ready for rebuilding a block

[KaLo_o]

so i got my hands on a 6 bolt block and head...im ready to have the block rebuilt with stock crank and rods... now i have a few questions concerning what i should do to save as much money possible since im REALLY tight on money but i still want it done right.

i do wanna build it myself so i was figuring im gonna take the block apart send the crank out to get checked and if its good then what should i get done to it? magnafluxed, grinded,polished? i wanna run about 350-400hp on it

as for the block when its gutted i will have the machinist check it and hot tanked if its good. basicly im trying to figure out if i will save money by tearing the block out myself and have him check everything once its gutted...check the rods,crank, ect

i want to run stock crank and rods ill get new pistons,bearings and hardware

i want to go .020 over so hope it didnt get bored before

also when they balance a rotating assembly do they need it to be installed on the crank? or do they just weight all the rods and make them as even as possible?

 

[wings9191]

Just out of curiosity is there an automotive school around you?
I have one a couple blocks away that a buddy teachs at so i'm going to have them do some work.
I know when i went there you could bring things in to get fixed for the cost of parts.
It was worth it for them to get the experience and of course being watched by an instructor so to do it right.

Not to wear out an old cliche but...
it's not what you but who you know.
You have any friends in the auto industry you can have help you?

 

[KaLo_o]

yeah i dont think im going with that route for something like this, if if was just bolt on work then yeah no problem but even that id rather do myself.... im the only one that works on my car so that i know how everything got put together and when i hit that gas pedal i know for a fact everything is tight and snug.

the only thing i dont have experience in is putting together a block or head. engine internals etc...

i think the route i will go with is im going to send my block to a machine shop, have them check everything,hot tank the block,bore it out, hone it, magnaflux,grind,polish the crank and balance the rotating assembly, have them order the right size bearings for everything and i will just take it all home and assemble the block myself with the help of a friend.

you guys think i would save money doing this? i know a few of you guys will tell me that its not much extra for them to assemble the block and that if this is my first time bla bla bla.... but guess what, there has to be a first time for everything! so this is why im going to assemble it myself.

 

[BrokenPOS]

yeah i dont think im going with that route for something like this, if if was just bolt on work then yeah no problem but even that id rather do myself.... im the only one that works on my car so that i know how everything got put together and when i hit that gas pedal i know for a fact everything is tight and snug.

the only thing i dont have experience in is putting together a block or head. engine internals etc...

i think the route i will go with is im going to send my block to a machine shop, have them check everything,hot tank the block,bore it out, hone it, magnaflux,grind,polish the crank and balance the rotating assembly, have them order the right size bearings for everything and i will just take it all home and assemble the block myself with the help of a friend.

you guys think i would save money doing this? i know a few of you guys will tell me that its not much extra for them to assemble the block and that if this is my first time bla bla bla.... but guess what, there has to be a first time for everything! so this is why im going to assemble it myself.

If you’re rebuilding an engine that is internally balanced, the flywheel and damper have no effect on engine balance and can be balanced separately. But with externally balanced engines, the flywheel and damper must be mounted on the crank prior to balancing.

and the machine shop probably won't charge you more than the cost to fix it if you mess up during the build. they do it for a living. and if it's gotta run right, i'd put my money on them. if you don't have experience in it, let them do it. trial and error = money pit in most cases. if you're dead set on building it, do A LOT of research first. THEN build only when you understand everything you're doing.

with that said, building a motor that runs well is one of the best feelings there is. hope it works out for you. good luck

 

[KaLo_o]

thanks for the advice man, any recomendations on what to do to the crank if its still a good crank? aiming for 400hp max

 

[BrokenPOS]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/370830-hp-rating-stock-6-bolt-crank.html

this should answer a lot of your questions about the crank

 

[KaLo_o]

allright, thanks and also do you guys think its a good idea for me to strip down the block myself and take it all to the machine shop and have them check the crank and rods or should i let them strip it down so they can see all the clearances before they strip it down???

 

[flexnuts02]

First of all I wouldnt even consider taking my stuff to a shop that HASN'T dealt with the 4g63 regularly. Sure you can build a good block to handle 500hp without having done it before, but if your relying on the shop, you gotta remember they are on a time frame for you, they will NOT take half as much care into the tolerances as you would. And that is all there is to it. Perfect tolerences makes a perfect engine if the machine and balancing was done correctly. Again, the right shop will make you supply a USED headgasket of the SAME kind you want to run on it, along with a JMF torque plate to machine the cylinders true. A shop that dopesnt know much about the 4g63 will ignore these things. I say do your research to the point where you have NO questions, then your ready to build your own block.
I would NOT rip it apart if you do not plan to blue print it yourself, and take the position of the machinist when it comes to ordering your stuff for your tolerences. Give the block to the machinist and they can take the minimum amount of bore off it, and have it ready for YOU to take your blueprints, and order your spec'd parts to then gap, prep, balance, and assemble.
Assembling the block only will not get you that perfect engine you dream of, you need to do ALL the work beside the machining yourself, to know that its all legit. Anything someone else does is something that you dont know, like tolerences. You wanna take they're word for it? What if they only measured the stuff quickly and it could have been better defined by yourself with a $30 dial caliper? You got some reading to do!

EDIT: Basically, if you want this engine bad enough, then you have to want to do it right. Which requires hours of research. All of your answers and more are right here, its simple, it just takes time to read. You cant learn if you dont read. Read read read!

 

[bryanwheat]

It will be fine without a torque plate. People have been building them for years without the torque plate.