Engine out. Must do maintenance?

[bebbetufs]

I'v pulled the engine on my 1990 turbo as almost everything made out of rubber needs to be changed. I am amazed at how little wear I've found and I'm convinced that the 62K on the odometer is correct. Even the clutch and flywheel barely show signs of wear.

I don't want to be changing parts that have thousands of miles of life left in them so what is the minimum you guys would do on such a low milage engine?

[krystar]

why did u have to pull the engine in the first place heh.

if u already got the clutch off, might as well do the rear main. a typical timing belt job with rollers if that's due. maybe want to pull oil pan and see how the pickup tube is. check on the bearings just for peace of mind.

[porsche4life]

You've got it out.... Might as well build it to 400hp ad put a k27 on it.

[bebbetufs]

I pulled it because I had some turbo charger damage, the engine mounts where shot etc, etc. The autumn rain was supposed to arrive, and soon winter will be here with undrivable salty roads....so all in all it was worth pulling it rather than breaking my back working on it while in the car.

With our legislation it is illegal to modify a street car in almost any way. You might get away with a different sized set of wheels, but no guarantees. You would not get away with upping the HP...not without paying a ridiculously high tax for every HP gained, and even then it would most likely be illegal. So I'll be keeping it stock

I'll let you know what I have planned.

1. balance shafts: all seals
2. AOS cleaning and new seals
3. Complete check of vacuum system and hoses
4. All front seals
5. New belts
6. Main rear seal
7. Oil pan seal
8. New engine mounts
9. Turbo rebuild
10. Crank scraper install
11. Oil pan baffle install
12. Injector servicing and possibly matching
13. Cam housing seal

I'm unsure of how to inspect bearings and pickup tube.
I have not made up my mind as to wether I should do the oil cooler/filter housing seals
There may be a leak there somewhere, but I suspect the PO just covered the area in oil when he changed the filter.

Any internal seals that should be changed?

[porsche4life]

The oil cooler wont leak oil out the housing......

Now if you have the motor off change those seals... Its a PITA to get off in the car.

[krystar]

cam tower rear gasket.

just check to see if there are any cracks developing on the pickup tube. if u have access to a welder, make a support bracket for it.


rod bearings, u need to have a 12point 14mm socket and torque wrench. u also need to find plastigauge for measuring tolerances. or you can just do a visual and see that it's still smooth.

[bebbetufs]

Thanks!
So to inspect rod bearings I need to undo the clamps. There is no way to inspect them for play with say a feeler guage?

Also how do you lock the crank in place when removing the flywheel bolts?

What do you guys make of these balance shaft bearings?
Can you tell if they are worn?

[bebbetufs]

Never mind the debris. It has fallen in somehow.
I'll clean everything thoroughly before I start reassembly.

[krystar]

Originally Posted by bebbetufs

Thanks!
So to inspect rod bearings I need to undo the clamps. There is no way to inspect them for play with say a feeler guage?

u'd need to remove the rod end cap. that's what the 12 point 14mm socket is for. if u remove them, u should also buy new ones. they're supposed to be only used once.

i've been told to use plastiguage. it's like a couple of bucks at auto supply store. the clearance limit is 0.034-0.092mm or 0.00134-0.00362"

there's a couple of holes on the flywheel that go thru completely. you can just jam a phillips screwdriver or a m6 bolt thru and catch it on the side of the block. or u could use an impact. just be sure you're going counterclockwise.

[bebbetufs]

Okay. I guess you mean new 12 point nuts, not endcaps?

I can clearly see the benefits of checking bearing tolerances, and that is what I would prefer to do, but this is the first time I've opened an oil pan, let alone dropped an engine.
Do I not risk making things worse by opening the rod bearings, or is it a fairly simple job?

Would you not expect them to be fine given that everything else is in excellent condition?
Can the balance shaft bearing wear indicate rod bearing wear?

[krystar]

yea new 12point nuts. they're $2.50 each

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=928-103-172-02-M260&catalog_description=Rod Nut%2C 924S%2F944%2F968 All (1983-95)%2C Each

i can't remember the torq spec off the top of my head. but it's like 40 or so ftlb. there's two diff specs for old vs new nuts. find out in the manual before you do it.

when i did my first rod bearing, it was my first time dropping an engine ever also. i think it was pretty easy. just make sure u clean off the plastigauge really good.


in MOST cases, i'd expect it to be perfectly fine. if you were having solid 4-5bar oil pressure, then maybe you don't want to go thru the trouble. i just suggested it since you're pulling the oil pan anyway, it's just 10 more minutes of checking on the bearing.

[HondaDustR]

Torque specs for the turbo rod nuts are 75Nm + 5Nm, or 54 + 3.6 ft.lb. The smooth faced nuts were phased out back in 84 and only work with the old sintered rods. The turbo rods are forged. Correct me if I'm wrong.

One big advantage of checking the bearings is it would be super easy with the motor on a stand. Just keep everything REALLY clean and don't drop or knock anything on the rod journals. For $70, you might want to just throw some new bearings in. The other advantage is you get to put on a fresh oil pan gasket, also much easier out of the car.

The balance shaft bearings look fine to me. They're not really under any severe load and run fairly wide oil clearance compared to the rods and mains.

[krystar]

yea make sure when u put the bearing back in that it's super clean. i actually did wiped it down first then spray down entire bearing surface and crank journal with clean wd40 before putting it back together.

[bebbetufs]

The needle is almost pegged at the 5 bar mark and dropps to 3.5 when idling. The electrical connections to the sensor where like new so I believe the guage is reliable. If I can get someone experienced to lend me a hand I will definately do it.

Thanks for all your suggestions and tips. I would not have been able to get this far without you!

[Grandad#3]

Hello, While the engine is on the stand I would replace several things you have not mentioned. Replace the heater hoses and valve. Oil pump seals, you will need the alignment tool to make sure it is aligned properly for the Oil Pressure Relief Valve to operate properly. You might think about cutting the bell housing so it will slide off with out taking the speed and reference sensors bracket loose for the next clutch change. The cut out saves time and frustration. You have a long winter to work on the car and take your time. The link below, if you don't already have it, is a world of ready help.

Clark's Garage Shop Manual Index

Cheers,
Larry

[krystar]

larry, reply on PM please

[bebbetufs]

Do I need to replace the nuts for the main bearings when I install the crank scraper?
I can't find them in the catalog here. Does anyone have the parts number?