The Manhattan Project

[AndrewSlater]

Thanks for the comments guys.

They look excellent. I'd fit the studs first just in case you have any problems with threads as access will be easier off the engine.

I haven't bought my heat exchangers yet so can't measure the flange size yet. I was hoping to save up for SSis which I hear will need a 50mm stud ( which I have already bought in SS ). The heads have been helicoiled on the exhaust side but it is probably worth a trial fit whilst they are on the bench.

My rebuild is quiet as its stopped! Not even opened the garage for weeks....

I'd considered stopping for a while - especially when it was 2 degrees C down in the workshop.
So much so that when I dropped a stud into the case the other day the air turned blue.

[AndrewSlater]

I have now fitted my new inlet and exhaust studs to the cylinder heads ready to be fitted.

My next job was to fit my breather cover, oil thermostat and temperature switch.
I re-plated the temperature switch adapter whilst it was off.
I have also fitted the new head studs to the case - starting to look like an engine.



Today it was time to fit my new piston rings, and ready pistons/cylinders for fitting.
I started with this.


All the pistons and wrist pins were matched for weight ( all identical to within 1g )



The Mahle piston rings are clearly marked with top orientation.







After a few hours of effort I now have these ready to fit to the engine.

[911hillclimber]

Wise to put the pistons into the cylinders first imho/experience.
I've tried it the other way too, pistons on the rods, cylinders over using the very same compression ring as you have, bloody murder.

Those C rings really fly at supersonic warp speed so be ready. Far more awkward when putting the cylinders into place.

Looking good!

[AndrewSlater]

Those C rings really fly at supersonic warp speed so be ready. Far more awkward when putting the cylinders into place.
Looking good!

Thanks for the comments, I think the C rings were the hardest part so far!
Not looking forward to fitting them on the block.

[MT]

Safety glasses and some pieces of clean cloth over the other cylinder holes ..... and over the chain slots and the oil return tube holes. If the C springs can find a way into the case they will! Good idea to have a couple extra handy in case they make a bid for freedom.

Actually I've not found it too difficult with a pair of long nose pliers and a small screwdriver. Getting the piston pivot pins in can be much harder - I have found using a heat gun on the piston skirt area before fitting makes them slide in much easier.

Oh, and don't forget the engine tin baffles between the cylinders once you're finished. So easy to forget them later....

Mick

[jjeffries]

I rebuilt my first 911 engine this past summer, a 3.0 SC unit. A couple of tools I borrowed from local friends made life much easier: a Snap On piston ring compressor, and germaine to this phase of your rebuild, the Stomski wrist/gudgeon pin clip installation tool. I know its too easy to get financially drained through the purchase of one-time use tools, but the "circlip injector" is one I'd buy myself were I to build another engine. I used to be a service manager at a Volvo dealer and when the Ford manufacturered straight six entered service circa 2008 (the one with a quill drive for the water pump....a silly and over complex design), we were having to replace pistons to address oil consumption issues. We could have used a Stomski tool for those...it's a great design, pop the clip in the tool's tube, doesn't have to be perfectly angled, then offer it up to the piston/rod, tap the driving end with a hammer and Bob's Your Uncle. Eliminates the need to apply big forces with sharp tools around soft metal/valuable components.....$80 well spent. Best of luck, John in Connecticut.

[AndrewSlater]

Spent the afternoon starting to fit my pistons and cylinders.
First got everything together including replating the cylinder head washers.

So the process was:
Pre-oil the small end and piston.
Loctite 574 the gasket and fit.
Loctite 574 the cylinder shoulder.
Fit the piston/cylinder assembly and locate the wrist pin to the small end.
Plenty of rags to cover any apertures and then fit the wrist pin clip
Seat the cylinder
Fit the cylinder head gasket.
Assembly lube the head studs and washers/head nuts.
Fit the cylinder head.
Apply washers and nuts.
Pre torque to 10Nm followed by a final torque of 32Nm.
Fit spark plug and torque.

Repeat as necessary.

Apart from missing the cylinder head gasket on the first one ( yes it wasn't in my list of photo'd items ), it went relatively smoothly. Fitting the wrist pin clips seems a bit of a hit and miss affair.

Oh well after a couple of hours I have fitted cylinders 6 through to 4.


Next step rotate the engine and repeat for the other side.

[911hillclimber]

Great!
The plugs will have to come out very soon for cam timing, so plug the hole with them finger tight?

[AndrewSlater]

Great!
The plugs will have to come out very soon for cam timing, so plug the hole with them finger tight?

You are quite right - Doh! - I was trying to follow the advice in the Dempsey book that if you fit something always torque it up so you don't forget - but clearly wrong here.

I had a go at fitting the second bank of pistons / cylinders but ran into a problem.

I found that when I got to the middle cylinder I had just fitted the wrist pin and clip when I accidentally pulled the cylinder up and the control ring popped out - argghhh!

I found that I couldn't use my ring compressor tool in situ to rectify the situation, so I had to take the piston off.
To get the Wrist pin out off piston2, I had to remove cylinder3, so had to undo all the work on that bank.

So I think if you are fitting the pistons to the cylinders before fitting to the connecting rods, as I did this can be a problem.
Luckily it didn't happen on the last cylinder!

So I decided to stop for the evening and take stock.
The next evening I simply started the bank again trying not to make the same mistake.

A few hours later and tada!!!



All the deck heights are good and having checked the cylinder head faces with a straight edge it's all good to go on the cam carriers next.
Next job is to clean the spray bars and refit them.

[911hillclimber]

Good game, and wise to walk-away when thing go wrong. Patience is a virtue!

Be really careful putting enough seal between the heads and cam carriers, so very easy to get a leak or a weep if anything is not 100%.

I found this stage quire fiddly, housings, seals, tubes, cams etc.

My last rebuild weeps so slightly, bloody frustrating. (cam carrier to head, one side).

[AndrewSlater]

Despite concentrating on the engine rebuild I managed to see the car this week.
The bodyshop has completed all the major welding work on the car now, so only a few odd jobs before the painting process can commence.
I didn't get much chance to take too many photos.



Impressed by how little of the replacement panels have been used to retain as much as the original metalwork as possible.

For example on the front slam panel only the top of the panel was used to replace the rusted through portion.



The panels behind the impact bumper mounts have been refabricated and replaced.



Selective parts of the fuel tank support have been replaced.



Overall all looking great and good panels gaps around.
Now I need to chose a final colour ( other than the s**t by moonlight brown )

For the moment the engine rebuild continues.
The next job is the cam carriers. They are currently stripped and the oil tubes removed and cleaned. Next job is to tap the oil tube so that I can plug them up with a threaded blanking plug.

[AndrewSlater]

These arrived today



Well it was my birthday at the weekend

Hope they are the right ones.

[Gary71]

Lovely. I have a matching set hiding under the car in the garage!

[911hillclimber]

Wow, just look how tight they are made.

you should see my Dansk ones.....

[AndrewSlater]

Lovely. I have a matching set hiding under the car in the garage!

Too nice to hide away - at least put them on display until you need them!

Wow, just look how tight they are made.

Yes the quality does look good. Will be a while before I fit them yet.

I now how a small set back on my cam carriers.
I have now threaded the spray bar hole to fit a threaded plug.
However I have noticed that my machinist seems to have removed the blanking covers ( called 'lids' on PET ) that cover the hole at the non-sprocket end of the camshaft. So I've stopped whilst I order some new ones.

Does anyone know how they are fitted? I am guessing they are a friction fit but do they need to be sealed and if so what's the best sealant to use?