How-To: "Build an Engine" Tutorial.

5.0 Nostalgia said:

I actually do have one question. When you say you are lubricating the rear main seal, where exactly are you doing that?............... Will this be a problem?

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Lubericate it on the crank, were it meets the inner portion of the seal, so the surface
on which it rotates on.

Shouldn't be a problem, but keep a keen eye on it.

95.0Stang said:

I dont understand what you mean when you say..."stake it in" how do you do this and what is the reason behind it?

Also do you put RTV around the edges BEFORE or AFTER you but them in the block?

This is a great write up with lots of great pics. I will def use this as a guide when I build my own motor!

Click to expand...

You put a flat head screwdriver up to it at a 45* angle and hit the screwdriver untill it
makes a dent in both the plug and block.
This keeps it from coming out.
Put RTV on the edges BEFORE you install the plug.

I'll assume that the pistons and rods are assembled already, like mine here.
Now clean the ring lands, and bearing mating surfaces.
Also keep the rods and thier respective (numbered) caps togeather
at all times.


Like this:


Now take your top ring and place it in a bore. Ude one of the pistons
turned upside down and square the ring up. Take a feeler gauge and
note the ring gap. .004" per 1" of bore. My rings are pregapped
to .018" (you can see on the feeler gauge if you look close at the picture.)
and that will provide excellent sealing, and still permit the use of n20.


After your rings check out okay, install the first (Oil) ring.
Make sure the ends seat flat in the groove. Now wrap the oil ring expanders
above and below the oil ring


For the primary and secondary rings it's best to use an expander to install them.
Follow ring makers directions for correct orientation.


Now repeat with the remaining pistons.


Once they are all ringed up, you can install the bearings.


Turn the crank (might be hard to tell depth in the picture) to its BTC position.
(so the rod journal is as far away from the block deck as possible)


Lube the bearings and protect the rod bolts from damaging the bores by covering them
with bolt protectors or rubber hose.


Fill up some container large enough to submerge a piston in it with oil and dip the
rings in.


Fit your piston ring compressor on now, leaving some of the piston skirt
exposed to help guide it in.


Allign the top ring end gap with the arrow or mark on the piston, facing the FRONT of
the engine. Allign the second ring end gap 180* from the top, facing the rear of the
block.


Lower the rod down and the piston in. While holding down on the edge of the compressor
tap the piston in. STOP if it starts to go in and gets stuck. Tap it untill it goes
all the way into the bore.


Now rotate the crank and push on the piston (carfuly) to get it lined up with the journal.
Lube the cap bearing and, noting cap number direction install the cap.
I torque the rod bolt nuts to 25 ft-lb.


Not bad for a days work.

Now to button up the bottom end, install your oil pump, driveshaft and pan.


Make sure the metal "tang-washer" is positioned up, closest to the deck.
That way you can remove the distributer without pulling the oil pump driveshaft
out of the pump.
Install a new gasket and torque the mounting bolts to 30lbs.
Also torque the oil pump pickup mounting ear nut to 30lbs. Phew.


Clean your oil pan, just like EVERYTHING else, just prior to installing
each part.


Lay down the oil pan gasket, with a gasket sealer on the side facing the block.
Use some ultra black RTV on the edges where they meal the rubber seal.


Put more RTV on the pan rails, just a thin coat.


Now the oil pan bolts can be started. Loosly assemble.


Bring the #1 piston up to TDC. Set the cam so the dowel in the 6 O'clock position.
Allign the "." on the cam sprocket to 6 o'clock. Allign the "." on the crank sprocket
to the 12 o'clock setting. Slide the sprockets on to look like this.


A dab of red loctite on the camshaft bolt, and 45lbs of torque will hold it on
securly.


Now clean your timing cover, and install a new front seal and a new gasket with
an adheisive.


Bolt the timing cover/waterpump on.


Slide on the harmonic dampner. It, along with the dowel pins will locate
the front cover. Now torque the bottom oil pan bolts to 15lbs and the timing cover
front bolts to 20-25lbs.


Install with sealant the oil pressure sender adapter or mechanical gauge bung.


------------------------------------------------
The shortblock is now finished.
------------------------------------------------


Next, clean the deck and heads.


Install the head gasket with the 'front' designation to the front.


Put the heads on, alligning with the dowels.


Clean the threads of the head bolts and coat the top (longer) bolts in oil.
Loose fit them.


Clean and apply RTV to the upper threads of the lower bolts.


Torque them in three equal steps, from the center outward to final torque. (here, 65lbs/ARP bolts.)


Starting to look good.
Now get your valvetrain out, it's next.

----------------------------------------------------------

Drop in your lifters. Orient the dogbones, with the "top" side up.
Drop in the pushrods.
Get the lifter valley 'spider' and position in pushing down on the dogbones.
There is no set torque spec for the bolts here, but 15lbs will be fine.


I am using full roler-stud mount rockers. Assuming this is a proven combo, since I wont
be covering valvetrain geometry. Face the flat side of the roller fulcrum up.


Your tips line up correctly if the geometry is correct, with little sweep and a
small central contact patch.


Finish installing all the rockers. To adjust hydraulic preload, pick a cylinder.
Rotate the crank clockwise untill the exhaust lifter just starts to come up off
the base circle of the cam. Just as it starts to come up, you cam be sure the intake valve
is closed. Hand tighten the rocker nut wile simultaniously 'twirling' the pushrod
with your other hand. Just as it starts to get hard to spin, stop tightening down
the nut. This is zero lash, where there is no preload, but all the 'slack is taken up'.
Depending on your cam, and application, Set the preload by turning the nut tighter
1/2 turn.(or your predetermined spec.) Now hold it in place and tighten the allen grub screw inside the nut.
Now that rocker is set. Keep on turning the crank untill that intake lifter comes up,
opens all the way, then starts to close. When it's 2/3 the way closed, stop turning the crank
and adjust the exhust valve.
Repeat for all the cylinders.
Now set the #1 piston to TDC on the compression stroke (both valves closed)


Clean your valve covers.


Lay out your lower intake manifold gaskets. (And crossover strips if you dont use just RTV)


Torque the valve cover bolts to 12LBS-15LBS
Now it's time for the intake.

Seal the edges of the intake gaskets and lay the manifold into place.


Torque the intake bolts to 23lbs. After a few minutes, when the gaskets have relaxed, re-torque them.


Now is a good time to install your motor mounts. Also you can install the crank pully.


And there it is: Ready to drop in. The dist is installed in the pic, but only to cover the hole so as not to let any debris fall in there. When the motor is in the car, before stabbing the dist. for the final time, I will prime the oil system.
Then get the #1 piston to 14* BTDC on the compression stroke, Like this:


Then drop in the dist with the rotor pointing to the #1 plug wire, like this:



But for now, the next step is to get it off the stand, get the flywheel, disc and pressure plate on, then into the chassis. Might be a few days untill I have the means to get around to it. But I will be continuing this thread untill it's in and running.

It's been a few days since I've updated, but as of yesterday, the car is driving. From start to finish, it took me 6 days 'couple hourd a day to remove, tear down, build the new motor and drop it in and get it running.
I'll try to fill in the 'blank' spots (getting it in the car and running) later on.



Get a buddy to help drop the engine in. It's a major PITA if you are doing it yourself.
Trust me.


Here it is, still needs a little tweeking here and there, but it's a stout mill.



Quick vid:...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8600640209776009475