How many of you guys have tried to rebuild your own engine with no major engine building experience. I have a little experice I can change atlernators, valve cover gaskets, water pumps, starters think I can rebuild the engine
The best thing you can do is get lots of books read up. Find someone who knows what to do so you can watch and help out on this build. If you have a speed shop near you become friends with them and they might help you out a little.
We all start that way. I built my first at 14..talk about no experience..a 283..and it ran! and ran real good too It really wouldn't hurt to have a friend who has built them there to guide you along. Not to build it for you, but to show you the ins and out's of it as you go along. You will love it! The excitement when you first hit the key is unreal! I still get all worked up when i first fire a motor i built. Tony
Everyone that has rebuilt an engine, tried it for the first time. Find a good machinist, buy a good manual, an engine stand, a good torque wrench and a compressor would be nice. Ask the machinist questions, keep it clean, use lots of oil when ***embling and take your time. It isn't hard at all, but there is a lot of room for error so be careful and follow directions. Nothing more satisfying than firing up an engine that you built yourself.
Definitely not hard, but it can be intimidating. One thing I've told my buddies is to make sure to note and mark and make sure you keep rod caps and main caps in order and oriented, and dis***embly is important to understand how things go back. Too many people just yank **** and throw it in a box... have you ever seen anyone selling a lightly used just broke in cam and lifters, and the lifters are tossed in a coffee can? Just do your research, buy the book and a torque wrench, and pay attention...all will be fine. And like said before, do your research...understanding why what does what answers a lot of questions.
Wicked, I can offer you an opportunity to watch/help/learn while I rebuild an engine. I am not to far away from you. Several engines in process right now... Always willing to p*** on the knowledge. Let me know... And if anybody else wants to sit in...join the party. Dave
Oh yeah I forgot to tell you an engines biggest enemy !! DIRT DIRT DIRT !!! You have to get everything SURGICAL CLEAN !!! As engines are really foregiving !! But they don't like DIRT !!! >>>>.
Thanks for the offer Dave let me get the engine find out what I need to have done to it and I will be in contact
Wicked...The "autopsy" is a very important part of any rebuild. As ro8decay says above, too many people just take them apart and toss everything in a box.... When you get the motor, BEFORE you dissasemble any part of it..call me. We will take it apart together. Much to be learned from dis***embly!... 29 rattrap, I think you live a little too far for us to help !! Wicked, maybe we can dou***ent your build and post it for all to see . Dave
You got that right... my auto service instructor beat that one into us pretty hard; not just for engines, but any bolt over the whole car, especially suspension. He'd come up to us at random, and shout out "what's the torque spec on that fastener?!?", while scaring the bejesus out of you in the process - and you'd better know it, too.
My son just started up his first rebuild engine today, it seems like he did good. As already said, read a book or two, get everything clean, get the details right, line up someone to ask a few questions of, and go for it. There is nothing "hard" about the process, just a few details to get right. Most engine families will have a few little quirks to be aware of, so educate yourself, and if in doubt STOP, and RESEARCH...
What kind of engine are you going to get? I have some small block Fords near you andyou could have one to play with
I have. Did a 64 buick V6. Came out PERFECT. Surgical clean is the way to go in the ***embly area. Slow and methodical. Consider getting this book for newbie builders: Engine Builders Handbook by Tom Monroe. ISBN # 1-55788-245-2 It really helped me get started. There are similar other ones out there too, of course. Its a fun hobby. So long as you don't need to rush cause you need to drive it to work the next day.
Being only a few short steps ahead of you on this, my advice would be: - Take lots of notes, and pictures if it helps, while tearing down (***uming the motor's never been rebuilt before). Note direction of castings, use baggies or big envelopes for storage that you can write piston #'s etc. on. - If you have to force anything beyond a reasonable amount, something's wrong, stop and ask questions here. - Might be cheezy, but I bought a how to video, and it took a lot of mystery out of it. Yeah, it's exciting stuff. I'm still amazed that I drove cars for so long without really knowing what was happening inside that block. Good luck and have fun.
as many people said its not that hard.i always said if you can take it apart you can put it back together.the one thing i have learned is always cheak what comes back from the machine shop does.i took a motor to one to have bored out 30 over.i brought him the pistons on the rods so he could measure them and bore the block for the pistons.he only cheaked one piston and then bored it to that one piston.unfortunatly that was the largest piston and now im stuck with a pretty large ring gap.also after he turns crank check bearring clearance on all of the rod and mains!it takes some time but i think its worth the piece of mind.one other thing does anyone know why a ford motor smells diff.than a chevy motor when you take it apart?maybe its just me but when i take a ford motor apart it smells dirrerent than any other motor.
I've done a few over the years, and while they all ran just fine after I re***embled them, I was always worried abiut the little handful of nuts, bolts and washers I'd have left over after I'd finished the ***embly! Cheers, Glen.
i was at Borders books or books a million ,dont remember which.they had a "how to rebuild your small block chev" type book that came with a step by step dvd also ... sorry dont remember the correct name maybe this might be helpful.....it was like $35....maybe find it on amazon cheaper...............dave
I've rebuilt stock before its not hard at all. I need more info about how to hot rod a motor. Crank, cam, lifters, and how to set up the intake. That"s where I have trouble, figuring out what parts go together for the best end results. Nothing sounds sweeter than hearing an engine fire up after a fresh build!! I love the smell of gas fumes in the morning.
When I was about 10 years old, my dad gave me an old lawn mower engine to mess with. I couldn't tell you how many times I tore it down and put it back together and made it run. So not knowing anything about it is the best opportunity to learn. Jump right into it and pay very close attention to how things come apart and don't try to force it together. Get a good reference manual, a picture is worth at least a thousand words!
I feel that there is a natural progression that sets you up for working on car engines. It starts with bicycles, lawnmower engines, outboard boat motors, mini bikes and so on. Its best to make all your mistakes with those, with me they were all garbage picked anyway. I took the auto shop courses in HS and went to an automotive college and worked on cars after. I had my first real engine apart at age 18, a 394 Olds for a valve job. It went back together and worked well. Like others have said, hit the books and if you can find a mentor, that'll be a big help. I had a neighbor that worked for a car dealer and he was a great mechanic. I'd ask him for advice only, he refused to get dirty on HIS time though. The biggest thing to learn is how to "read" the parts as they are removed for wear and damage. Bob
No this was for a 401 Nailhead, The Cadillac guy is taking for ever and I am the impatient type and couldnt wait for it anymore
Me and my dad put together a 440 over the summer. First one we've done and probably not the last. Just make sure you have a good shop manual handy and double check all the clearances. Especially the ring gaps if you get hypereutectic pistons.
One of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had. Nothin' like designing and building your own engine, and having it perform even better than you'd hoped. The feeling you get when hearing it sing at wide-open throttle and feel it pulling at your guts, knowing you built it, is rewarding on a level hard to describe (or equal).
Engine building is impossible if you have never done it before. Just kidding, everyone has to start some place. Watch this and you can do it in five minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iikq6fcXamk&feature=PlayList&p=963E58404EE4C89C&index=1 and here is part two. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpDHpZcKWhY&feature=related
had some great time as a kid helping my dad remove and tear down lots of motors learned alot we would go to the machine shope about every saterday moring to pick up or drop off somthing those book are great should be all you need dont foget your feeler guage
What would an average price be for 'standard' machining of a block. Say just small block motors nothing exotic. The typical work done to make the motor rebuildable, without heads, since I am told there is a huge difference in price there. Thanks. Peter
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