Looking for some advice .Ive never rebuilt an engine on my own and have made it a new goal to learn and also get a sense of accomplishment. I know there are 101 books out there on all different kinds of motors, but any on step by step engine rebuilding, kinda like a Rebuilding an Engine for Dummies? It will be in the Chevy family, anywhere from a 305/350 or even a 327. I went down to Borders and there really wasnt much at all, but then again their Transportation section was very small. Thanks in advance ..
this book http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4580027242 is pretty good for beginners. Should still be available in any good sized book store, probably cost less on epay though.
I'd also recomend you get an older GM chassis manual that covers the engine. Hell, my chiltons's book for my old blazer is all greasy from when I do work. Any overhaul manual for the cars woth the v8's will work. It is good to have two of them- one will usually provide some detail the other didn't explain clearly or skipped. You can't read too much.
step 1: use a reputable machine shop step 2: use the old hardbound chilton's from the library or a used bookstore rebuilding a 350 is as easy as can be. label everything, use a punch set to mark 1 thru 8 on the rods and caps, 2,3,4 on main caps and be sure the rings aint upside down. dont ask how i know
Thats rad you want to build your own engine. My first was my 392 Hemi. If I had it all over again, I would have broke my teeth in on a SBC because of the cheap cost of everything......
The HP "How to rebuild your...." is a great one, along with a "chiltons". Get coffee cans, card board boxes ect.to segregate everything & make shure it's labeled. If engine is in car map where all bolts are in what holes,accesories are bolted where(easy to forget), good tools inc. torque wrench. I use an old wood chisel for gasket & crud scraping.
Thanks for the advice guys. The engine isnt going in anything yet, Im gonna throw it on a stand and get edumacated in the ways of motors
Lots of good suggestions above. I just wanted to wish you good luck! My first rebuild was a VW engine when I was 13. Arguably even easier than a SBC. Then it was a 312 Y-Block...then a 351 C. You can do it. And take some pics as you go.
If it's going to sit on a stand, use the thick STP oil treatment as an assembly lube, rather than straight motor oil- it'll hang on the metal inside a little longer. My two cents: Be fussy about cleanliness. Label everything, and work slowly. It really is a fun process to put together something as finely machined as an engine. Don't RTV everything together the way some assembly manuals tell you (one of the Mopar books I have is like that...). There are some places where two separate gaskets come together (oil pan gaskets are a good example) that it's good to use it, but goop shouldn't be a substitute for good parts. Make sure you put the rear main seal in the right direction. Make sure you put both halves of it in (don't ask me how I know...)
best of luck man. i just finished my first engine rebuild on my 62 cadillac labeling everything is some of the best advice anyone can give. i took lots of pics with my camera too as it came apart, it helps too.
Just a few suggestions on a SBC: Toss the old oil pump. New ones are cheap insurance. Use a stock volume oil pump, that's all it needs. If you weld the pick up on, take the gears out of the pump before welding it. Put the pump pickup on too low, place the pan on without a gasket and push it up with the pan, then take the pan off and push the pickup up about another 1/4" so it will be close but won't be Hoovering the bottom of the pan. Then take out the gears and spot weld the pickup on. (Note: Lots of people don't bother with this welding step, the factory didn't...) Use a correct puller and a correct installation tool to pull and install the dampener or you will fuck up the threads in the crank end. If you are going to reuse the old cam and lifters (probably not) keep the lifters in order because their established individual wear patterns will wear out almost immediately if you mix them up. Be real careful when "ledge reaming" so you don't cut the bores too big. Some ledge cutting tools just don't work right and screw up a block real fast. Check how your ledge cutting tool works on an already scrap block...A junk lawnmower may do. If you go "hot" cam don't over cam. If it's for the street, get a cam that's recommended to be ok with a stock torque converter and it'll still be streetable. SBC's are cheap, don't throw good money into a bad block or head. If it's cracked or too worn to clean up to your desired bore, get anothr one. You can buy another block core cheaper than sleeves, for example. Take all the freeze plugs, hose bibs, oil gallery plugs and sending units out of blocks and heads before sending to a machine shop or you may never see them again. Make double sure all the new oil gallery and freeze plugs are back in the rear of the block before putting the flex plate/flywheel on!
Poke around the grocery store and ask for (or swipe) one of those plastic crate / trays that 2 liter bottles of pop come in. The have 8 holes. Mark it for front and rear, then number each hole as it would appear in the block. Viola!! Pretty hand for keeping things organized and all together for each cylinder. And as you assemble rods to pistons, rings on pistons and such, you can keep each sub-assembly in its respective hole. Take your time and double check your work. Mistakes can get costly in a hurry once you fire it up. Good luck and post a tech thread for rebuild virgins.
I've had a bunch of those trays laying in the yard for years...so that's what they're for! thanks for the tip.
Lots of good stuff here. Clean and label most important. I have been building engines for 30 years (part time) and still have to look at my worn out Motors manual. Clean also means keep your hands clean when assembly time comes (another one of those don't ask how things) a little crap behind a bearing goes a long way. Have fun it's not rocket science.
Go to the grocery store. I'm not kidding. Buy a box of zip-lock freezer bags. The kind with the white labels printed on them. You can use these to bag things together and have a place to write what they go to. Use a Sharpie permanent marker to label them. I use the freezer bags in the garage all the time. Get a GOOD four-wheel engine stand that meets ANSI standards. If it meets the standard, it will say so on the label. Believe me, it will save your back. I speak from experience of rebuilding one on the garage floor. That's all that's coming out of the brain for now.
when putting the engine together only use paper towles to wipe parts down with. a cloth towel fibers will not break down and cause problems.
Engine building is not very difficult. The most important stuff in my mind= If you are looking at the inside of an engine for the first time, take pictures of it assembled. Lable everything(masking tape if you clean the part first, or zip ties with tape tags), make notes that you will undestand later in reference to the relation of the parts. The cleaner the engine is before you start tearing it down, the easier it is to keep it clean as you go. Find a good machine shop it will make a big difference, tell them what you want, and that this is your first rebuild. If it is a good shop they will be helpful. If you buy all of your internal engine parts from your machine shop they will be more inclined to help you, and dollar for dollar they should at least meet, beat, or come close to Summit/Jeggs prices(try having the phone support at Summit show you how to read plasti gauge, your machinist will/should if you bought the parts from him, not to mention being able ask a few questions when they come up). Clean everything before assembly twice, and then clean it two more times. Do not get in a hurry. Have exellent lighting in your work space. Use lots of assembly lube. Follow the directions that come with your cam for break-in. When it comes time to start reassemble, clean your work area, have no loose hardware, tools or stuff of any kind anywhere near your assembly area. I would even say to have a tool cart(cardboard box if you have to) with a list of all your tools, number of shop rags, and any other item that could get left, or dropped inside your engine. Some people are better than others at keeping clean, and neat while they work. You know yourself better than I do, so make it easy to keep up with what you are doing. Beer drinking is kool when doing bodywork, but I would save the beer as a reward when you are done building your engine. Plan on having the area you are working on the engine tied up for 3-4weeks. You should be able to have the engine disassembled in 1-3nights, it will be at the machine shop for 1-3weeks depending on parts, and how fast they are(more than 3weeks, and they are too busy or slow, and you need to find another shopIMHO). While the engine is away you will have time to clean up all the parts/sheet metal that are still with you, and you will have some work to do. It takes time to paint, and detail everything. I would plan on one week for reassembly. When you are done you should have something to be proud of, and it should be a little cheaper than a stock crate engine with more power, and better looking. This is by no means a complete list, just some of the things that come to my mind. I am building 2 engine right now, and have built many more, all for my own use. I am just your avarage gearhead, self taught, no friends or family around when I needed help, so alot of what I know comes from mistakes.
Make a check list and take it with you to the machine shop so you cover all your bases. I didn't and found that the shop I used turned one rod journal and polished the rest. I should have caught that before, but didn't. Now I have to take it apart and have them fix it correctly.
Schedule things with your machine shop and bring the stuff when they need it. Don't take everything down there all at once. Too many guys wandering around the average machine shop. You may find by the time they clean your block, measure it, deck it, bore it and get the crank back that your pistons, rods, flywheel or whatever have walked away before they get to the balancing stage. Having speed parts sitting on a shelf or bench for a month next to everyone elses stuff is just too much temptation for some assholes. Parts in a shop tend to walk away just like the 9/16" and 1/2" wrenches in your toolbox. And TRIPLE CHECK those freeze plugs and gallery plugs as mentioned above. Sucks when they blow out on fireup.
nothin' like noticing that there actually was a little dot on the damn ring as you're putting in the last piston. and you had the other 7 in upside down.
If you do not tack/braze on the oil pickup to the pump,..then NEVER put the dipstick in without the dipstick tube in place. The stick will contact the oil pickup and possibly dislodge it leaving it free to come into contact with the rotating parts of the engine. I did not do this, but have figured out that is what happened to my 283....the one with the knock....and the crushed oil pickup.
Glad to see you doing your own engine. The library has a ton of great books. I like Smokey's book, Bill Jenkins's book, Wadell's (sp?) book and How to Blueprint Your Engine. One of the How to Rebuild books is necessary to make sure you get everything back in order. Best to read it before you take things apart. Find a good machine shop run by a rodder or somebody old. They will be a whole lot friendlier to the begining builder. Have fun. Pete
I never had such an idea. Thanks for the tip. I made a wood box with dividers to put them in. I wouldn't have wasted four hours making the box if I would have known about this. But, I have had the box for twenty years.
worse when you cant get the rings to seat, pull apart $4000 worth of motor and realize it was your own damn fault. made damn sure i got it the next go round.
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