Quote:
Originally Posted by PandA
Howdy all!
It is that time, starting to collect parts for a total engine rebuild.
Do we have a sort of best practices for going through a motor? Is it worthwhile going to larger piston size? How about the individual throttle bodies? Can you still run heat with the Individual throttle bodies? Already have a Fabspeed exhaust but their heat kit was cobbled together at the last minute ("it fits a variety of cars") and fits poorly and looks terrible, is there a better exhaust system out there? Do we have a favorite cam?
The car is mostly an occasional commuter car that would benefit from more low end power but also who doesn't enjoy 6krpm shifts? Those running the individual throttle bodies, how is the reliability? I see some talk on need cam timing, but can we not just keep the flywheel timing?
So many questions and so many more I am not thinking of. Any other words of wisdom?
Thanks!!
Andrew
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I found two papers I wrote several years ago, addressing your questions. They are long and I have to break them up into 5 posts.
Part 1.
Rebuilding an engine.
Its all about the planning.
The most important task in rebuilding and engine needs to be completed before you even remove the first nut or bolt.
What is the objective? What is my maximum budget and what are my performance requirements? Is the engine going to remain stock or is it going to tickle my back side some more?
Remember, most if not all air-cooled engines need a restoration not just rebuilding.
Take pen to paper and plan!! I cannot stress the importance of this!
To remove the engine from the car, do I have the room to do this safely. Can I leave the car in the same place while the engine is been rebuilt? Do I have all the right equipment? If not, what will this cost? Can I borrow it? Will I make a mess (yes), and be able to keep the workplace clean? What am I going to do with all the disposal oil and trash?
Once the engine is apart, what am I going to do myself, what am I going to send out to have done, etc. Getting a base line cost for any machine repairs ahead of time, the lead time to receive back, is very important. This is a huge part of the budget planning. Am I going to have the parts powder coated, CAD plated, painted etc.? All this needs to be decided before doing anything. These costs are well known as they are a common restoration upgrade. If you have a magnesium engine case, plan on head stud inserts, oil by-pass mod, line bore, cylinder decks skimmed parallel, some thread repairs, and some additional cleaning. Plan on having to rebuild the heads, new guides, maybe seat inserts, broken Exhaust stud removal, new valve springs and some or all, new valves. Plan for the worse, hope for the best. Remember to include parts like, new Clutch assy, oil hoses, filters, fuel lines and maybe some electrical upgrades and or repairs. The Alternator may need rebuilding, at the vey least, checking, the wiring probably needs some repair work as well. A lot of this can be established by a close inspection before the engine is even removed.