Listers,
I'm in the process of assembling my engine, starting with my freshly
machined block, and I was wondering what I should do to ensure success. I
spent a tidy sum on the machine work, pistons, cam grind etc. and want to
avoid rookie mistakes. I've caressed the exterior, re-valved the head and
played with the dual carbs, but I'm still an engine-build virgin. When all
the parts are in, how should it feel when I crank her by hand? Loose,
tight or oh-my-gawd, I felt something pop.
John Fagerlund
John -
I'll leave it to guys like Lawrie to give you the best advice. Here's
2¢-worth from a guy who doesn't do this very often and is therefore a
novice every time he tries: Clean, Clean, Clean! Keep everything as CLEAN
as possible. Read your Haynes manual - read the entire engine rebuild
section well in advance of any work. You know what all the parts look like
- assemble it in your mind as you go though the instructions - away from
the engine. Read again and review each operation before you do it. If
something doesn't make sense, don't guess - get competent advice. You've
just seen a thread on oil pump gaskets. Make sure the one you select looks
correct on the block as well as on the pump. Grease the gasket.
BTW: Haynes does not mention the timing chain tensioner gasket. I
discovered it in the gasket set after the cover was on. Needless to say,
it all came apart again.
Your freshly machined crank cradled in your new bearing shells will turn
easily - but "loose" is a term that does not come to mind. Neither does
"tight". All I can say is it's a sensual experience. It's snug but oh how
easily it turns! Once pistons/rods are installed, the assembly has a bit
more resistance - you'll hear/feel a lubricated "th-th-th-th-th" as the
rings caress the freshly lubricated cylinder walls. Any sounds more
metallic or abrasive than this should be rectified before proceeding.
Nothing will "pop".
Don't throw anything away until you're done. On my first rebuild, one
night after installing the flywheel, I found a little "spring thing" on the
floor. Oh, that's from the old rear main seal, thought I. Rumaging
through the garbage I found the old rear main seal with the "spring thing"
very much intact, thank you. Sh*t! You know what that meant - remove
flywheel and endplate. New endplate gaskets and rear main seal. But ya
gotta do it right! Your new engine won't forgive you just because your
were too tired or it was too much trouble to backtrack and fix the problem.
If you live a million miles away from civilization as I do, you end up
saving time and $ by having a spare gasket set. (I keep reading this
recent thread about 56K modems - heck, I couldn't get on line 'til I found
a modem that would hook up to two coffee cans and a string - that's how
rural it is around here!).
But I digress. Had I not found that old rear main seal in the garbage, I
might have presumed wrong and ended up pulling the whole engine back out of
the car to replace a $5-part.
This is not rocket science. What it requires is CARE. Pay attention, be
thoughtful. Don't compromise. I am by nature a bit compulsive and that
pays off big-time: double-check everything. My first rebuild ran
perfectly from the start and my second is about to turn over 44,000 miles
in my daily driver.
Good luck!
Allen
Allen H. Bachelder =iii=<
Sinking Creek Home for Wayward MGs
New Castle, VA 24127
USA
540/544-7333
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