Thread: Assembly tips

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I am about to go into my shop to assemble a 010 block 355 from the bare block up. I have built several motors in the past but this is my first small block chevy. I was looking to pick your brains for all of your assemble tips and tricks.

I have had the block bored .030 over and ordered new flat top pistons. The crank was polished and is ready to instal. I have a fresh set of 882 heads as well.

I need tips like which bolts to put rtv on and such.

Thanks
Bill

ARP bolts are what I am going to use. I hear lots of good things about them. Don't go cheap on bolts unless you like fixing broken or crappy bolts. Also you need to be more specific on what you are wanting here. Need tips like how you should put every part in a seperate ziplock bag with the name written on it telling what the part is and goes to or tips on like good parts to use?

Run a tap down all the holes in the block to clean them. Clean any bolt that you are re-using. I like to use gasket sealer on any bolt that goes into a water jacket. Be sure to follow the torque sequences from the manual. If you don't have a manual start from the middle and work your way out in a circular fashion. Make sure you space your ring gaps on the top two rings opposite each other at 9 and 3 o'clock. Check your ring gaps in the cylinders before putting them on the pistons. Check bearing clearances with either micrometers or plastic gauge. I like to put a spot weld on the oil pick-up where it goes into the oil pump. Had one vibrate out once and cost me a spun bearing. Check the clearance of the oil pick-up to the bottom of the oil pan, you can do this with a lump of modelling clay. Abouyt 1/4 inch clearance should be good. Put a long bolt into the front of the cam to make it easy to handle as you slide it in. Make sure you put plenty of cam lube on the lobes. If you are using hydraulic lifters, set them in a can of oil and use a pushrod to push on them to push air out and they should fill with oil. Get some 3-4 inch pieces of 3/8 diameter plastic or rubber hose and put them over the rod bolts as you install the pistons, it guides the rods on to the crank and keeps from nicking the journals. Use plenty of oil as you assemble it. I guess these are all basic engine building tips not peculiar to a Chevy. Anyone have some more or corrections to mine fire away

Pat

Make sure the cylinder bores are honed to the correct tollerance since you bored it and are installing NEW pistons.

Woah Tech... a bit confusing but I think I get that. Also to add to ProZ's comment, if you hone it out use thin oil in there as well while you have the honing thing (what's that things name again?) on the drill.

FMX,

It's best to leave the honing to the machine shop. The exact amount to be honed and the angle of the microscopic marks in the cylinder are critical. Trying to do it yourself with a drill is asking for big trouble - not to mention a junk engine. No offense, but you might think about holding your advice for those areas where you have some experience or expertise.

Ok well sorry but that's what we did in auto tech and the teacher said you don't have to bring it to the shop and that you can do it at home so that's what I did to the 30 engines that are in the shop. Looks like they all came out fine to me.

Oh also Henry, if you are just rebuilding a engine again that's used and the cylinder walls are still really good shape then you can use a brush hone or a flex hone (which is what I used on all the engines that I had to do). Yeah you may think I am a dumbass because I am the one that asks all the questions and you never see me giving help but reason I don't give help is because if I don't know something too well then I won't say nothing. All I said is he could hone it himself. If you don't believe me then I can tell you how to do it or the way I learned to do it.... Really, I don't wan't to sound like a ass but I kinda get pissed when people think I am some dumbass and they think I should just not say nothing if I don't know what I am talking about when I do. When that happens then I have to say something, especially when I get that all the time.

Originally posted by FMXhellraiser
Oh also Henry, if you are just rebuilding a engine again that's used and the cylinder walls are still really good shape then you can use a brush hone or a flex hone (which is what I used on all the engines that I had to do). When that happens then I have to say something, especially when I get that all the time.

FMX,

Easy now, if you read what the original poster stated, he said he had the block bored .030 over and had new pistons, so he is not rebuilding a used block. I agree with Henry, in this case the final honing should have been done as a part of the boring operation.

Yes you can use a flex hone or glaze breaker as you stated, when a used block is in really good shape.

You mentioned that you "get that all the time," not meaning this as an insult but you might start to wonder why. Brings to mind the saying "Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt."

I know you are a young guy, and also recognize you are gaining experience and knowledge every day and like to share it, but we all can learn from each other. I am always open to corrections if I say something that is inaccurate and I also try ot respect others opinions. It's part of learning and mutual respect.

Pat

eeekkk, Didn't mean to cause a heated debate. I brought up honing cuz' it sounded in his post like he's already got the block bored, but the pistons are still on order. It raised a red flag. To not just expect to drop new pistons in without having them matched to the cylinder bores. These days with allot of the machines being CNC they can get the tolerances much closer than the old days, but.................

BTW: FMX I have done many rebuilds that way too. Cut the ridge with a ridge reamer, use a hone and a mic to clean up the bore, then a brush hone to get the cross hatch pattern. As long as you could do all that and stay within acceptable tolerances it worked fine. If it took too much material you had to send it off to be bored and buy oversized pistons.

Originally posted by pro70z28
eeekkk, Didn't mean to cause a heated debate. I brought up honing cuz' it sounded in his post like he's already got the block bored, but the pistons are still on order. It raised a red flag. To not just expect to drop new pistons in without having them matched to the cylinder bores. These days with allot of the machines being CNC they can get the tolerances much closer than the old days, but.................

BTW: FMX I have done many rebuilds that way too. Cut the ridge with a ridge reamer, use a hone and a mic to clean up the bore, then a brush hone to get the cross hatch pattern. As long as you could do all that and stay within acceptable tolerances it worked fine. If it took too much material you had to send it off to be bored and buy oversized pistons.

Yeah I know what you mean. Like my instructor said, if the engine has some pretty bad scuff marks then it's best to send it off to get it done by a shop. Now sorry about that I didn't know this was a NEW engine. What I did when I had to hone the engines is just do basically what ProZ said and make sure that I got a 50-60 degree cross pattern and make sure the hone doesn't pop out of the cylinder so it don't bust the stone all over the place.

Ok guys calm down, I appreciate all the info but lets not fight over my posts.


I had the new pistons and brought them to the machine shop to be fitted in the new bores. So there was no honing that I had to do. I agree that most of the machine shops have less then attentive workers, however in the town I live in there is only about 6 auto machinist that work for 3 shops so I know most of these people and have done business with them in the past.

What I was looking for in the posts is tips like ,

Which head bolts to put rtv on, and what to use for assembly lube.

So far I have been using lubriplate assembly lube to install the crank and 4 of the pistons. My 11 year old son and I are building this engine for an 84 Blazer that I am going to give to him in a few years, I think that our children are losing the ability to see what is inside an engine, they need to know what happens when they press the accelerator!

Bill

Originally posted by jnzd99
Ok guys calm down, I appreciate all the info but lets not fight over my posts.


Bill

Awwww that went' no fight.

Originally posted by jnzd99

Which head bolts to put rtv on, and what to use for assembly lube.

Bill

Put sealer on any bolt that goes into the water jacket. White lube, I think everybody will agree witht the "sealing water jacket bolts", but the white lube could start another "fight" hehehe