Reassemble

[FreeBeeTony]

Picked up my block, piston/rods, crank shaft, etc., last night.
Installed the crank tonight.......not torqued down, just snug. Seems to spin nice.....just coated the bearings w/ oil.
Going to take it slow......probably won't start it until spring.

What is everyone's thoughts on assembly lube?..........I'm leaning on using because of the time span.

Here's the first pic......

 

[Grub54891]

I always use assembly lube, oil will slowly drain away when sitting. The assembly lube stays put, and helps with the initial start up after priming the oil pump.

 

[Bt Doctur]

assembly lube as long as its not the white grease, I use STP. It`s never let me down plus I pre-oil untill I see oil in all the rocker arms using a drill driven priming dist.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

I bought the assembly lube from Jegs.
What about thrust bearing clearance? Should I be concerned about it?

 

[Grub54891]

Yes, The end clearance should be checked. Only seen it happen once, but it was to tight, when the guy started the motor, she squealed like a stuck pig. Shut down, pull motor, repair/replaced bearing. Luckily it didn't damage anything else. Still a lot of work for a simple check.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I have a tub of assembly grease. I coat everything in the assembly grease and slather with oil. when I did my motor, I went thru about 4 quarts of oil covering parts.

a few things you can do. (all tips originated on the Grumpys Garage site)

• take the timing chain and gears, put in aluminum pan, add oil, then stick in oven at 250 for an hour, then cool (pre-lubes chain)
• I drill the one oil galley plug with a 0.030" hole to squirt the back side of the timing chain and gear
• I soak my lifters in oil over-night with the bleed holes up. they fit nice in the plastic containers that sandwich meat comes in
• mic your bores with a bore gauge. I did top, middle, bottom, two directions.
• Plasticgage all rods and mains
• use modeling clay from the dollar store to check clearances. especially the oil pickup to bottom of oil pan to verify the new pickup is in the right location.
• make sure to file your rings for proper end gap. debur as needed
• I highly recommend coated bearings
• I highly recommend having the oil pickup brazed in place after you blue-print the pump
• run a bottoming tap in all the head bolt holes to clean them out
• pre-heat parts in the oven at about 180 degrees before painting. make sure the wife isnt home when you do this.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... I agree with everything above,....

Assembly lube is cheap insurance, primin' the oil system before start up is a must, 'n measurin' every, 'n all the pieces Absolutely must be done,....

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Can I check the end clearance w/ a feeler gauge or do I need a dial indicator?
0.003-0.004" sound correct?

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would start reading.

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bearing-clearances.2726/

your going to need a dial indicator anyway for checking many things. crank end play is one. while you can stuff a feeler gauge in there, I dont like to nick the machined surfaces

0.003-0.004 is within the 0.002-0.006 spec

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Plastigauged the main caps.............all in spec.
Also checked the crank end play w/ a feeler........came in @ 0.005.

What's a good way to get the plastigauge off the crank and bearings?

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Final installed the crank.........end play verified w/dial indicator @ 0.004".
Installed #1 & #2 pistons........didn't make any measurements but looks pretty close to zero deck........the machinist knew what I was looking for.

I really like the way these pistons look in the block........glad I went w/ them!

 

[Scott Danforth]

Plastigauged the main caps.............all in spec.
Also checked the crank end play w/ a feeler........came in @ 0.005.

What's a good way to get the plastigauge off the crank and bearings?

double check end play with a dial indicator - never mind, see that you did

use your fingernail and some brake cleaner to get the plastigage off the journals

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Final installed the crank.........end play verified w/dial indicator @ 0.004".

I did recheck w/ dial gauge w/ end cap installed.

Cancel that, just saw you realized I did recheck.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Also, make a check list of everything you need to do...check clearances, clean block, torque rods, etc. I once installed a motor into a hot-rod S-10 that required the cab to be lifted to get the custom oil pan to clear the cross-members. I didnt remember torquing the rods.....so at 11pm, I start pulling the front clip to lift the cab....so 4 hours later I had the motor back out..... another hour on the stand, pull pan, check torques.....and another 4 hours I had the motor back in

all could have been avoided if I simply made my check list back then.

Now i have check lists, the final one being on a wired tag on the carb

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Installed 2 more pistons today........

Looks like the pistons are ~ 0.005 below the deck........just about perfect........

 

[Bt Doctur]

Tony, I know somebody is going to ask about the socket on the crankshaft so for those that don`t know it`s a special socket the locates on the crankshaft keyway to rotate the motor

 

[Grub54891]

Tony, I know somebody is going to ask about the socket on the crankshaft so for those that don`t know it`s a special socket the locates on the crankshaft keyway to rotate the motor

Hummm... Never saw one of them, never needed one myself.

 

[Bt Doctur]

I use a old, slighly bored out harmonic balancer with 6 holes bored in it for a rebar to turn the motor, In the very old days
we used a steering wheel welded to a balancer

 

[FreeBeeTony]

In the very old days
we used a steering wheel welded to a balancer

American ingenuity at it's finest!!

 

[Lou C]

Tony the block looks great! Its a good lesson for anyone who thinks closed cooling is not necessary, look at how clean your cooling ports are! SK did a good job, eh?