Andrew's DiySB Rebuild

[StkmltS]

And you should check your valve clearances this weekend... and then post up your bucket #s so we can all trade

[FJuan]

Fat chance. I'm not working on the car with 105* temps outside, that's why I said this winter.

[SBT]

I'm a believer in dyno tunes - not for the "numbers" - primarily for time involved and immediate power/smoothness you get. My tuner does a very comprehensive dyno tune, and follows that with a dynamic road-tune to smooth everything out in real-world driving. Most dyno tunes are just that. 1 and done.

 

I did a cost-analysis on it the last time I chose a dyno-tune over an e-tune. Factoring my labor (which is expensive), gasoline (usually a tank of premium), timing (only when the road is clear of traffic and LEOs, and the amount of "pulls" required - (typically 6-10 or more) plus the cost of the e-tune, it was actually cheaper to get it dyno/road-tuned and be done with it. That applied specifically to my situation, and were any of the factors significantly different, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a tune from one of our vendors.

 

My last D/R-T lasted me for over 7 years with nothing else required and it was a very conservative with torque - for towing, and throttle response - across the whole power band, being the primary considerations. Like everything else YMMV.

[StkmltS]

The block halves are cleaned up and look great. They took abound half as long to deck as the heads did.

 

Taking out the locating pins went pretty smooth other than the first one. I was a dumb-dumb and didn't pay attention to the gouges my pliers were making. I know people like to say bad things about JB Weld, but does anyone have any other ideas? The gouges are probably 15-20 thousandths deep.

 

Sent from inner space.

Edited August 2, 2016 by StkmltS
pic uploaded to server

[BarManBean]

Regarding buckets, setting valve clearance, etc. You will get many differing opinions, including bonbon's that the lash needs to be measured with the timing belt installed. Personally, I don't think it's feasible to completely reassemble and install the timing belt (and tension it) just to measure valve clearance. I also spoke with riderdude on here and nasioc who builds some motors, and he said he sets clearances with the heads bolted (and torqued down) to the block but no timing belt installed and has never run into an issue.

 

Good luck with the buckets. If I can help out with swapping some buckets for the sizes you need, hit me up.

 

And YES, you need to mic all of your used buckets. They probably all measure different from what they are marked with at this point.

[StkmltS]

Wanna guess who's excited?

Edited August 2, 2016 by StkmltS
pic uploaded to server

[birkhoff]

The block halves are cleaned up and look great. They took abound half as long to deck as the heads did.

 

Taking out the locating pins went pretty smooth other than the first one. I was a dumb-dumb and didn't pay attention to the gouges my pliers were making. I know people like to say bad things about JB Weld, but does anyone have any other ideas? The gouges are probably 15-20 thousandths deep.

 

A good machine shop would probably weld that up and recut it. Not really a homebrew option. Since none of the gouges connect inner to outer directly, I would take a bet on letting the sealant handle it. Not sure that you would gain much from JB weld.

 

Question about the cut you took. Maybe it is just a shadow, but it looks like the mating surface on the case just outboard of that bolt hole in the last pic did not get cut. Is that because it is lower than the rest of the case (that would be a surprise) or was your surface plate not wide enough? Put it another way: are you still flat to spec on the mating surface, all the way across?

[StkmltS]

It feels like forever since I've had a worthwhile update. My planned schedule is definitely blown at this point, but in my mind that's an acceptable deviation because it's been by my wife's request, and the vehicle I'm borrowing doesn't need returned any time soon.

 

The mating surfaces are still flat to spec (I just checked). I don't know why that corner (and a couple others too) still look dirty, or non-sanded. My surface plate is wide and long enough in both directions to touch the entire case mating surface.

 

I put some High Heat JB Weld epoxy putty in the gouges this morning and let it cure all day. It's fully machinable after 8 hours, has a tensile strength of 800 psi, and can withstand continuous heat at 450 deg F. I'm happy with how it looks and less concerned about the gouges now that they're filled. I may have been fine leaving them as-is, but it's comforting knowing they're filled with something designed for this kind of stuff.

 

Tonight I used scotch-brite (by hand) on the crank journals to remove any leftover plastigage residue that may have been sticking around (pun intended).

 

All four half moons easily came out of the heads and they still feel very solid. I cleaned them up with a plastic razor blade and they're definitely getting reused.

 

Next up:

Wash SB halves

Mask off every orafice and surface that needs to stay clean

Paint the SB

 

Sent from inner space.

Edited August 2, 2016 by StkmltS
pic uploaded to server

[BarManBean]

Reusing halfmoons? Why ???

[FJuan]

Reusing halfmoons? Why ???

 

What do you mean why? Most people reuse them including myself, it's not a major part. Clean them up and seal them all around with gasket maker.

[BarManBean]

What do you mean why? Most people reuse them including myself, it's not a major part. Clean them up and seal them all around with gasket maker.

 

Plastic parts that run what, $8-10? These are high heat motors, plastic gets brittle. I don't understand not replacing them considering OP has the motor COMPLETELY disassembled.

 

But we all make our decisions, hell I didn't do head gaskets on my motor that came out at 88k miles. Car hasn't even started and I'm pretty sure I'll regret it

[FJuan]

My half moons were hard as a rock, and I prefer them that way on the heads. There's less flex and makes them more soild. Just saying.

[birkhoff]

Next up:

Wash SB halves

Mask off every orafice and surface that needs to stay clean

Paint the SB

 

Make sure you protect the bores immediately after washing and drying. They will flash rust before your eyes once you remove all traces of oil.

 

Probably you know all this already, but as it is your first rebuild .

 

Wash the bores and every open galley using a brush where you can, and lots of detergent and water. Any good dishwashing liquid will do, although Dawn-brand is traditional. Scrub, brush, rinse and then do it again. And again. Especially the bores, to the point that a clean white cloth shows absolutely no sign of dirt when you use it to dry off the bore. Blow out with compressed air, dry the bores with a (new) clean cloth or paper wipes, and then wipe down with oil of your choice. Nothing kills a new rebuild like leftover abrasive from a hone, bottlebrush or otherwise.

 

I just use motor oil on the bores. Some prefer transmission fluid. Not sure it really matters but make sure you get every spot or you will have rust in a matter of hours if not minutes. Especially if you are working in a humid environment.

 

I wouldn't reuse the half moons, in case you are taking a poll. Painting before or after washing? No experience here.

 

Sent from China.

[heiche]

Extra clean is good, especially after using scotchbrite - I hear any remnants can really wreak havoc if they make it to bearing surfaces once the engine is running again.

[StkmltS]

• Yesterday my turbo returned from it's vacation at JMP's house.
  
• Heads are painted. I'll post pics tonight after I take out the ear plugs and masking tape.
  
• Tonight I'm going to paint the VCs and clean the block so I can paint it tomorrow.
  

 

I talked with my scheduler (wife) and she agreed to letting me have this and next weekend to work on the motor. We had talked about a big "push" at the end... that's now, finally. It seems reasonable to expect to have the motor installed and running by 8/14. My only known side-track is helping my friend change the clutch in his '08 LGT. We already have the tranny separated from the motor so it shouldn't take more than a few more hours to finish. It's his first time around and we're going slow so that he can soak it all in.

[StkmltS]

Heads are painted

Edited August 5, 2016 by StkmltS

[xt2005bonbon]

Nice work man. That's like 10hp/head. So 20hp right there. Your baby loves it too .

[BarManBean]

Purty

[StkmltS]

Ready to paint the SB.

Edited August 9, 2016 by StkmltS

[StkmltS]

Painted.

Edited August 9, 2016 by StkmltS

[xt2005bonbon]

Looks brand new. Better perform like (or outperform) a brand new SB now!

[StkmltS]

It better act like new!

 

Tomorrow night I'm going to clean the SB and do the final prep before assembly. On Wednesday night I'll install the bearings, rods, and crank into the SB and torque the case halves together for the final time. I'm excited to finally start putting the pieces back together.

 

Sent from inner space.

[birkhoff]

For the record (which is approaching mini-opus status ), what are you painting with? Primer? Topcoat?

[StkmltS]

For the record (which is approaching mini-opus status ), what are you painting with? Primer? Topcoat?

 

Rust-oleum engine enamel (500°) on the block, heads, oil pan, and hard coolant lines.

Rust-oleum high heat (2000°) on the manifold, UP, and DP, as rust prevention under the "titanium-like" thermal wrap.

 

I didn't use any primer. Hopefully I won't regret that decision.

[rhino6303]

Rust-oleum engine enamel (500°) on the block, heads, oil pan, and hard coolant lines.

Rust-oleum high heat (2000°) on the manifold, UP, and DP, as rust prevention under the "titanium-like" thermal wrap.

 

I didn't use any primer. Hopefully I won't regret that decision.

I highly doubt you will. Both the engine enamel and high heat adhere well and have quite good longevity. They have always been my "go-to" paint for engines and exhaust.