Yes, I had Dennis at precision engine service do it locally. He had about the best reputation of what was available. Unfortunately, I have no way to verify if the work he did was good or not. Looks professional, tho. Fortunately for me, I attacked my 901 prior to doing the engine. When I finally get this beast to fire off, it should be good to go down the road with no grinding or tranny leaks. Onward thru the fog!!!!

Reassembly is underway!
 

Ok gang, it's underway! I followed Wayne's advice, and spent an hour cleaning up the shop and bench before test-fitting the rods. I had forgotten what the top of the bench looked like......
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1223664744.jpg


I followed Wayne's instructions, and fit the new bearings into the rods and then onto the crank. I used plastigauge, and got some confounding results. The book says the spec for bearing clearance is .030-.080mm for the rod bearings. I got .025mm on five out of the six rods, with the sixth showing to be in the .035mm clearance range. I'd love to hear what the wise motor builders in the group would say??? I had the crank polished, so it should have lost a touch of material on the journals.... I can't imagine that they'd be that tight. I double checked the rod bearing box, and it shows standard sized bearings, as does the invoice. I had the big ends of the rods checked by two machinists (can't be too careful) and they both measured them to be within spec (no rebuild done on the big ends). I suppose I could have smeared the plastigauge, but it would be hard to repeat that five times in a row. For the torquing procedure, I tightened to 14.7 lb/ft, then went another 1/4 turn (90 deg.) Is that right?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1223664864.jpg

So the range is .00118 to .00314 and your at .00098 Your 2/10th of a thousands tight? Do you have the crank and rod measurements? I never had good luck reading plastigauge down that close.

Crank is back together (well, sort of....)
 

After more eyeballing, worrying, cleaning, thinking, and repeating... It was time to reassemble the crank. OK, re-read the chapter in Wayne's book another 14 times. Lather, rinse, repeat.... I felt like Jack Nicholson in "As Good as it Gets." So, I assemble the first rod... line it up.... apply the thread locker....torque it down.... and "whew"! Let's give her a little spin to see how buttery smooth it feels. Uh oh.... doesn't feel that smooth :confused: In my obsession, I forgot to make sure the rod halves were mated correctly!!! http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...s/a_frusty.gif
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1225118848.jpg
Well, %&$!!!! Nothing like making an error with rod bolts that can only be torqued once. Oh well, it's only money, right? I managed to assemble the rest of the rods without incident. They all spin smoothly with about the same amount of drag. I'm thinking about calling the local stealership to see if they stock the rod bolts/nuts. I guess this is God's way of telling me that I need to spend more time cleaning the case! Here's the assembled crank (minus one rod)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1225119092.jpg

Onward through the fog!!!! SmileWavy

This is a fun read. Good luck!

Well, while I wait patiently for a pair of rod bolts to arrive I thought I'd spend some time prepping the case for assembly. I had it cleaned at the machine shop and did some scrubbing before. I sent it to CGarr for machine work, and it came back cleaner than I had sent it. I scrubbed it in hot soapy water again, and then went after it with brake cleaner. It's starting to meet assembly standards.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1225140354.jpg

Next, I broke out my trusty second amendment cleaning kit... All of the main oil passages can be done with a .45 cal brush and jag. It looks like a couple of the outer ones might need a .40 or 9mm.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1225140438.jpg

See what good tools do for you!!! This is what the Kimwipes + brake cleaner looked like as they came out of the oil passages..... No shavings or chunks, but still a good bit of gunk.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1225140498.jpg

More tomorrow!!!

next phase
 

Alrighty then.... Finally got the new rod bolts and got the crank completed. I got some time today to finally start the case reassembly :p I installed the intermediate shaft bearings, and test fit it to the case....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227212148.jpg

Everthing is snug, and turns freely with no binding. Next I installed the seal in the number eight nose bearing. I applied Curil-T like Wayne's book said to. The Curil-T seemed to make the seal want to squirt out. I basically held it in and flush with a wood clamp until it "set" enough to stay in. Next for the flywheel seal. Is this installed correctly? Both arrows on the seals are pointing the same direction. I can't remember how the seal looked on disassembly....


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227212340.jpg

Next, I dropped the crank into the case. All appears snug and it spins freely....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227212453.jpg

I guess I'll wait to hear from someone on the flywheel seal orientation before I continue. Thanks all!!!

Flat side out tward the flywheel. Reverse of what is shown in the picture.
Set seal deep into the grove provided in case with only lite oil on all contact areas.

well....schitt!
 

I guess I should consider myself lucky..... I had my first real "unexpected" problem with my rebuild this morning. You gotta love magnesium cases. I thought I might actually get to seal my long block today. No chance. I dropped the oil pump/intermediate shaft in and started to torque the nuts to the required 25n/m. Much to my chagrin, the third nut kept spinning...and spinning....and spinning. Even an idiot like me knows what that means :mad: Yep. Pulled the stud right out of the case.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228403111.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228403122.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228403137.jpg

OK, so somebody get me on the right track here. My guess is that a helicoil would do the trick. The stud doesn't take much load it doesn't seem to me--just holds the oil pump firm in the case. If so, where can I pick the correct one up? CGarr, I'd love your input here!

Thanks all!!!

Yea, Mag cases are great for this, you usually only get one shot before the threads are shot in these old cases thus the casesavers! I would not use a helicoil, I have some threaded inserts, they are casesavers for the 8mm studs, the OD is 10mm just tap out the hole and insert and you should be good. PM me your address and I will send you a few of them. I will check the case I have here and machine the insert for the correct depth.


Craig

Thanks Craig... You Da Man!!!! (for the thousandth time...) PM on the way.

deglazing cylinders
 

Found an interesting thread where bobboloo used a flex hone to deglaze and prep his 2.7 Nikasils for his build. I contacted Bobboloo, and he agreed to rent me his hone. Here it is in comparison to a flex hone that I use to polish shotgun chambers.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228690972.jpg

I used WD40 as a honing medium as he did. It only took a few strokes on the lowest setting of the drill to get them all nice and clean--my cylinders weren't bad at all. Here's the before and afters....
Before

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228691051.jpg

....and after


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228691073.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228691090.jpg

Unfortunately, my WD-40 can ran dry after the first cylinder. Off to the store tomorrow!!!!

Looks good Jay.

Just to let people know. The flex-hone medium is aluminum-oxide which is designed to go easy on Nikasil unlike the silicon-carbide hones out there that can actually damage Nikasil cross hatches.

Holy *****, it's a sh*rtblock!!!
 

Well,
After a couple of months of real life kicking me in the pants, I finally got back to my project :p Sealing up the case has been the scariest part of this whole thing so far (I'm not to cam timing yet, tho). Once the case is sealed, it is really expensive and time-consuming to correct errors. I would have taken pictures of the case going together, but I was so paranoid of the Loctite setting up before I got everything together that I figured I had better focus on that over pictures. It seemed to go pretty smooth with the exception of a lost perimeter bolt. It's the one at the bottom corner that isn't a stud--I looked everywhere for it, or something similar to bind it together until I could find a replacement. Hope it doesn't mean an automatic oil leak later :mad: Here are the pics..... Onward towards a longblock!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1236715720.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1236715736.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1236715753.jpg

Nice progress...

If that hole that lost bolt goes into goes all the way through the case, just find a longer/ smaller diameter bolt/nut to hold the case together until you find the proper hardware.

David

OK, thanks for forcing me to go finish it right. You may have saved me an oil leak down the road. I finally was able to locate a bolt from another project.... Thanks!

BTW, I really appreciate threads like yours... I have a 74S that I am slowly restoring, so its a great help to have people like you document your experience!

It gives someone like me great information/tips to be sucessful in tackling the same project :)

David

honing cly's
 

BTW; I was taught and always practiced a @ 45 deg. cross hatch when honing cly's.
With many successful rerung 2.7's, 3.0's, 3.2's with Nik's and no more than .003 taper I might ad.
Can't see yours crosshatch but just thought I'ed ad my 2 cents.
Aloha

Jaybird,

Did you find the 12pt-12mm tool for the flywheel bolts locally? If so, where? I need to pick one up to remove mine.

thanks,
Frank

Yes, I believe that they are sold as a brake tool. They come in a pack of four, and you can pick 'em up at O'Reillys, Autozone, etc. I'll see if I can find the package for a picture.

wow looks like my project. Tearing down a 2.0 with 2.7 pistons. Where is CGarr? Did he do all your case work and did he inspect your pistons?

Thanks

Yes, CGarr did all my case work, and has been an invaluable consultant on my project. I give him my highest recommendation. His username on this board is "CGarr". I had my pistons/cylinders checked by a local machine shop for roundness/taper. Holler if I can help in any way. It's the least I can do since so many on this board have been so helpful to me.

--Jay

Jay, let me know when you get to cam timing. I have all the tools should you need them. Also, cam timing is pretty simple once you understand the process.

Looks like you are doing a great job so far.

Oh schitt, what now?
 

OK,
I've gone to working the night shift at my day job:confused: so I find myself awake until 7am on my days off. Makes for lots of time in the garage after the wife and kiddos crash. I installed my chain ramps today, and started (yes started) on my flywheel install. Just like the good book says, I put a tiny drop of red loctite on my new flywheel bolts and started tightening in increments of 15 lb/ft up to 110 lb/ft. Everything was going swimmingly until i jumped from 90 to 115 for the final torque. My engine stand does not have a lock to keep it from spinning.... I sure wish I thought of that before I got stuck with a rotating engine.:mad: Well, I do the next logical thing and get myself a pry bar to wedge the damn thing so I can get the bolts tight. Long story short, I ended up rounding my tool, so now I can't get enough bite to get them to their final torque settings. Am I screwed? Can I go buy a new tool tomorrow (if I can find one on Sunday) and give them the final torque down, or will the red loctite prohibit them from tightening anymore? One is at 110, and the other five are at 90. What do I do, gurus?

Depressed in Austin,

--Jay

For the engine stand, can you modify it by drilling through its axle and use a big pin or screwdriver to lock it from rotating? That is how mine locks. As for the tool, if it is rounded, get a new socket not made in China. For the red loctite, I would burn it with a propane torch and start over again.

take the flywheel bolt tool to grinding wheel and carefully evenly grind of the damage tip and it will be as good as new.

I guess my big question is whether or not I can just continue torquing, or do I need to remove the bolts, and start over, or (gulp) replace them. thanks!!!!!

Jay. I would remove the bolts and start the torque sequence over. If you used the "red" loctite or equivalent permanent threadlocker you will need to heat the bolts to get them to release.

If the end of your tool is buggered up and distorted, just grind the end off of it and have a fresh edge that will grip the nuts. This works well for Allen/Hex keys too.

If the flywheel bolts are buggered up and distorted, replace them as needed.

Deck height check
 

OK guys,

I'm back on track with my rebuild thanks to Jamie Novak who loaned me a ring compressor. I'm preparing for piston/cylinder install, and want to check the math on my deck height before I start bolting stuff together. Wayne's book says that the piston can be slightly cocked in the bore, so I thought I'd count on the law of averages to bail me out. I measured the deck height in front of each of the four head studs with no base shim installed, and no rings on the piston. I added the measurements and divided by 4. I had no gross variations in measurement. That yielded a deck height of appx. 0.62mm. I ordered .50mm cylinder shims with my pelican rebuild kit. This would yield a total deck height of 1.12mm when completely installed. Is this safe for my low-compression 2.7RS pistons (8.5:1) running stock "E" cams? I think Wayne says 1.25mm to 1.5mm, but I have some room to spare on compression (I think). What says the group... Am I safe?

Cheers!SmileWavy

--Jaybird

Jay,

many performance engine builds will target 0.03" to 0.04" deck height (0.76 - 1.0 mm). I would add a .25mm base gasket and run the deckheight at .87mm (0.0343"). This will put you right in the middle of the acceptable range. At this deckheight you should have plenty of valve clearance considering the dome height of the RS pistons, the valve relief pocket depth and the lower lift of the E cam compared to S (or bigger).

Did you get the heads chamfered at the edge when they were rebuilt? If so, Then I would consider running an even lower deck height. The chamfer will eliminate the detonation pocket at the outside edges of the piston/cylinder/head interface.

Check out Grady's description here:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/911-engine-rebuilding-forum/294214-9-8-10-1-a.html?highlight=deck+height

If the heads are chamfered the sharp edge has been removed and you can visualize the ability to run a tighter clearance.

I am about to mate the pistons with the cylinders, and discover this...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241036301.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241036317.jpg

I don't know if it was carelessness on behalf of the machine shop when they cleaned them, or I was careless with storage. Either way, I am where I am. I would assume this nick would score the cylinder wall? What is the best way to address it? My thought would be to dress it down flush with a fine swiss file. What say the masters? Onward with the rebuild....:D

--Jaybird

Use an American file and you will be fine, that's a fine file. What Cams are you going to be running?

Craig,

I'll be running stock "E" cams done by John Dougherty. What are your thoughts on the deck height? As always... thanks!!!!

--jay

Agreed, Just smooth down and match the radius. Also, make sure there is not a sharp edge on the top. It could become a later hot-spot for detonation, especially on the outside edge of the combustion chamber.

Fixed the nick
 

Ok, got it smoothed out...


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241039525.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241039537.jpg

Off to the races!!!!

progress
 

Well gentlemen, I'm moving along. Thanks to Jamie Novak, I have the pistons inserted in the cylinders. Once again, having the correct tools makes all the difference (thanks Jamie!!!) The ring compressor worked like a charm, and all the pistons and rings just slid right in.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241201912.jpg

So, I started unboxing my heads last night to get them cleaned and prepped. Unfortunately, I found a nick (most likely from shipping) in the edge of one of the heads. I've PM'ed CGarr to talk about the fix. I think 8 mos. later is a bit late to file a claim on the shipper :). Once again, a good reason to unbox and inspect everything when it arrives. Photo attached....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241202061.jpg

Oh yeah.... Jamie, is this the chamfer you were looking for in the head that would factor into deck height????


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241202111.jpg

More later after I get the pistons and cylinders installed.....

Jay SmileWavy

Jay,

That nick is outside the sealing surface and should not cause any issues. Again, remove any sharp or protruding areas with the file.

Yes, that is the chamfer I was referring to. good job Craig!

btw, if you want to CC the heads and Pistons let me know. IT doesn't take long to measure them and then you will have an accurate CR.

Jamie,
sounds like a plan to me! I'll shoot you a PM for the details....

Looks like you're making progress.

I ended up sending the case, crank, P's&C's to Ollies. The cams were reground to E spec. My pistons ended up being 2.8 RSR with 2.7 cylinders bored to fit. The case (2.0) has some warpage so ollies is working on that and will also rework the studs. I'm still a few weeks away from where you are.

While I'm thinking about it, how do I properly test my oil thermostat? Wayne's book says to put it on a hot plate and watch to see if it opens. I put mine in a skillet on the stove, and watched it for awhile. It never moved. When it got hot to the touch, I removed it in fear of damaging it. Also, at ambient temp, the slits on mine appear to be about halfway open. it would seem that this would allow a bit of oil to flow past the sensor that controls the thermostat. Thoughts?? Thanks!