Engine Rebuild Nightmare 2020

[Klax]

I've spent the better part of the last year rebuilding my engine and refurbishing oil lines and cooler and the oil tank and fuel tank. I added an AFR gauge and removed the AC system which I haven't used in 19 years. Today was to be the day to finally start it up and drive it.


I pulled the fuel pump relay to prime the oil system and got pressure on the gauge in within 30 seconds. Put relay back in and went for the real thing. Engine fired up reluctantly and struggled to hold idle and didn't sound like all 6 were firing so I shut it off. Then checked plug wires and found #6 a bit loose so reseated it. Upon the next start, the engine fires up and proceeds quickly to 3500 rpm where it seems to want to stay all by itself. I suspect my cruise control cable is holding the throttle open a bit and after some electrical continuity tests on the idle and throttle sensors validate the throttle is open and so I fix the cruise control cable.

Next startup attempt and now car won't hold idle and I stall trying to back out of the garage (new clutch), now what? Oh, I forgot to plug those throttle sensor connectors back in after the aforementioned tests.

On the next start up I finally got a somewhat steady idle but was focused on getting out of the garage, in the driveway to do my 20 minutes of 2000 rpm cam break in. Well, I was able to sit in the driveway, pretending I was driving, and the car ran pretty well for those twenty minutes. I then pulled it back into garage to quickly change the oil and hoping to get an actual drive in before dinner.

I managed to drain the oil, without spilling a drop, nor burning myself. I crawled around under the car looking for leaks. Checked case to cylinder, clean, cylinder to head, clean, case parting line, clean, rear seal, clean, that one through bolt nut near the intermediate shaft, clean. Things are looking good underneath so I put the plugs back in and start refilling with oil.

At this point I realize I need to change the oil filter and luckily I have two more in the basement. So I pull the old filter and go to put the new one on as the wife heads out to pick up Chipotle. An hour+ later, my Chipotle is cold and I can't get the new #*%@&) oil filter screwed on.

Please help, I can't be the only one who struggles with these filters. Its a Mahle OC54 like I've been using for years. And I have struggled to get these things threaded on many times in my 19 years of ownership.

[icarp]

Spin he filter backwards until you hear and feel the click , that will be the threads lining up then slowly screw the filter on . That should do it . Make sure the filter look square to the seal flange.
Be patient you have many hours into it thus far , another few hours is nothing in the overall project
Ian

[Rodney Nelson]

The good news is you will sort out putting the filter on. It is not normal to have an issue with this. The hint above is a good one. Inspect your threads on your oil console. Maybe you can repair them or replace the console.

Good luck on the important stuff...

[OSC911]

The last filter i put on was a Mahle OC54. I too had trouble getting the threads to engage. The old filter came off perfectly. I did get it to start but felt resistance as i spun it on. Just didn't feel right. I tried another filter which went on OK. I searched on PP forum and found a few guys have had the same issue with the Mahle filters. Might have been a bad batch - not sure.

[Bill Douglas]

Come on... Tell the the truth.

You can rebuild and engine but can't change a filter.




Actually, ummm. My SC filter can be a bit odd at times now that I think about it. It needs to be angled slightly (10-15 degrees) down to get it to scew on.

[brighton911]

I doubt there is any trouble with the threads on the filter and/or console. In my case, the difficulty in getting the filter threads started was due to the rubber seal on the console being swelled just enough to prevent centering the filter on the threads. Pushing the rubber aside with the filter as you thread it on does the trick.

[911tracker85]

the difficulty in getting the filter threads started was due to the rubber seal on the console being swelled

had this problem with my 85 911. trimmed the rubber seal a bit and no problems after that.

[gomezoneill]

Spray silicone on the seal and top of filter.

[Mike Andrew]

Originally Posted by brighton911

I doubt there is any trouble with the threads on the filter and/or console. In my case, the difficulty in getting the filter threads started was due to the rubber seal on the console being swelled just enough to prevent centering the filter on the threads. Pushing the rubber aside with the filter as you thread it on does the trick.

Every damm time I change the filter and oil!#$%%### The next time the engine is out, I will install new rubber on the oil console due to ease of access and an empty tank.

[RedCoupe]

Originally Posted by gomezoneill

Spray silicone on the seal and top of filter.

I’m going to try this next oil change!

[Klax]

Okay, crisis averted, I got the filter on. Thanks for all the tips. It was still a struggle this morning with my backup filter until i spread a little silicone paste around the outside of the filter and then it caught the threads. That rubber seal is new.

I'm going for a drive now.

[jpnovak]

I fail to see how this is a nightmare...

[gsxrken]

Originally Posted by jpnovak

I fail to see how this is a nightmare...

You didn’t see the yellow tins?

[930cabman]

Originally Posted by Klax

Okay, crisis averted, I got the filter on. Thanks for all the tips. It was still a struggle this morning with my backup filter until i spread a little silicone paste around the outside of the filter and then it caught the threads. That rubber seal is new.

I'm going for a drive now.

And, how is she running??

[proporsche]

The question i have why are you already changing the oil filter-and assuming the oil,if you did not even do 500 miles??or am I missing something?
The break in the engine,you should do at least 500-1000 m with proper breaking in procedures for whatever you did to it;-)

Ivan

[pmax]

Originally Posted by Klax

So I pull the old filter and go to put the new one on as the wife heads out to pick up Chipotle. An hour+ later, my Chipotle is cold and I can't get the new #*%@&) oil filter screwed on.

Working or driving or ... on an empty stomach is a dangerous thing.

Don't do it !

[Klax]

Looks like I'm going to be eating crow for trying to be humorous with my sensational headline.

Car isn't running well, yet.

I have a new AEM 30-4110 wideband AFR gauge hooked up and yesterday during the test run I was running pretty lean, 15-17 AFR and at the end of the test the gauge showed "---". So before firing up today I richened the base mixture a couple turns clockwise. I started it up and after a few seconds the idle settled in around 900. But then as I go to back out of garage it stalled and doesn't want to start again. I had the test port in the engine compartment jumpered as I intended to work on the mixture.

I think I need to validate my fuel pressure before taking this out, and maybe validate the AEM sensor is good. I don't want to go running at high RPM while lean.

This is a 3.4 build, Web 20/21 cams, bored throttle body, so I'm kind of expecting the idle to be not smooth.

Some people suggest you break in new cams with a 20 minute run at 200 rpm and then dump that oil which is what I'm doing.

Thanks for any tips.

[Jeff Alton]

Have you checked for a vacuum leak?

new cams and new rockers? Break in ideas are plenty. If you are want a good ring seat on it, get some load quickly. Assuming a proper break in oil, we have never seen cam/rocker wear by getting load on the motor quickly. Others may have...

Cheers