VIP GT-BBB

[bigBADbenny]

Remember this project is happening on a budget and also for my education.
So going half hog is fine by me. If it comes to it, I'll get the baby destroker done for less than 2k not inc labour and shop time
But it may not come to that. I hope

[peadya100]

Fair enough.. sounds like a great experience!

I think short blocks have come down in value a lot now since Owens experience. My brand new 257 was only $2500 delivered from rising sun in QLD. Then I sold my old short block for $800. So it actually worked out to be a similar price to new rings and bearings... that's based on MSR prices which will no doubt differ from others. The labour is a killer though!!

[bigBADbenny]

Well I'm trying my hardest to be a good shop monkey for Neil, you know plenty of listening and learning, attention to silences and house keeping, and doing most of the labour... As long as I keep my act together, we'll move forward with ease. A weekly slab helps too
Neil does a ton of work with a local workshop that buys bulk busted sohc subies which they reco and flip on a multiple daily basis so this build will benefit more from that real world experience and less on tinfoil hat internet fluff.
His shop is a revolving door of local mechanical luminaries getting their hard basket cases sorted, to boot. And he's tapped into a vast network of other specialty shops, meaning if he can't do it, it's done by the right crowd.
Have to say I'm stoked, but unlikely ever stroked

[peadya100]

I would have loved the opportunity to do more myself.
I'm lucky to have a very handy friend that helps me do a lot of things, but nothing to an opened engine.
I'm learning a lot.. still have a long way to go though.

[bigBADbenny]

I admit I'm taking a radically different approach only made possible by some recent changes in my life related to work & study

[dr20t]

Benny wtf (break in again). Cameras dude. Heaps of em.

Awesome welds - and you know my vote on engine configuration - do eeet

Good luck with the studies and work / life balancing act mate - I know how hard it can get but very fulfilling.

[bigBADbenny]

Sure is lol
Yeah Aldi has an 8 cam setup for $300 so I may install that.
And a basic alarm

[alexeiwoody]

Sure is lol
Yeah Aldi has an 8 cam setup for $300 so I may install that.
And a basic alarm

They sold out within an hour at most stores. Need to be quick with Aldi...

[bigBADbenny]

Just ordered a new drivers door lock and handle assy via the champs at Makin & Luby in Preston: $207 delivered, and another $xxx? for a locksmith to code the key barrel.
Thank goodness for small mercies

Ok so the wristpins were removed with a whopper easyout from Neils collection, the block was split and the pistons tapped out with a hammer handle....

It's all good so far! Bores look great and no obvious damage to the pistons and ringlands.
Neil's going to tank the pistons and mic them and the bores.
If it passes those markers ok and the rod big end bearings are ok etc, etc then we're on track to reassemble it with new rings, master gasket and timing belt items
I'm racking my brains for potential upgrade items to include at this stage, so far the cast impeller water pump and a stock oil pump are the likely candidates.
I have a GS 70 degree tstat, it's a bit of a tinfoil hat mod, but couldn't hurt.
And a KillerB oil pickup, natch.
That leaves some sort of upgrade piston as an option, Wossners, Cossie or stock STi maybe?
Or find a double drilled STi 75mm crank and use Manley destroker pistons and uprated valve springs to rev out to 9k.
Which would add $1.5k or so to the bill.
Or just stay stock for now: feel free to chime in with your ideas.

[peadya100]

When I was doing mine, MSR said if the budget allows, go for cosworth pistons. I think for no other reason than they don't sound like forged pistons in a built engine.

[bigBADbenny]

Yeah the Wossner pistons are the same alloy iirc.
I gotta re read the faq's again
I want to know if low k ej257 pistons are a viable choice too as there might be sets going from upgrade builds around, eg as seen on www.builtej.com...

[bigBADbenny]

image.jpg (164.74 KiB) Viewed 8822 times

I'm glad I listened to a very experienced engine rebuilder
But actually I had no choice but to follow Neil's advice, since it's his shop
The big end bearing on cylinder 4 was indeed on its way out, meaning the spare long motor project is getting a full set of bearings.
It was obviously using oil, as witnessed by the pooling in the throttlebody & pipe.
And that was confirmed by Neil as he pointed out that the oil control rings are fully glued to the pistons, with varnish.

At this point he will tolerate whatever mods I want to add to the rebuild, but as Owen has pointed out repeatedly, the health of the rebuilt donk will almost entirely be down to having an excellent tune, to which we'll add supporting mods and correct break in procedure inc pre-priming the oil, a ceiling on boost and revs, but otherwise "hard" with cylinder pressure and vac to seat the rings properly.

My guess is the car the spare engine came in had a soft break in, used more oil than the standard service interval supported, overheated at some point (oil is an essential part of the cooling system after all) and the rest is history (head gasket issues).
I call this downward spiral the "service abuse effect" and my own car is an exemplar. It's been a major bugbear since we bought it, and although a great tune improved the reliability factor, the service abuse, combined with age, has lead to the inevitable conclusion of reco or replacement of its engine.

It's plain to see why a fair proportion of buyers of second hand Libs run into trouble, especially once they add mods and especially when done with either a crap tune, or no tune at all.

[jakey]

There's got to be an update since I last visited this page

[bigBADbenny]

Not much, spare engine rebuild is on hold at the moment due to work and study, will be back on when I next have a weekday free, basically installing the new gaskets, studs and lightly recoed heads. Basically skimmed, new guides, valve clearance checked and adusted. Once it's together I'll move it to our workshop and install all the accs and upgrades.

It turns out I can weld, and for a novice I have to say I'm quite good, capable of 100% penno or root fusion, and getting nice finish on capping runs, all with arc. Book 2 is done and onto 3 Advanced which includes the dreaded overhead position: I'll give myself a 3x half day timeframe to nail that lol.
Getting ones shit together on arc is important as the other processes use many of the same principals: bring it on!
I hope to complete Cert3 within 3mo and then spend 2mo or more on Cert4...

Meantime the lib is back doing service as my footy vid crew car and daily commuter, all good but for the persistent oil leak and nasty pong.
I replaced the window rails and door rubbers with items from a low k wreck.
S001's are awesome on stock alignment but the rear guards will need more massaging to go 5up with luggage.
Shockworks continue to impress, just need to reset the upper perches at front to trap the springs on full droop, hearing a bit of a "doing" as they unload in tight corners...

The Baur is running sweetly, just needed the timing slightly retarded as it was pinging up top a wee bit.
Right now the focus is on our 92 Toyota Townace, which is getting a few items refreshed with good s/h from a wreck at the local self serve yard. Lock barrels, trim pieces and cargo bay linings, also restoring a set of e30 sports seats for a mate, with DIY upholstering, very challenging!

[SIMBAT]

hows it all going Ben? its been a while!