Van engine rebuild

[surfergirl]

Hi everyone,
I got the engine back from the workshop last week, Its been rebored to +20 the block has been skimmed and cleaned out and Ive got some nice new pistons and pins.
So where do we start the rebuild, any tips would be great, Im sending for a crankshaft and bearings from Bullmotif along with timing chain and oil pump. I have seen a timingchain for £10-15 on the web but it wasnt duplex I guess you get what you pay for. Im hoping to beat the VAT man by ordering before the budget!

[bmcecosse]

Fist thing you do is you clean that block like you never cleaned before - special attention to the oil galleries to make sure every spec of swarf is removed! You can't do much else till you have the new crank. Meantime - clean the head and grind in the valves.

[timmo]

Any engine bits you need...give me a shout, may be able to help

[surfergirl]

Thanks,
Ill blow the block out with an airline. Ive got 2 spare heads to make one good one, whats the advise on hardening the valve seats or exchange to an unleaded head. The van doesnt cover that many miles and isnt used on Motorways ( not that we have any down here!) I guess itll need skimming too.
thanks Tim for the offer of spares, if youve got a unleaded head knocking around that would be good! Whens that traveller coming to the beach with a board on the lid?
Cheers

[billlobban]

Dont bother with the unleaded head just increase the tappets to 15thou exhaust and there shouldnt be any problem if your not thrashing it up and down the motorway and like me you dont have any anyway

[bmcecosse]

What he ^^^^^ said! Don't waste money on unleaded head - or daft additives! Just run it on unleaded.

[timmo]

Have been there a few times..its getting there when the car parks not full and theres some surf ....Looks like Saturdays going to be good....may go down 'uthnoe, may not be so busy

[Packedup]

Keep an eye out for an unleaded 998 Mini head - They do turn up sometimes, and shou;dn't cost a vast amount. Inlet valves are slightly smaller than the 1098 Minor head I think, but compression ratio is higher, which I suspect makes it no less powerful, and maybe a little more economical

[bmcecosse]

Not just the inlet valves that are smaller - the ports are smaller too - it will strangle a 1098 engine, but as you say - that may well lead to greater economy! These 998 heads are not 'really' unleaded in that they don't have inserts - they just have better quality exhaust valves fitted! So - don't pay much for it if you do find one - in fact - often given away free - I have done so!

[timmo]

Gotta yellow CAM 4810 mini head if any good to you

[linearaudio]

What is actually wrong with the head(s) you have?? Given that the unleaded bit doesn't need to concern you, just get one of them sorted. They don't often need skimming unless they have been badly overheated, but if you are getting it done, I would get a decent chunk taken off to give a boost to the compression ratio- won't cost any more to take 40 thou off than 10 thou!

[bmcecosse]

Yes - the CAM 4810 head is the pseudo unleaded head.........

[surfergirl]

Thanks for all the advise, the two cylinder heads ive got are ok I think, just a bit old and tired (like me)
I think the valves would have to be ground in and check the spring length maybe a new valve or two. After doing the bottom end I dont want to have problems in the future by fitting a duff head. Ill put some pics on tomorrow of them.
cheers.

[bmcecosse]

Just line the springs up alongside each other to see if any are significantly shorter - from two heads you should have 16 - so pick the 8 longest for one head and the rest for the second head. It doesn't really matter unless you are expecting to be using max revs in every gear ?

[surfergirl]

Ive took a few pics of the cylinderheads.[frame][/frame]
This one is pretty rusty, the surface is a bit pitted, I dont know if this will seal.[frame][/frame]
This one below is better, but the bypass pipe has been repaired.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

I wouldn't trust that bypass hose 'repair' - so that's just a door stop. The other will need a really good clean up - a bead blaster would be good, and then I think you should have the face skimmed - take 40 thou off, and then fit new valve guides and grind in the valves, using the best ones you have from all your stock.

[timmo]

If you dont want to go through all that..ive a good 1098 head here, was going to use it on a spare engine but probably wont need it now

[bmcecosse]

That sounds like a very much better idea!

[linearaudio]

But SURELY there is a third head option, being the one you were running the car with until recently! What is so wrong with that one???

[timmo]

I think the other engine is still running and they are building a second engine to replace it, so its old out and new straight back in...Thats what i would do anyway