First Engine Rebuild you did

[dolluper]

I was twelve and saved money from a paper route bought a Honda 55cc step through scooter 50 bones it came with a ring and carb kit...It was an experience l will never forget... using waterpump plyers to compress the Rings and loading up the barrel cylinder with grease and oil...the mess l made grease and oil everywhere...my mother gave me he'll ...rebuilt the carb found it sooooooo easy even then...but the satisfaction when l first kicked it over and all the smoke but it ran was amazing...bush league repair but l got it all dolled up... what did you first rebuild let us know your story..Loved that little bike sad day when l sold it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Grew up swinging wrenches.....

first memory was helping dad with rebuilding a 327 rambler motor in a 1967 Jeep wagoneer when I was 3 granted it was only bringing wrenches

helped him with a '68 buick 225 and 3-speed to put in a 1973 vega that was bought with a bad motor when I was about 7 or 8

helped dad rebuild an olds 330 for the uncle's delta when I was about 8

rebuilt a Wisconsin 8hp to put on a go-kart when I was 9 (put a 426cc SACHS snowmobile motor on it when I was 11 and got my first speeding ticket )

first full motor rebuild was when I was 12 - a 350 olds for Grampas car. AMC 252 when I was 15 to be ready when I turned 16..... and the first hot-rodded motor when I was 16.

 

[harringtondav]

My first and only full rebuild was my Kawasaki H1F 500 triple two stroke.

I did a full rebuild on a Deere 6.9 L diesel when I was working at their Dallas TX branch service and training center. ....that really doesn't count though. That engine should of had a zipper on it. It was rebuild +- 10 times/yr, fired up, and repeat the next week. I also rebuilt many different small engines there. And a Deere 16 speed quad range tranny/diff.

Over the years I've done several outpatient surgeries. Small stuff. Pull heads, R&R water pumps, etc. I did drop and rebuild the New Process Xfer case from my Durango.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I did drop and rebuild the New Process Xfer case from my Durango.

first transmission I rebuilt was a Borg Warner T50 (predecessor to the T-5) for my 3.8 buick powered Opel GT when I was about 20.

 

[bigdee]

I had rebuilt a number of small air cooled engines but my first car engine was a Chevy 265. It was in a friends 55 chevy and I pulled the engine and disassembled to inspect and buy a rebuild kit. In the meantime my friend spotted a triple deuce GTO and talked up a trade with the dealer! The dealer knew my friend and his 55 chevy (but he didn't tell him about the engine)so he made the deal sight unseen. My friend came to me and told me to put the engine back together...with the old parts! We did just that, broken/missing rings and all and used roofing tar for gasket cement. We dropped it back into the Chevy, rolled down the driveway and popped the clutch and drove straight to the car dealer and picked up the GTO. It was smoking like crazy so he shut it off before the dealer could see it.

 

[WIMUSKY]

1st and last was in Auto Mechanics class in HS..... Still turning plenty of wrenches tho....

 

[FunInDuhSun]

My 1971 Yamaha RT-1 enduro. Lifted the motor out and tore it down on the bench. As I recall, the problem was only a couple of spun bearings. I was 15 at the time and had a buddy helping. No parts diagram or repair manual, we just got the parts we needed from the dealer. Put it all back together and it actually ran! I was tempted to take the transmission apart but my buddy talked me out of it because it wasn’t broken, duh.
I always wondered why we ended up with 3 ‘extra’ cir-clips.

 

[tbird175]

My first was 65 chevy 265. I then built several 283 chevys. Back then you could buy rebuild kits for less than a $100.00. I then built a 348 chevy engine in my 58 chevy impalla convertible. Boy I wish that I still had it, would be very valuable now. I then changed to 302 fords. Fast track to now, I am trying to decide if I want to tackle my old Lincoln 4.6. They are not near as simple as they were back then.

 

[PITBoat]

I've never done one but have always kinda wanted to; done a bunch of other stuff. I've got several great projects just waiting on me and attracting mice:

- An LS1 drivetrain with 2, maybe 3 old vehicles it could go in (can't decide)

- A 200k mile 400sbc that still runs good and doesn't make any bad noises, but needs valve stems and o-rings, and a complete rebuild probably wouldn't hurt (and man, what else could be done to that while I was at it...)

- A worn out '89 4.3L that I could practice on, and still have a t--d when I was done, lol, so why bother? Still driving that some mostly in winter, 'til I decide if it's gonna be the LS1 recipient.

- A Subaru SVX with a blown head gasket that's already been sitting several years,

- And besides a small weightroom space, a garage that's full of other junk right where I'd need to do motor stuff.

 

[ezbtr]

68 Ford Mustang Fastback, 60 over 289, 302 heads, cam, 4 bbl, it was quick !

 

[dwco5051]

Hard to remember what was the first one. Probably an overhaul on my '40 Chevy six. Babbitt rod bearings on those old engines. Anyone else recall using layout blue and a bearing scraper to correct for wear. Remove shim(s) and plasti-gauge for proper fit up. Still have the bearing scraper in my tool box. A lot of experience with a 394 Olds in our stock car in the early '60s. Got at most two weekends of racing before tear downs. Sportsman modified class here in central Pennsylvania with a 400ci limit. Had problems with it pulling studs out of heads for the rocker arms with the cam and solid lifters we used. Should of had a zipper on that motor. Worked (for free) in the shop of a dirt track racer who later went on to NASCAR when I was in high school and summers when I was home from college in the late '50s.

 

[southkogs]

Closest I've done to a rebuild was probably the work I did on the Silverline (GM 250, I6). But I've been thinking about taking one on sometime. I'm not great at it, but I enjoy it ... for some weird reason.

 

[ezbtr]

Nice to tear them down, repair and put back together and see them run fast! A great way to learn everything about your engine, etc.

 

[gm280]

First ENGINE was a '72 Dodge Challenger 340. You can't put super high lift and duration cams and 850 DP 4B Holley and Headman Headers in stock engines unless you follow up with all the other things that need to change too. So It dropped a valve and locked up the engine. The valve was in an "S" shape into the cylinder wall. A sleeve and machine shop work later, I rebuilt it in our living room floor, since we didn't yet have any furniture. Yeah, those were the days...glad they are not the days now! Too many rebuilds since to list, even automatic transmissions too. Rather rebuild automatic transmissions then engines... JMHO

 

[dwco5051]

. Rather rebuild automatic transmissions then engines... JMHO

I have done a couple of automatics. Yes they are fun but it seemed like I always had to fabricate at least one special tool on each for internal snap rings or such. Kept all of them too and they have came in handy for lower units and outdrives.

 

[bigdee]

I was in the process of rebuilding a motor out of a renault Daufine and cleaned everthing up while waiting on parts. Got a little tipsy one night and decided to paint the block Chevy orange. I had to take a ribbing about the orange cylinder walls!

 

[kvkon]

302 in a 72 mustang. Loved the car but the HP of the 302 was a joke. Was probably doing at least 300 HP when it was done.

 

[ezbtr]

302 in a 72 mustang. Loved the car but the HP of the 302 was a joke. Was probably doing at least 300 HP when it was done.

I built mine via an early PC program on diskette!!! About 330 hp

 

[Grub54891]

Cant remember when I tore down and fixed a lawn mower, maby 10? Did my first car motor when I was 16, overhauled it, ran great! Did several more before moving on to automatic transmissions, them were interesting. Did a few manual transmissions also. Now its boat repairs....lol

 

[PITBoat]

302 in a 72 mustang. Loved the car but the HP of the 302 was a joke. Was probably doing at least 300 HP when it was done.

Ah, the de-tuned 70s...