Engine Prep 07/15/2012

Engine prep work is necessary to get it ready for assembly. Lots of cleaning, removing old parts, and fun good times like that.


Pistons are cleaned up to remove carbon and any filth from the bores.


Other bank is ready to go, very nice and shiny now. Lots of carbon build up was present.


Lifter valley is cleaned and scrubbed of all junk and gunk.


Timing cover is removed. Bolts were oddly enough not even finger tight. No block alignment dowels either. Plenty of silicon and nastiness though!


The infamous gear drive.


In preparation to remove the cam, I noticed the cam retaining plate was almost 1/4" out and the bolts were extremely loose.


Yeah, that's not good. The cam will now walk around when running. Would probably make a pretty big thump noise too.


And the result of the cam walking is this. The cam got a nasty burr and damage. This is where the 3rd bearing rides. It ate the front 2 cam bearings as it came out as well.


Chunks of cam bearing missing!


And the front cam bearing is eaten too. Swell!


Yikes. Pretty damaged. This was a Crane 105082 cam, 0.480" lift...


Oil pan is degreased and wire wheeled clean.


Both sides even!


All gunk and debris and metal shavings from the cam bearings landed in the pan and were removed while the inside of the pan was degreased and cleaned.


Windage tray is removed and the remaining gunk and metal shavings were here.


Cleaned and degreased as well.


Everything is cleaned and prepared for assembly. Oil pump is kept around just in case pickup screen is needed on new one.


Bottom end is put all together minus oil pump and ready to install pump & seal it up.


Valley pan is cleaned thoroughly. The previous installer loved silicon...


Timing cover cleaned up as best as possible.


Timing cover has cleaned up rubber o-rings for cooling passages and all threads chased and 3 generations of silicon removed from the holes. Not sure how anyone got the bolts to seal the water pump considering they wouldn't even go halfway down the hole due to 3 different colors of silicon bunched up inside. NO SILICON NEEDED when you assemble an engine people!

All parts are now cleaned and ready to go! Just need to get cam bearings installed and then put the rest of the engine together.

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Last updated July 15th, 2012