Thread for all my stupid build questions :)

[dok33]

Finally (after 2 years) starting my build, figured I'd use 1 post for all my stupid questions. While I've worked on alot of stuff (I flip cars as a side business) I've never ventured into engine internals. On to the good stuff...

The car, bought for $1k w/rod knock:

First question-I bought a head a while back from a machine shop auction, fully rebuilt and ported. Had it stored in the garage and noticed some rust on the cams when I pulled it out :icon_mad: :

I was thinking about trying to clean them up but I may just use the cams out of the engine in the car if they look good.

A couple of lifters also have some corrosion on them (think these are ok??):

Also noticed some marks on the gasket surface I didn't notice before, I was hoping to not have to get it machined but I'm worried about sealing:

Pics of port work:

 

[pimptrizkit]

since no one has said any thing, and thi sis your first build

you seem to want to do it right,

you want to put a metal head gasket on her (mhg) for which you will need to machine the head, which will take care of the scratches on the head, then you will also need the block machined, "surfaced"
the head cose about 35-45 to surface, and the block is around the same ballpark,
down side is the head and block need to be dissasembled to do, so you might aswell replaced an\y guides that need to replacing, and the valve's all alright, thosse are only shims that shound run fine,

i would say to run the cams ne way , but they are a big rough, how do the bearing surface look on the cams? some scotch bright or light sand paper might make the cams look pretty again but who knows what the specs of the cams will look like.




do you have big plans with this car? or do you want a daily driver? or a nice decent power import?

 

[GuNDeZZZ]

if the rust is bad on the cams i say wait it out and buy some on the forums they dont run to high

 

[SevenMKIII]

I would just use the ones still in the motor, most likely they have a film of oil on them and will not be rusty. Car looks great! For $1,000 I'd definitely pick that up, good luck with your build. You should check out the General Discussions/Build Thread and make your own when you start this up.

 

[dok33]

Thanks for the replies. My original plan was to use this head and a low mileage shortblock I bought to get it on the road while I build the old motor. The block was supposedly machined for a MHG so I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to get the head done. I'd probably get the block surface checked and do some plastigaging on the bearings etc. as well.

I paid $200 for the head and $250 for the shortblock so I guess a couple hundred $$ more worth of machine shop work would still put me in good shape. Planning on running stock turbo for now, eventually a T4 setup and around 400rwhp on stock internals. At some point I'll probably either build a forged motor or do a 2jzge+t swap, want to see how far I can take a stock bottom end first

 

[dok33]

Pulled the oil pan on the 2500mi short block I bought for $250, looks like it has a brand new Aisin oil pump in it :icon_surp I noticed some marks on the rod bearings, wanted to get some thoughts. This one has a little under .002" clearance:

Crank looks good as does the rod, I'm going to pull the others and see what they look like and do some plastigaging...

 

[p5150]

If the car had rodknock it should be pretty obvious which one was knocking

 

[dok33]

Supposed to be a fresh rebuild with ~2500mi on it (rod knock motor is still in the car), all of the bearings look like that, color is almost whiteish. It has been sitting for over a year, possible it's corrosion or something?

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

Contaminants.

 

[p5150]

If they are smooth and they plastigauge out ok then I wouldnt be concerned.

Also - I think that the rod bolts are torque to yield - you may have to replace them since you pulled them apart.... One more reason why I hate the 7M. I have always replaced the stud-style rod bolts since my experience rebuilding a 3vze. I thought i would re-use the stock rod bolt on the 3v, and upon torquing it to the spec, it broke off.

Thats one reason I like the 2j - the rod bolt is an actual bolt and you can inspect it before re-install. Its just a critical bolt to re-use without some clear guidance saying that you can re use it..... I couldnt find anything in the cygnusx1 site about specs for the 7m rod stud/nut but I didnt really look too hard. I think its in there somewhere.....

 

[dok33]

Might be a stupid question, but I noticed that the cap doesn't have an oil hole and the bearings do. Is this a problem?

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

Normal.
Oil holes are on the block.

 

[pimptrizkit]

other then the small bits that show up and those ridges are not deep i would say it's fine, the bearing isn't feathered out.


the light silver you see before the shinny is the third coating on the bearing designed for break in, keeps every thing lubed enough while the motor seats it's self.


ever bearing i have ever pulled starts stripping that aluminum off after a few hours. of run time 100-200 miles..

it's grouves that are a problem, some thing wasn't pefectly round or smooth.

i did like how arron tear droped his crank, it will me on my next motor build.

 

[dok33]

So I guess that's basically proof that it is a fairly low mileage engine?

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

Did you find the cause of the knock yet?

 

[tlo86]

do you have any pictures of the rest of the car? that car looks pretty damn good for 1k w/ knock

 

[dok33]

Did you find the cause of the knock yet?

Sorry, I should have clarified, the pics are of a working short block I bought for $250 with supposedly 2500 miles on a fresh rebuild. The rod-knocking motor is still in the car.

Oil pump pic (just for fun :icon_bigg):

More pics of the car in my Build Thread and on my Cardomain Site

 

[p5150]

The hole on one of the bearings should line up with the oil hole in the block or rod. They make the top and bottom halves the same to minimize manufacturing cost and keep it simple.

 

[dok33]

The hole on one of the bearings should line up with the oil hole in the block or rod. They make the top and bottom halves the same to minimize manufacturing cost and keep it simple.

Thanks for the info.

Some bore pics:

Bore size is 83mm so I guess it wasn't punched when rebuilt. Deck was also supposedly prepped for a MHG but I think I'm going to see if my machine shop can check the RA to be sure.

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

Can you feel those ridges on the block surface?