Engine build thread

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be building up an engine which I thought I'd document for future reference.

The full spec is still to be decided but I have already bought a second hand block along with a set of used pistons, rods and a crankshaft.

The engine will be built by myself but any machining operations will be done by a local engine builder.

You'll need a few specialist tools to undertake an engine build. I'll list them in this post and update them if and when I use more....

Engine stand

Piston ring extractor tool

Piston ring groove cleaner

Piston ring expander

A DTI with 0.001mm resolution.

A Bore gauge with 0.001mm resolution capable of reading up to 86mm and preferably as low as 22mm.

External micrometer set ranging from 0 - 86mm with a resolution of at least 0.01mm.

A 1 meter straight edge

Feeler gauge set with resolution of at least 0.01mm from 0.03mm.

Vernier calipers.

Plastigage strip.

Torque wrench.

Valve spring compressor.

Valve stem seal pliers.

Gasket scraper.

Selection of wire and nylon brush's.

Valve lapping tool.

Cylinder ridge reamer.

Toyota SST 09213-70010, 09330-0021. (Crankshaft pulley tightening and locking tool.

Seal packing 08826-00080. (Or similar RTV sealant)

Engineers blue.

Loctite 242.

Loctite 577.

You'll also need a decent set of spanners, sockets, ratchets and allen keys.

Most importantly, you'll need a dry, clean area in which to work. This is not the kind of job you're going to want to do on a driveway!

Well done Tony, love to see your writeups

looking forward to this:)

As I mentioned above, I've already bought a second hand block.

Now the previous owner has explained that he thinks it is in perfect condition, and without wanting to hurt his feelings, there's only one way to be perfectly sure and that's to inspect it.

In order to do a proper inspection, it's necessary to make sure that you're measuring actual metal, and not dirt and gunk. So I'm going to have the block cleaned and all the other parts cleaned. (Not only is this necessary for inspection, it is absolutely vital for assembly)

It's possible to do this at home with brake cleaner, a tooth brush and a lot of elbow grease. However to have the block professionally cleaned costs about £60 and saves an awful lot of hassle so I would definitely recommend it. The process used to be called "acid bathing" but H&S have put a stop to using the acid, so as the guy I spoke to explained, it's now just called "bathing"

Anyway, before the block can be sent to the cleaners, it's necessary to strip it right down. I've been lucky in this respect as the block was supplied to me pretty much stripped down. All I need to do is strip the oil pressure switch, knock sensors and the oil squirters. Pics to follow in the morning...

 

You'll also need a decent set of spanners, sockets, ratchets and allen keys.

 

Do my tools qualify

need a ... specialist tool...

You'll need Digsy then

(Private Joke! Sorry!)

Looking fwd to this write up

I love these threads - this will be how to get it done right.

Another quality thread

Well done matey, this should be good

Subscribed

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me to

I was going to write mine up too, you've beaten me to it Tony! I'm rebuilding my old engine.

subscribed

Looking forward to this, also was good to meet you the other day

Did you decide what internals to go for

A DTI with 0.001mm resolution.

A Bore gauge with 0.001mm resolution capable of reading up to 86mm and preferably as low as 22mm.

External micrometer set ranging from 0 - 86mm with a resolution of at least 0.01mm

Loving the idea of a writeup and i'm mostly replying to subscribe but are you sure you need to use micron bore gauges and micron DTI's? I would be very surprised to see a micron bore gauge able to read from 22mm to 86mm. I work in engineering and we build aeroplane engines. In most everyday work we work to 0.001" which is 0.025mm. 0.001mm would be 10ths of a 10th which is a ridiculous size to work to and something that i have never heard of. Especially in a garage where the temp cannot be controlled.

To measure 0.00004" you would need to use light gauges or a very very sophisticated CMM machine. Ours in the work measures 0.0001" very well but the temp is held to a constant 22.5 degrees +-0.1 degree's.

Sorry if it appears i'm butting in but i really am interested, i just find the figures for equipment hard to believe.

Scott =op

Love your quality threads subscribed too bud

Loving the idea of a writeup and i'm mostly replying to subscribe but are you sure you need to use micron bore gauges and micron DTI's? I would be very surprised to see a micron bore gauge able to read from 22mm to 86mm. I work in engineering and we build aeroplane engines. In most everyday work we work to 0.001" which is 0.025mm. 0.001mm would be 10ths of a 10th which is a ridiculous size to work to and something that i have never heard of. Especially in a garage where the temp cannot be controlled.

 

To measure 0.00004" you would need to use light gauges or a very very sophisticated CMM machine. Ours in the work measures 0.0001" very well but the temp is held to a constant 22.5 degrees +-0.1 degree's.

 

Sorry if it appears i'm butting in but i really am interested, i just find the figures for equipment hard to believe.

 

Scott =op

I was a toolmaker for 20 years in all aspects off grinding etc .

working to 0.0001 every day ,the bore gauge will only read to this

0.0001.To set it up you would need a box off slips [callibrated]

and a slip cage.If the cylinder bore could be honned to this accuracy i would be well pleased.

I was a toolmaker for 20 years in all aspects off grinding etc .

working to 0.0001 every day ,the bore gauge will only read to this

0.0001.To set it up you would need a box off slips [callibrated]

and a slip cage.If the cylinder bore could be honned to this accuracy i would be well pleased.

Tut tut, a tool maker that doesn't stipulate units of measure?

0.0001 millie monkeys obviously

Room for one more

I was a toolmaker for 20 years in all aspects off grinding etc .

working to 0.0001 every day ,the bore gauge will only read to this

0.0001.To set it up you would need a box off slips [callibrated]

and a slip cage.If the cylinder bore could be honned to this accuracy i would be well pleased.

Yes a bore gauge will read to 0.0001" but there aint no way you worked to that every day. Yes you may have gotten a size to exactly 4.0000" but check it at a different temperature and the size changes.

Unless of course you were working in a completely sealed closed off environment. My dad was a toolmaker, my grandfather was a toolmaker, my uncle was/is a toolmaker and i was a toolmaker until i changed departments when they closed the in house toolmakers. Now i am a general machinist.

The agreed maximum limit by anyone i have ever spoken to is around 4 tenths of an inch without a controlled environment. I can confidently work an internal or external grinding machine to this then take the component into a controlled environment and still have the job within tolerance.

Oh, and if you read my initial post you will see i was questioning the 0.001mm which is 0.00004" which cannot be worked to in any machineshop.

Scott =op

Yes a bore gauge will read to 0.0001" but there aint no way you worked to that every day. Yes you may have gotten a size to exactly 4.0000" but check it at a different temperature and the size changes.

 

Unless of course you were working in a completely sealed closed off environment. My dad was a toolmaker, my grandfather was a toolmaker, my uncle was/is a toolmaker and i was a toolmaker until i changed departments when they closed the in house toolmakers. Now i am a general machinist.

 

The agreed maximum limit by anyone i have ever spoken to is around 4 tenths of an inch without a controlled environment. I can confidently work an internal or external grinding machine to this then take the component into a controlled environment and still have the job within tolerance.

 

Oh, and if you read my initial post you will see i was questioning the 0.001mm which is 0.00004" which cannot be worked to in any machineshop.

 

Scott =op

I think you mean 4 tenths of a thou' mate.

I think you mean 4 tenths of a thou' mate.

I was going to say

4/10 of an inch??

I think Im going to be getting some serious blowby on my engine build if the machine shop cant do better than that

Loving the idea of a writeup and i'm mostly replying to subscribe but are you sure you need to use micron bore gauges and micron DTI's? I would be very surprised to see a micron bore gauge able to read from 22mm to 86mm. I work in engineering and we build aeroplane engines. In most everyday work we work to 0.001" which is 0.025mm. 0.001mm would be 10ths of a 10th which is a ridiculous size to work to and something that i have never heard of. Especially in a garage where the temp cannot be controlled.

 

To measure 0.00004" you would need to use light gauges or a very very sophisticated CMM machine. Ours in the work measures 0.0001" very well but the temp is held to a constant 22.5 degrees +-0.1 degree's.

 

Sorry if it appears i'm butting in but i really am interested, i just find the figures for equipment hard to believe.

 

Scott =op

No probs mate. Metrology is a vastly more complicated subject than most people imagine.

The bore gauge I've got has interchangeable anvils so it will go across the range, but you're quite right in that every time I swap the anvils it has to be re-calibrated. Luckily we've got a complete set of gauge rings at work which themselves are sent back to Mitutoyo every couple of years to be recalibrated. These gauge rings are ridiculously expensive (as much as a couple of hundred quid for a single ring) so I wouldn't expect most people to own them, but it's quite important to have access to decent calibration equipment.

The temperature issue is the one thing that I can't control well. The workshop I'm using has a heater and a door to control the tempearature. But other than that I just have to make a judgement call. I know that if it's freezing cold or roasting hot then it'll be out and just to take that into account.

The reason why I've gone for that kind of accuracy is because that's the tolerance range stated in the workshop manual. For instance the cylinder bores have a tolerance of 86.000 to 86.013mm as a standard size and the maximum size of 86.02mm. If I were to use a + / - 0.01mm resolution gauge the accuracy would probably be a little higher than that which could mean passing an out of tolerance bore.

The main journal bores are even worse they have a size range of 0.002mm. I don't have any kit that will accurately measure that size so you have to resort to measuring the crankshaft journal which itself has a tolerance of 61.984 - 62.000mm and then using plastigage.

The other thing to remember is that the equipment is an indicator, not a guarantee of size.

Luckily I've been quit heavily involved in the specifying, purchase and usage of quite accurate metrology equipment at work so have a fair understanding of what's involved in making sure stuff is inspected correctly. This is the kind of kit that we're using http://www.metris.com/optical__cmm/k-series_optical_cmm/ but we also have more conventional Mitutoyo CMM's within our inspection department as well.

In all likelihood the block will be line bored and honed anyway which will be done by a local machine shop and they offer a full pre and post inspection, but it's always best to be check for yourself!

Don't get me wrong though, it's all bloody expensive kit. I've probably spent more on measuring kit than I would spend on a crankshaft, but it's an investment that will pay for itself in not having issues later on.

Well, if thats the tolerances your having to work to then i'd say your pissing into the wind doing it in a garage. We couldn't work to those limits reliably at Rolls-Royce. Yes we could measure them that accurately but there is no way we could hold a limit like that. The setting rings will definitely make a massive difference but i don't reckon you will be able to measure anything under 0.01mm accurately.

Getting the size you are after and knowing the size of something is 2 totally different kettles of fish.

And yeah i meant 4 tenths of a thou lol.

Scott =op