First engine rebuild

[6meter]

Re: First engine rebuild

I don't want to be hard on you LAC but if you don't know how pistons come out, how are you gonna put it all back together correctly? Just trying to be reasonable without ruffling the feathers. I know you want to learn but.... OK then keep asking questions. Go for it. Don't let me kill it for you. Highly suggest keeping it stock though. Good luck. I will answer any question you have to the best of my knowledge.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

I don't want to be hard on you LAC but if you don't know how pistons come out, how are you gonna put it all back together correctly? Just trying to be reasonable without ruffling the feathers. I know you want to learn but.... OK then keep asking questions. Go for it. Don't let me kill it for you. Highly suggest keeping it stock though. Good luck. I will answer any question you have to the best of my knowledge.

I know I know. Better to ask then guess though. Im a quick learner though.


I got the harmonic balancer off now I gotta get the tool to take the timing gear off so I can take the crank out.

Still thinking about what I wanna do though. Thinking about taking the crank and block down to a shop and seeing what they say about it.


Thanks

 

[coheej]

Re: First engine rebuild

The timing gear on the cam will come off just by tapping on it a little. Remove the 3 bolts first. You can also use a punch that will fit through the center hole to drive the cam back slightly to loosen it. Don't move it back more tham about a 1/16" of you will drive out the rear cam plug. Not a big deal if you do, you'll just have to put a new one in. The gear on the crank can stay there until you decide what you're doing.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

Ok Ill do that later when I get a sec.

Thanks

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

OK so I got the cam timing gear and timing chain off. Got the pistons out and the crank out.

The crank doesnt really look that bad really. All of the cyl bores feel very smooth and there are no rough spots. I got the cam out also and didnt notice any rough spots on it either.

Guess Im gonna call around in the morning and find a shop to take all this too.

My friend said that the NAPA right here has a machine shop in it. He said he dropped off a crank to be turned for his boss and they charged him $120.

So I might try them but Im gonna try to do some research and asking around first.



Thanks again everyone.

 

[coheej]

Re: First engine rebuild

Sounds like a good plan. The machine shop should mic your crank and you'll know if it needs anything. Bore gaging the cylinders will tell you if you need a bore or just a hone. They will probably check your rods too.

 

[coheej]

Re: First engine rebuild

Be sure not to get the main caps out of order. Keep rod caps with the correct rod.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

I got em all marked where they go.

The rod caps have numbers stamped on them. 1, 2, or 3.

Does this mean anything?

 

[coheej]

Re: First engine rebuild

I got em all marked where they go.

The rod caps have numbers stamped on them. 1, 2, or 3.

Does this mean anything?

It means that the motor has probably been apart before; Chevy doesn't number their rods.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

All of the rod caps either have a 1, 2, or a 3 on them. No # 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8.

And it's stamped on there.

 

[Aloysius]

Re: First engine rebuild

rods come from the factory as a balanced set, unless they're PM, in which case they're identical. If the engine was rebuilt previously, you don't know what ya got for matched rods.

If the crank is installed with the main caps torqued, and you can't spin the crank, you've got a bent crank or out of line main journals.

 

[coheej]

Re: First engine rebuild

Well, unfortunately it looks like you've got a rod combination that came out of at least 3 different motors. while the rods are probably close enough that they will not cause problems, you don't know for sure. You could have a machine shop or performance shop check the rods to see how close they are. To do that they will have to press the pistons off of the rods. If the motor is going to need bored anyway then the pistons would have to be replaced anyway. Once the pistons are off the rods can be weighed, big end and pin end. For a motor in this rpm range you would like to see all of the big ends to be within 5 grams and the pin ends to be within 5 grams. If it were me and they were within 10 grams, I wouldn't worry about it. If you don't mind spending $200 to $250, you can have the shop balance the pistons, rods, and crank to know you're ok.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

Well I dunno what these prices are like but I just got off the phone with my local NAPA. They have a machiene shop there and a couple people I know said they do really good work there.


They said $120 to turn the crank. They said they have about 6 350 cranks already turned that I could just exchange mine for if I wanted. My question with this is what do I look for on these. Do I want a cast or forged crank or do I just tell them I want the same kind of crank I have now? Or should I just tell them to fix mine.

They said $5 a piece to check the rods so Im gonna have them do that.

They said $150 to bore the engine 30 over. I dunno if I will need this done but I figure Ill just bring them all my parts and have them boil them and check everything out.


Does this sound like reasonable prices? Anything I should watch out for or request from them?


as always, thanks

 

[coheej]

Re: First engine rebuild

Well I dunno what these prices are like but I just got off the phone with my local NAPA. They have a machiene shop there and a couple people I know said they do really good work there.


They said $120 to turn the crank. They said they have about 6 350 cranks already turned that I could just exchange mine for if I wanted. My question with this is what do I look for on these. Do I want a cast or forged crank or do I just tell them I want the same kind of crank I have now? Or should I just tell them to fix mine.

They said $5 a piece to check the rods so Im gonna have them do that.

They said $150 to bore the engine 30 over. I dunno if I will need this done but I figure Ill just bring them all my parts and have them boil them and check everything out.


Does this sound like reasonable prices? Anything I should watch out for or request from them?


as always, thanks

$120 to turn the crank & $150 to bore & hone are very reasonable. If your rods were the original rods, I would have your crank fixed and use it. But since your rods are not original, you could just trade cranks with them. Cranks are exchanged like this all of the time and that's why I say your rods are probably fine even though they are not a matched set.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

Are all cranks the same for the 350? Is there cast and forged? Is there any cheap Chinese crap ones I should look out for?

 

[coheej]

Re: First engine rebuild

Are all cranks the same for the 350? Is there cast and forged? Is there any cheap Chinese crap ones I should look out for?

Is this a one piece rear main seal or two piece? From the year I think it should be one piece.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

Its a 2pc. When I ran the casting #s it said it was a pre 86 5.7.

 

[coheej]

Re: First engine rebuild

Most of the cast cranks in 350's were casting # 3832442. If that is what you have it's a cast crank.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: First engine rebuild

LAC,
Yes the SBC came with both cast and forged cranks from the factory. Cast cranks have a thin parting line (casting mark) in the Un-machined areas of the crank. Forged cranks have a substantially wider parting line in the Un-machined areas of the crank. When it doubt, you can take the casting # off the crank, and look it up; http://www.nastyz28.com/sbcmenu.php

My guess is your not building a monster, and a cast crank will live at fairly high power output for a good long time. You should be able to use a cast crank with no issues. Plus Your machine shop may want to do a 1 for 1 exchange I.E. cast crank for cast crank. They may be willing to part with a forged crank, but I'm sure they would want a little more money for it.

The so-called Chinese cranks are aftermarket. Most likely your machine shop won't have any of these. There are super cheap stroker kits sold on e-bay with Chinese cranks. Some OK, and some I would start the engine, and wait for the bang. In reality some of the name brand aftermarket engine component companies are starting to have their cranks built in China . That doesn't necessarily mean they are bad. They are built to that companies standards. But it still takes a job away from an American factory worker.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: First engine rebuild

Most of the cast cranks in 350's were casting # 3832442. If that is what you have it's a cast crank.

Yup that's the # on the crank I got now.