Pages:
1 = Mod list, overall shots
2 = Dyno graphs, motor pulled out
3 = Added toys, upgrade parts
4 = New bottom end blueprint and rebuild
5 = Final engine assembly
6 = New engine install
7 = Sound system
Got the block back!
Benson series Darton sleeves... beautiful work.
I painted the block to clean it up and make it easy to see any leaks. decided to go with red for the hell of it...
this is the bottom end assembly area... I'm now measuring/setting the proper piston ring gap...
Always checking the gap between filing to make sure the gap doesnt get filed to big. These pics show the top piston ring gap being set to .019"
The top rings started out with a .011" gap, it took me over an hour to file one ring...
This takes a lot of patients... setting the gap is a critical part of making lots of power ;)
update: 7/22/04
I sent the b16 crank out to get balanced and micro polished... mean time I put together the pistons and rods. The C clips are a pain in the ass...
Here's the new super accurate measuring tools I bought (micrometer set, dial bore gauge, stretch gauge) these things have 0.0001" increments...
crank is back from being Balanced and Micro polished... I measured crank main journals every 45 deg around each using a 3-4" micrometer...
also cleaned/painted the brackets that mount to the block. it's all about being clean...
measured the main and rod bearing clearances using plasti gauge... it's a tiny plastic thats squished when the main caps are torqued to spec. then take the caps off and compare how wide the plastic is to the chart...
All mains are within spec (.0009"-.0020"). I also measured the cylinder bores using a dial bore gauge, again every 45 degree's around. also top, middle, and bottom of each bore...
I use the micrometer set to the bore size which should be 3.307" (84mm), then I'm able to set the dial bore gauge to zero.
you can see the mic set exactly to that number, that's if you know how to read a micrometer...
here's the dial bore gauge measuring the bore...
I'm ready to install the pistons, rods, and crank into the block...
I'm starting to feel like I actually know what the hell I'm doing (speaking to soon I'm sure)... This has been a great learning experience for me...
Update: 8/11/04
Installed the rings onto the pistons. The gaps need to be aligned as shown in the chart from my service manual... Pic on the left shows all the rings to be installed onto ONE piston (working on the third piston). The right pic shows the rings installed, you can see the gaps of the top and 2nd ring 90deg apart from each other...
Using a ring compressor to hold the rings in place, I install the pistons/rods into each cylinder, being carefull not to let the ring slip between compressor and block deck...
rods, pistons, and crank are installed finally... you can see I used a torque wrench to tighten the rod bolts, along with measuring the bolt stretch using the stretch gauge. Crower rod bolt specs 45ft/tq or .005" - .007" of bolt stretch.
Check back for updated progress of my build!
