How many of you have assembled your own motors?

[VisionPaintball]

I am contemplating assembling a shortblock myslef and was wondering if this write up covers basically the same for a DSM. I want to learn how rather than pay someone and never have a clue as to how it is done. So far I have removed the engine twice,turbo install,head rebuild,etc.

How many of you have assembled your own motors?
Any suggestions?

http://forums.evans-tuning.com/viewtopic.php?t=326&highlight=definitive+engine+build

 

[brute]

If it was my car, I'd completely strip everything off the block so that it's just the block, crank, bearings, and main caps. Make sure you keep the main caps with the land they cam off of. It's very important to keep everything together. So the #3 rod should go back in the #3 cylinder. The #2 main cap should go back where it came, and so on. I'd take the rods, pistons, and everything else to the machine shop. Have them measure clearances, vat the block, recondition the rods, and anything else you want. They'll give you options after they measure clearances. For example, they can polish the crank, or cut it 0.10," or just leave it alone.

If you need to buy anything (new bearings, new pistons, etc.), the machine shop can get the parts fairly fast and usually at wholesale prices. So I suggest buying through them. So once you get everything back from the machine shop all nice and clean, get it all organized in your work space. You don't want to have to stop to go look for parts.

Start out by putting the new main bearings in. Put all of them in, and make sure to use a lot of assembly lube or white grease or something similar. The bearings come with Plasti-gauge, and it's always a great idea to use it. Just cut off pieces from the "string" of plastic. They should only be about 1/3-1/2" long. Sandwich the plastic between the bearing and the crank. Then torque that main cap down. Loosen it back up, and measure the width of the smashed plastic on the gauge that came with the kit. Repeat this one at a time for each crank bearing.

Get the rings out and make sure you know which ones are which. Compress one with your fingers and put it in the cylinder. Make sure everything is oiled. Push it in with the piston so you know the ring is straight and centered. Measure the end gap with a feeler gauge, and file it down.

Now you'll want to put the rings on the pistons. Follow the instructions that are included with the pistons. Basically, you put on the oil ring, then the middle one, then the #1 (or top) ring. Get all the rings on all the pistons, and get the pitons lined out so you know which one goes with which cylinder.

Basically, that guide does a good job explaining. There are a few things different with DSM's, but everything is very much the same for the most part. For example, when you are hitting the pistons into the cylinders, cut some hose and put one piece on each rod bolt so that the bolt doesn't hit anything going in. It could damage the cylinder walls or the crank's bearing surface.

My largest piece of advice is keep everything organized. If you're extremely organized and meticulous, you will be fine. It's an awesome learning experience.