All good until reinstalling and restarting , #8 seal bearing leaking !!! Lets come out again , strip the engine , send to builder. Upon reinstallation and restarting , car now runs really rough. 2 weeks of testing , adjusting , repairing (shoutout to Sal Carceller) , car runs now decent .
After 2 days of driving to finally start breaking in the motor , when trying to start the car a horrible starter noise appears. Replace 2 starters , without looking at flywheel or ring gear , then
the little mirror tells the truth. Guess what ??? Starter ring gear chewed up , although that was a new starter..
Bad luck i guess , but this project has to wait for a while now .
Moral of the story for me ?? Professionals or not among us , we get so invested in these projects , setbacks are just hard..

And then there was the guy that recently posted - 3 engine outs after a rebuilt engine leaked at the flywheel seal. The first 2 seals were not up to spec. Changed the source of seal, problem fixed.
I just had starter motor issues and spent a week chasing wiring from front to back, only to find the fault was the new starter motor. Fitted an old one I repaired, problem gone.
It is nice to know - after Neils post, I am not the only one with troubling, conflicting measurements. I thought it was me.
I don't think I could stand the stress building engines for others. I can live with my own mistakes .....just.
Alan

Henry, I had the same problems, even using the best measuring tools around. The lack of repeatability was driving me nuts, then I switched to Mahr and I got repeatable numbers. With that I could start to chase accuracy.
https://metrology.mahr.com/en-int/

Engine?
Commiserations, either way.
Conselling may help :-)
Alan

Sorry, I meant Neil.. and I was the guy that did the 3 engine jobs for the rear seal and the way to measure rubber parts is non-contact video comparator that I have. Laser works well too.

Now I'm having one of those days. Dealing with an aftermarket distributor...

Maybe we all need counselling - for trying to fix these cars with non-original parts.
But Pete - at least your engine won't leave you for another car.
Alan

Neil,

Truer words rarely spoken......

Distributor or warebhouse..... ? Hopefully the part, not the supplier, thought they may be one and the same.

Post the issues, see if anyone here can help.

Cheers

Not yet. I need to make sure I'm doing everything right and accounted for all the variables. I don't want to mistakenly cast aspersions on what should be a good product.

All good Pete, was asking if the potential issue was with a part (distributor in this case) or a distributor (seller of parts)

Cheers

Sorry, I missed that pun! The thing we affectionately call a dizzy.

Got Ya! Hopefully it gets sorted!