Building my first engine for a local customer
I think there were a few JAM horror stories up recently, but my memory may be foggy - something with incorrectly installed thrust bearings and a toastied motor they didn't take responsibility for.
I would love to be able to build my own motors one day. For myself of course. Lots of learning to be had. Where did you pick up the knowledge Tom? Books? Working with people with experience?
One of my friends with a Talon works for a dude who builds alcohol motors for 6 second cars and whatnot. Dudes car runs a high 6 at almost 200mph with no boost and no nitrous.
One of my friends with a Talon works for a dude who builds alcohol motors for 6 second cars and whatnot. Dudes car runs a high 6 at almost 200mph with no boost and no nitrous.
Last edited by Svendiesel; Jan 22, 2012 at 11:59 AM.
I disagree, from my own experience .0045-.0050 has been a happy medium...from what i've seen they usually dont start making noise untill .0055 and even then its just when cold...I've even run as high as .0065-.0070 and the motor wasn't excessively noisy.....just my .02
This sounds like you may be talking about my situation of buying a built short block that locked up from simply cranking the motor due to thrust washers being installed backwards hence me re-building the motor myself. The shop accused me of running the motor hard for thousands of miles when in fact it was never started. It wasn't JAM to clear things up.
I would love to be able to build my own motors one day. For myself of course. Lots of learning to be had. Where did you pick up the knowledge Tom? Books? Working with people with experience?
One of my friends with a Talon works for a dude who builds alcohol motors for 6 second cars and whatnot. Dudes car runs a high 6 at almost 200mph with no boost and no nitrous.
One of my friends with a Talon works for a dude who builds alcohol motors for 6 second cars and whatnot. Dudes car runs a high 6 at almost 200mph with no boost and no nitrous.
just researching google, forums, youtube .. theres sooooooooo much on youtube. theres quite a bit on this forum also.
ive learned the main key is having a good machine shop and reading reading reading! its all on the internet and out there.. if you really have a passion to do it you can teach yourself..
thanks everyone for giving the tips and advice. its very appreciated.
a lot of the measurements are found with micrometers and dial bore gauges.. measuring with a micrometer and then zero'ing out the dial bore gauge in the micrometers measurement found and then whatever it reads off the gauge is your clearance after you use the dial bore gauge to measure with the bearings in place and everything torqued down. (thats for finding main bearing clearance down to the ten thousands of an inch.. (more accurate then plastigauge)
its really cool how it all works out and its really neat how everything is thousands and ten thousands of an inch yet when you get into it you will look at it like its not really that small of measurements since you have such accurate tools to measure with.
ive also learned that plastigauge is not very accurate.. so i will only use that as a reference for the end part for reassurance we are in the proper ball park on clearances.
im excited to build it! ive done almost everything so far except for transmission assembly and engine assembly, now i will atleast have full engine assembly under my belt.
i think ill do fine.. reason being i am REALLY picky when it comes to mechanical stuff.. i double check my work and triple check.. i am told im like watching a german when working on a car lol.
ive learned the main key is having a good machine shop and reading reading reading! its all on the internet and out there.. if you really have a passion to do it you can teach yourself..
thanks everyone for giving the tips and advice. its very appreciated.
a lot of the measurements are found with micrometers and dial bore gauges.. measuring with a micrometer and then zero'ing out the dial bore gauge in the micrometers measurement found and then whatever it reads off the gauge is your clearance after you use the dial bore gauge to measure with the bearings in place and everything torqued down. (thats for finding main bearing clearance down to the ten thousands of an inch.. (more accurate then plastigauge)
its really cool how it all works out and its really neat how everything is thousands and ten thousands of an inch yet when you get into it you will look at it like its not really that small of measurements since you have such accurate tools to measure with.
ive also learned that plastigauge is not very accurate.. so i will only use that as a reference for the end part for reassurance we are in the proper ball park on clearances.
im excited to build it! ive done almost everything so far except for transmission assembly and engine assembly, now i will atleast have full engine assembly under my belt.
i think ill do fine.. reason being i am REALLY picky when it comes to mechanical stuff.. i double check my work and triple check.. i am told im like watching a german when working on a car lol.
The actual assembly doesn't take long, just the measuring clearances multiple times with multiple tools is what takes long and shouldn't be rushed anyway. Just wish I could find a job where I was doing this everyday.
This was how i got into hondas. i picked up a bare block from a friend before even having a car to put it in and had never done engine work before.
it really was quite fun and a great learning experience. as it was just kind of messing around i didnt go all out on parts and/or tools, and didnt have that great of a machine shop around. in the end what wound up screwing me was an ******* tuner that sat on the 9500 rev limiter for almost 10 seconds on the dyno for "tuning" and ate up the the rings in 2 cylinders.
i did manage to break 2 dyno records for n/a 1.8L motors tho.
i used the facrtosy service manual for a lot of clearances and tips, but i was using factory internals, so i guess that wont apply here.
it really was quite fun and a great learning experience. as it was just kind of messing around i didnt go all out on parts and/or tools, and didnt have that great of a machine shop around. in the end what wound up screwing me was an ******* tuner that sat on the 9500 rev limiter for almost 10 seconds on the dyno for "tuning" and ate up the the rings in 2 cylinders.
i did manage to break 2 dyno records for n/a 1.8L motors tho.
i used the facrtosy service manual for a lot of clearances and tips, but i was using factory internals, so i guess that wont apply here.
I say you document it if youve got the time and patience to, and as long as you put a huge disclaimer in the thread 
It'd be awesome to see it come along. I cant recall the thread, but I remember one guy documented his build, I believe he built a 2.3 for a yellow VIII.
It'd be awesome to see it come along. I cant recall the thread, but I remember one guy documented his build, I believe he built a 2.3 for a yellow VIII.
I say you document it if youve got the time and patience to, and as long as you put a huge disclaimer in the thread It'd be awesome to see it come along. I cant recall the thread, but I remember one guy documented his build, I believe he built a 2.3 for a yellow VIII.
It'd be awesome to see it come along. I cant recall the thread, but I remember one guy documented his build, I believe he built a 2.3 for a yellow VIII.