Originally Posted by dsraven
see what the old engine guru says. if he is affordable here is how I would see things working
-strip the block. remove the frost plugs, oil gallery plugs, any bolts and fittings left anywhere, remove cam bearings (can't hot tank the bearings as the caustic soda used eats the cam bearings), remove any old gaskets etc.
-strip the head. keep the rockers and valves in order because you aren't doing a rebuild, you are just cleaning the head and related parts, checking for warpage and cracks and drilling a coolant/vapor vent line. I usually use a piece of rebar tie wire on the rocker shafts to designate front etc but write that down so you don't forget. put the valves on a piece of wood lath with a bunch of holes drilled too accept the vale stems or strip of cardboard works, in order, and then clean them on a wire wheel or whatever so there is no carbon or deposits. then check them for stem wear and sealing face wear to be sure they are re-useable. .002" is the limit for stem wear. on the sealing face you are looking for a flat surface.
- rod out the oil galleries in the block to remove any gunk or whatever, hot tank the block, all the tinware, buckets of bolts each categorized as to what it is from (i use 1 gallon metal paint buckets you can purchase empty-punch some holes in the bottom so water or hot tank fluid can drain out, scratch a designation on the side as to what the bucket contains, like bottom end, top end, etc then put the appropriate contents in the bucket so it can be dunked in the hot tank and the cleaning dude can easily rinse the contents off without losing anything), crank, valve springs and keepers, rockers and shafts, etc.
-when the block comes out of the hot tank and is clean, line bore the crank bores in the block, rod out the oil galleries , run a tap through any threaded holes, wire brush the frost plug holes, etc.
-retank the block after the machining to get all the coolant oil off etc,
-check the head for true, cracks etc. check the valve seats for condition, check the valve guides for wear. repair as required.
-remove the piston rings and clean all the ring grooves. mark the pistons as to their location (likely done on the connecting rods already. usually a metal stamp) and dunk the pistons and rods in an aluminum compatible degreaser tank. when clean check them for size and skirt collapse, ring groove integrity, etc. check the rods for bend, big end bore size and roundness etc. some would replace the bolts as well
-clean the cam in the aluminum compatible dunk tank due to the aluminum gear it likely has. if the gear is composite then any dunk is a bad idea as it eats the material. then check the lobes and journals for size and lobe wear etc
-check the crank for wear, have the woodruff key mchining done, thread the front bore if applicable, relieve the oiling holes, rod out the oiling bores, etc. redunk after the machining is complete
-after ensuring the block is ready to go, the pistons are ready to go etc, it is time to gap a new set of rings and install on the pistons
-next, if not done already by the line bore machinist, mic the main bearing shells with a ball mic and the main bearing crank journals and write down the sizes so that the thick bearings get nmatched up to the small crank journals. do the same for the rod bearings and journals and set them aside for future use in a clean area of the assembly shop
-install the cam bearings, test fit the cam to ensure there is no tight bearing, install oil gallery plugs and frost plugs etc in the block
-ensure the crank bores are clean and the bearing shells are clean and install the shells in the block and main bearing caps. install the crank, caps, plastigae on each journal, caps, bolts and torque them up. dont allow any movement on the crank, remove the caps and check the plastigage reading. if good, finish the crank and rear main seal install.
-install the rod bearing shells in their respective, clean, rods and caps
-install the pistons one at a time, along with the next step, ensuring the ring gaps are spaced as per the manual. what I like to do is have a coffee can full of oil handy and the piston gets set in there to soak oil on all the rings, piston pin bearing surfaces, etc before install
-place plastigae on each rod journal and and do the process of checking each one as you install and torque. blue loctite each rod bolt on the final install
-install the cam as per the manual with the appropriate lube and remember to align the timing marks, blue loctite
-install the rest of the engine accessories on the block to complete the shortblock. oil pump (assuming it has been cleaned, checked and prime it first. ensure the oil pump pick up tube is also part of the cleaning/replacement process), timing cover with new front seal, front pulley with new speedi sleeve or a sealing surface that is going to be good to go the distance, oil pan, etc. short block complete.
-assemble the head. it is recommended to check the valve springs for correct tension, the valves for keeper groove integrity, keepers for integrity, valves for stem wear, sealing surface wear etc. sometimes a shim may be required under the spring to boost pressure or a new set of springs could be used, which may be a good idea if the springs show any weakness, especially with the supercharger. install new valve seals of course. I usually lube the valve stems with molyslip grease but that is just me
-install the head, lube and torque the bolts as per the manual
-install the lifters and pushrods. ensure they are lubed accordingly
-install the rockers and shafts. ensure they are lubed accordingly. I usually use the black molyslip grease on them as it sticks really well. each to their own
-install the other accy as required. valve cover, lifter cover, water pump, distributor, bellhousing, clutch flywheel, etc
ok, you have an assembled engine thats ready to install
did I miss anything?
of course, assembly lube, quality gaskets, quality sealers, all fasteners either lubed or loctited before assembly and torqued as per the manual. parts painted upon final assembly and after a thorough cleaning/degreasing. accy checked (water pump, front pulley sealing surfaces, belt grooves etc. clutch pilot bearing checked/replaced/lubed, clutch checked/replaced etc, mounts checked/replaced etc. belts checked/replaced etc, etc etc).
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