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Part 5
I have skipped a lot of the work involved here, as it becomes obvious what needs to be done and how. As you remove parts, inspect them for damage and wear. Intermediate shaft gears, crank journals, bearing shells, main housing bore. The Oil Pump will need to be disassembled to check its internals. The gears should always be crack checked as they are made from sintered steel and very brittle. A back lash check can be done before removing the Intermediate shaft to see if the gear is the correct one. Often these show wear and need to be replaced. If the gear look worn, there is no point in performing the back lash check.
I cannot stress enough about the pre rebuild planning. This is so important. If you know the total engine budget you can spend, this will dictate what upgrades you will be able to do. The most important decisions are, to make sure you have the engine funds available to rebuild the engine back into good working condition. There is no point in buying all these fancy upgrades if you must compromise on the repair work. Starting on something without having an end plan will turn this engine into your most hated thing and you will wish you never started it.
Go slow and be deliberate about this. Enjoy the journey. It should be a labor of love. The result will give you so much enjoyment once it’s all back together and running in the car.
In the assembly part there are many shortcuts, checks and “how to’s”, to help quicken up the assembly process. These are more unique to each assembler. These should be considered for what they are and not an absolute requirement. I will write up another paper on what we consider the “cheats” of assembly.
In this same paper, I will go into what to ask for when sending out parts for repair and what to expect when you receive them back. What to look for and what important repairs you need to be concerned about. Just because they look clean and shiny, doesn’t make them ok. Most of these engines make less than 350 BHP. So, any slight change in spec can have a huge affect on the final performance. Think of your engine as 6 individual single cylinder engines, all hopefully making the same performance. If your parts are hastily repaired to look good and you drop 5- 10 ft/lbs of torque per cylinder, overall you have lost upwards of 60 ft/lbs of torque, resulting in a drop in useable horsepower of approx. 77 BHP. It doesn’t take much.
Your engine does not make the same torque per cylinder due to air flow differences, cylinder heat and friction. The never-ending goal and pursuit is always trying to achieve this. So, why make it worse by assuming the repairs are correct, having a lack of understanding and making poor choices.
My hope is to dispel all the myths and fears many have about rebuilding these “simple” engines. They are one of the most uncomplicated engines you could rebuild.
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