Rebuild #2

[Aurel]

Hello fellow pelicans,

After 5 years and 25,000 miles on my first rebuild, I have to open her up again, for a rod bearing failure, most likely #2. This happened due to oil starvation, when one of the oil hoses got disconnectd due to a shoddy installation on my part...Thankfully, I did not split the case the first time, only did a top end, so now is a perfect opportunity to refresh the bottom end. The compression was good, heads are still fresh, headstuds were replaced last time, so I am hoping only the bottom end will have to be done, but I will only know for sure when I dig inside. Stay tuned.
Here is the patient, 78SC with 129,601 miles.

[Lapkritis]

Good luck.

[Oheggem]

Any exiting upgrades coming?

Will follow this and good luck

[Smoove1010]

Sorry to hear about this - your rebuild thread was among those I subscribed to before embarking on mine:
87 Drop Top - Drop-n-Top End
I'm doing just the top end as you did last time around.

What were the symptoms of your bearing issue? Which hose was it that you had the problem with that caused the oil starvation?

Best of luck on this one - I'll be looking for progress reports!

GK

[Aurel]

The symptoms were a noise that first could have been mistaken to a valvetrain noise.

Does this sound like rod knock?

But the last time I went for a drive, this noise turned into a very loud knocking, the kind of noise that makes you turn the engine off ASAP. Then I found little bits of metal in the oil.

The hose that caused the starvation is a rubber hose I needed for backdated exhaust. Big mistake. I should have kept my old exhaust...

[billybek]

Have all the parts to install my SSIs except the oil lines. What was it about this particular line that caused the starvation issue?
Good luck with your overhaul!

[efhughes3]

Sorry to hear this, but the reassembly of the top end is easier the second time around!

[Aurel]

Originally Posted by billybek

Have all the parts to install my SSIs except the oil lines. What was it about this particular line that caused the starvation issue?
Good luck with your overhaul!

I did not install the corrsover oil line, instead used my old one wich I cut and connected to the rubber oil line with a hose clamp. The connection eventually gave. Very very stupid idea on my part. My advice: Do not try to save money on these parts.

[otto in norway]

Aurel,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune.
I guess we are sort of in the same boat. (again)
I remember reading about your previous rebuild when I did my 3 liter...

And now I've just started the reassembly of my "New" 3.2 liter. It was installed in 2009, I think, and been running fine.
But I, -I like you, made a slight oversight during the mounting of the engine to the car.

My mistake was to not fasten the oil breather hose properly. So it jumped off. And a lot of moisture and debris had free access to the crank case. This led to premature wear on the cams, rockers, and valve guides. I actually had rust on one of the chain tensioners. Otherwise the engine is fine. I did open her up to check the wear on the crank bearings. -Like New. (Almost)

So I'm in the process of rebuilding a what will become a 3.4 liter, PMO inducted, EFI controlled goody engine.
So I guess there is a silver lining at the end... (At a cost, of course)

[Aurel]

Otto,

Yes I remember you started your first rebuild not long after mine. Looks like we are in the same boat again. I still have to put the engine on the stand, not sure how I managed that last time. As far as performance improvements, I am not making any plans before I open it and see the damage. If I am lucky, it should be less than $1000 in parts but if my crankshaft or cylinders are damaged, it may get a lot more expensive...Then I might consider buying a 3.2 and selling this one as a core. Who knows...

[304065]

Aurelien,

WELCOME (Back) to the Forum! I guess if we all hang around long enough history is bound to repeat itself. Sorry to hear it was for a catastrophic cause vs. sheer mileage.

I have been using a 1000 pound harbor freight hydraulic table to both drop the engine and raise it to the P201. I like this better than the ATV jack which didn't have the vertical reach or the "stack of wooden blocks on the 21" rise floor jack" which I just didn't trust.

Welcome back!

[billybek]

Originally Posted by Aurel

I did not install the corrsover oil line, instead used my old one wich I cut and connected to the rubber oil line with a hose clamp. The connection eventually gave. Very very stupid idea on my part. My advice: Do not try to save money on these parts.

Thanks for sharing and sorry your rework of the factory part gave trouble.

[Ronnie's.930]

Aurelien - I think your avatar picture caused the oil line to fail (not your re-working of it)!

[gregwils]

Your original rebuild was one of the threads that gave the the confidence to tackle my own. Just as an fyi, I could not quiet my ticking valve train until my rockers were rebushed. It can be hard to tell if they are in the motor as even the most minor gap can tick pretty loudly. It was hard for me to determine if the sound was valve train or something else, but since you are proceeding I can only assume you are confident that it is more than a noisy rocker.

If oil starvation was bad enough to harm #2 rod bearing, I would be concerned about every bearing in the bottom end.

Good luck with your project.

[peppy]

Good luck with the re rebuild. I too referred to your first build to help with mine.

[Aurel]

Originally Posted by Ronnie's.930

Aurelien - I think your avatar picture caused the oil line to fail (not your re-working of it)!

Yeah I know, not the sharpest knife in the drawer kind of avatar...I might have to change it for a better rebuild .

[Smoove1010]

I like the avatar. It reminds me of the masons on Monty Python (does anyone remember the intro to The Architect Sketch?)

BTW - what rings did you use on your rebuild #1? The Goetze rings available here at PP and other places are reasonably priced, but some of the older rebuild threads indicate that chrome rings should be used with Alusil, a few posts mention using Porsche-sourced rings (at geometrically greater cost.) I'm figuring that the Goetze rings are dimensioned for these pistons (which go with these alusil cylinders) so they should be correct for this application. Looking for some thoughts and recent experiences.
Thanks,
GK

[Smoove1010]

Originally Posted by Aurel

Otto,

Yes I remember you started your first rebuild not long after mine. Looks like we are in the same boat again. I still have to put the engine on the stand, not sure how I managed that last time. As far as performance improvements, I am not making any plans before I open it and see the damage. If I am lucky, it should be less than $1000 in parts but if my crankshaft or cylinders are damaged, it may get a lot more expensive...Then I might consider buying a 3.2 and selling this one as a core. Who knows...

For my drop, I used the "small drop" method, i.e., I kept the car only high enough so that I could loosen the tranny mount bolts, then used the floor jack to ease the engine down onto a rolling cart - about 3" - then jacked the car up slowly until there was enough clearance to roll the powertrain out.

I used a come-along attached to a strong point in my garage ceiling to lift the engine up onto the engine stand. The come-along is rated to nearly double the engine weight, but let's just say I didn't leave her swinging for very long before I got the weight onto the stand.

Good luck!
GK

[Aurel]

Originally Posted by Smoove1010

I like the avatar. It reminds me of the masons on Monty Python (does anyone remember the intro to The Architect Sketch?)

BTW - what rings did you use on your rebuild #1? The Goetze rings available here at PP and other places are reasonably priced, but some of the older rebuild threads indicate that chrome rings should be used with Alusil, a few posts mention using Porsche-sourced rings (at geometrically greater cost.) I'm figuring that the Goetze rings are dimensioned for these pistons (which go with these alusil cylinders) so they should be correct for this application. Looking for some thoughts and recent experiences.
Thanks,
GK

I did use the Goetze rings and had good luck reringing my Alusils. I just did a very soft deglazing of the cylinders, which is described in the first rebuild thread.

[TibetanT]

Aurel:

Sorry to hear of this problem developing.

However, you know what to do and like some have said "it is easier the second time around."

Good luck and I look forward to your progress too!