Any news on your rebuild yet?

slow but steady, I saw your post and somewhere between massively impressed and terribly jealous.

I find an average of 2-3 hours/wk to work on mine.

Putting the rest of the assembled cylinders back on today. The heads get picked up tomorrow. I now fully believe all my bad noises were in them, I had 2 broken springs, most of the exhaust bushings were bad and 1 exhaust valve (in the lone cylinder which had a less than great compression reading) was bad. I'm also replacing all my rocker bushings as 3 of them were wobbly. He did a valve job, replaced the exhaust bushings, installed my full set of new springs and re-set everything.

I have come to believe that my bottom end was rebuilt at some point but maybe they put the heads back on without doing anything to them. I've scoured everything for hours and hours (and hours) and tried to be as meticulous as possible following threads in the engine rebuilding forum and Wayne's book.

Sounds like you're going to be ready to roll really soon with a fresh engine that you can drive for another 100,000 miles worry free! :)

Took my car out this morning for an hour autotuning the bitz kit. Sure makes a difference. I'm impressed.

No oil leaking, burning and coming through the HE's sure is nice.
The rsr seals and 21 ft/lbs on the rocker shafts seems to have solved my problems. (Along with all new /refreshed parts)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1358882038.jpg

I'm getting somewhere (slowly) :)


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1358882080.jpg
(returned machine shop parts)

- 1 Valve that wasn't seating properly (#4 my lowest compression reading)
- 2 Toasted springs
- 4 Exhaust Valve Guides worn too far

Replaced all springs as I don't plan to do this again any time soon! I miss DRIVING my car.

Travis, If someone told you those cylinders are alusil, They are dead wrong. Those are Nikasil pistons & barrels in the photos.
Howard

Well that can only be good news right? How can [you] tell (by you I mean me, YOU have years of looking at these things :) )?

I took the word of several people looking at pictures of them in another thread I had going. They still had a reasonable cross-hatch on them after I cleaned them up with carb cleaner and didn't seem to be a source of any of my problems so I've (obviously) reassembled them as they were and reinstalled them.

The machinist wasn't sure, he said he'd used a special paste on a set of Clifton's Alusil pistons a while back but after hours of reading horror stories about Alusil I didn't want to mess with them.

Looking good! Nickies are an added bonus. I never really looked at your pictures of the cylinders until today ater Howard pointed it out. There are threads on how to tell the alusils from the nickasils.
Are you keeping the dog clean these days? (Blog) :)

The fuzzy white dog is her very own maintenance nightmare but thankfully it's her own doing and not mine lately. :)

Here's a great thread on how to ID your cylinders - it even includes a quiz:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/911-engine-rebuilding-forum/453063-nikasil-alusil.html
According to the gurus, Niks have 11 fins (ours go to 11...) and are very slightly magnetic in the bore. I'm heading out to the garage now to count fins.

How did you get your case so clean? Paint thinner?

Good luck,
GK

Thanks for the link.

Pure Mineral Spirits, poured over and used a scrub brush then rinsed with the hose (several passes) Then carb cleaner also with a scrub brush and/or scotch brite pads, rinsed with the hose (I've probably gone through 5 cans of carb cleaner so far). Then blown dry with the air compressor.

What not to do: Detailed elsewhere but since you asked...

I initially used Purple power on the just out still assembled engine and quickly learned it cuts grease like crazy but it pits aluminum in equal crazy amounts :( (so don't do that). The dishwasher with a bunch of Dawn and Dishwasher tabs doesn't begin to touch greasy engine parts (so don't do that for several reasons!!!). Soaking some parts overnight in Dawn in my garage sink (the one I'm allowed to trash w/o rebuke) got a layer of grime off but not nearly so much as Mineral Spirits and Carb Cleaner.

Thanks for warning me off the Purple Power. I did try it on a few spots, luckily no pitting yet - perhaps it's that protective sludge layer. I'm having much better luck with the mineral spirits using the same procedure you noted. Same procedure, BTW, that I used on my calipers when I rebuilt them last spring. Another poster called engine cleaning a "time soak" and he wasn't kidding...

...oh yeah, mine only go to 10, so I better read up on those scary Alusil threads.

I counted 11 fins today FWIW....

- Question for anyone still paying attention:

I'm needing to reuse my chain tensioners, sadly I don't have an extra grand at the moment to upgrade them. But this morning as I was cleaning parts and beginning the chain tower assembly I noticed something odd. I can reasonably easily compress the left chain tensioner with my hand but the right doesn't seem to budge.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359323469.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359323491.jpg

What's right, what's wrong?

Gratuitous current state shot:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359323656.jpg

And separated from the actual engine content but none-the-less related:

This is what happens when I've spent too long driving only the boring grocery getter
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359323975.jpg

The complete germanification of my garage is accomplished :D

Similar situation with my engine as yours. Just doing cam timing, and re-using my tensioners the same as you. I can't easily compress either of mine, hopefully a good sign. Did you fit the spacers, I need to get some, but no one has them in them in the UK.

The collars were there when I opened her up.

sent from my Galaxy S III

easily compressed is not a good sign...
Bruce

These work and well.
The only problem you have is resolved with the collars. Replace the oney that are soft with good used and install the collar about 3/16 inch above the bottom of the pin, installed
To install a good tensioner, use a long screwdriver to collapse the tensioner against the idler.
Slowly press down and when youre level to install tap the tensioner with a hammer to get it in place. Now put the collar on.
Bruce

Sounds like not only was one shot but the collars were on wrong. Both of mine are mounted to the very top of the pin. Reading into what you have written it makes sense that I'm trying to prevent that pin from dropping more than a certain amount in the event it loses pressure.

Nikasil always has a shine & alusil is dull. Also Mahle is nikasil barrels,Alusil is made by KS.
Howard
P.S. cliftons 944 is alusil/locasil.

Post a photo of the top of your tensioners without the guards installed. I want to see something.
Howard

Travis, Do you still have my phone #??? Call me.
Howard

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359418278.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359418350.jpg

Picture request - the one on the left is easily compressed by hand. On that tensioner the little disc inside is 4mm lower (at 27mm down from top of the piston) than the one on the right.

I see they are 053's. Both are low on oil, look how low the inner disc is. Send them up & I'll fix you up.
Howard

Travis, Got your tensioners. Give me a call please.
Howard

Repaired, Going out in tomorrows mail.
Howard

You rock! And thank you so much!

Howard, what's the magic brother? Care to share your techinque?

Glad I asked, seems my tensioners were in pretty sorry shape. Here's the rebuilt one courtesy of Howard:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360111398.jpg

Next Hurdle, Rocker Arm Bushings
 

I noted early on that some of my exhaust rocker shafts had noticeable "wiggle" in 1 direction. I've found out this is how they tend to wear and noted below an example of what I found.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360111544.jpg

And closeup of the wear pattern and the condition of the faces.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360111734.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360111763.jpg

I believe my cams and rocker faces to be in pretty good shape, plan to leave them alone. But now I have to figure out if I should change out the bushings on the worn ones.

This weekend saw a great amount of work done (for me anyway) but lord was it a PITA.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360546778.jpg

I didn't have the p214 tool for the tensioners, in the end it was Bruce's (Flatpac6) screwdriver method that prevailed.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360546844.jpg

And a variation of the same with a 8mm Allen and my handy 3' iron pipe.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360546889.jpg

If I have to mess with these again I'm ordering the damn tool or making it out of a strip of steel. I have 930 part number tensioners but couldn't for the life of me find where I could put a pin or a finish nail to keep the piston down.

Timing was also it's own special load of fun for my first time but I managed to keep both sides right in the middle of the 0.9-1.1mm range on my dial guage.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360547040.jpg

I got all the rockers in and valves adjusted before I wrapped her back up. Trying to stay on a roll and get this damn thing running again.

I have finally completely read through your thread....fantastic...I hope you have resolved the ticking. Couple of things:
1) Very impressed with the rebuild. I have never rebuilt a car engine (only mopeds and lawnmower engines many years ago). While my engine seems to be mostly OK, I know one day it'll happen. I was thinking of purchasing an old bug engine and having that be my first experience as it is cheaper and easier to handle and can probably carry it into my basement. Whaddya think? Did your bug experiences help you out?

2) I notice your little helper is about the same age as my little helper. Seeing him clean up with Gojo fills me with pride!

Cannot wait to hear the final video with the nice purr from this engine.

:) thanks!

on 1) no, after reading your own thread I'd say we have similar skill sets and general (if not trade experienced) mechanical aptitudes. Although the 1600's are similar in layout they are vastly different in practice and in tolerance, in retrospect the VW engines I tinkered with were taken down, replaced the (cheap) parts and seals and slapped back together, I didn't take (or I guess need to take?) NEARLY the effort I've put into this.

So I say no, save that $ and put it into yours when it's necessary.

Good job T. ! Get it finished so you can come to the yearly get together on March 23.
Howard

Thanks Howard :) - That's my goal, plan FI makes it's way back on this weekend.

Thanks for the great photos and write up.

A question: did you do anything special to seal the rocker shafts?

Regards,

I didn't and I hope I don't live to regret it but if I do I'm not skeered to take them out and add the RSR seals. FWIW I had no leaks before I took them out and they had no seals on them.

Howard helped me determine my wear on them was pretty well within spec so I chose to leave them alone all together, but it wouldn't shock me if I'm checking and servicing them 10-15k from now.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1360708503.jpg

Thank you Gulf Coast's strange fascination with being drunk in the street! (Mardi Gras). They partied in the pouring rain, I got closer to a finished engine.

Looking good. Love the color combo too!

Did you spin the rocker shafts 180 degrees to put a fresh surface in position to bear the most load as I've seen other Pelicans suggest?

I agree with NeedSpace, the engine color combo looks great. The rocker covers look to be a bronze color, or is that the lighting in the photo?

GK