What do I do with my engine?

[Cuerno Largo]

I have a 75 FJ40. The engine has been out of the vehicle and sitting for at least 3 years. No antifreeze, no oil. Exhaust manifold was off so there are mud dauber nests in the head.

Here are some pics.




What should I do with this engine? I would love to make it look like Degenol's.

When it was removed, it was running with no known problems. 60 thousand original miles.

The problem is that I now have it out, it has been sitting for years, and I want to do whatever it takes to make sure that when it goes back it, I do not have to remove it. I am looking to make it as dependable as I can for the future.

Money is not necessarily a factor, but I don't want to waste it where work is not needed. I am willing to spend whatever it takes to make sure that I do not have to re-do this in the future.

I am not an expert mechanic, but I have an extensive set of tools and I really got into this project so I could learn about automotive owrk on older vehicles. I prefer to do what work I can myself, but need some direction on if I need to send it to someone else to work on.

Any good suggestion as to a direction to go here?

 

[Cuerno Largo]

last pic

 

[Poser]

After you purchase a 2F engine manual: if you do not have one



Pull the head and have it gone through....


Look at the cylinder walls when the head is off, if they look good, get a set of rings and install them along with new rod bearings.


Clean it up and paint it all pretty like Ed’s.

 

[Mark W]

Actually, if everything was right before you pulled it out, I would not assume that you need head work. Get the head pressure checked and check the sealing of the valves first. But chances are a valve job and some new stem seals would be a good idea. And if you wanted to check the bearings this would be an easy time to replace them. Rings as well. And gaskets/seals.

Just depends how much you feel like doing to ensure that you don't have to go back and do it later. But there really isn't anything that will have suffered from sitting (assuming that it was stored indoors and out of the weather.


Mark...

 

[green73]

What engine stand is that? I figured an F/2F would droop really bad.

 

[Mark W]

In all of those pictures the engine is still supported by the hoist.


Mark...

 

[trainrech]

Looks like the cheapo Harbor Freight one I have holding up my 2F (without chain hoist assist).

 

[Cuerno Largo]

What engine stand is that? I figured an F/2F would droop really bad.

Harbor freight special. It droops a tiny amount with the engine hoist off, but actually does hold the engine. I have the hoist on it because much of the time I have my kids with me in the shop and I don't want to take any chances. I already had the stand and did not want to buy another so I am using it, but if I were going to get another one, I would get the U shaped base one. In the pictures, the chain on the hoist is tight, but is not actually supporting the weight of the engine.

 

[1phrogguy]

What should I do with this engine? I would love to make it look like Degenol's.

Oh boy, that thing is no good, you should sell it to me really cheap.

 

[Degnol]

After you purchase a 2F engine manual: if you do not have one



Pull the head and have it gone through....


Look at the cylinder walls when the head is off, if they look good, get a set of rings and install them along with new rod bearings.


Clean it up and paint it all pretty like Ed’s.

Like this?

 

[MTPCRUISER]

Degnol - if you don't have space for that just let me know and I'll stop by and take it off your hands. Bee-you-tee-ful!

 

[Degnol]

I have the space now as it sits in the truck. Gave my '74 F to IDave....and delivered it. All I got in return was food, wine, lodging and two days of guided fishing and cruiser riding. Somebody got the short end of the stick and an engine


Ed

 

[Fast Eddy]

Harbor freight special.

I've got the even-cheesier, less-kid-friendly one with only three wheels. It holds the 2f ok, but my kids know not to go near it.

 

[Cuerno Largo]

Like this?

Ed,

You mentioned in another post that you had a local machine shop do some work for you and then you had a mechanic friend help you to reassemble the engine.

Do you mind posting specifically what the machine shop did and what you did yourself as well as anything you might have done differently in hindsight?

 

[74fj40]

Like this?

Ed- Always see pictures of your engine OUT of the truck but never in it

 

[Degnol]

Ed,

You mentioned in another post that you had a local machine shop do some work for you and then you had a mechanic friend help you to reassemble the engine.

Do you mind posting specifically what the machine shop did and what you did yourself as well as anything you might have done differently in hindsight?

The machine shop did:

Baked the naked block at 600* then shot peened it, checked deck for true
Bored it .030 over and supplied the pistons, had the pistons in hand before machining
Installed cam bearings and supplied them
Checked rods for true
Checked head for true and slightly surfaced, recut valve seats
Surfaced flywheel


I reassembled(with bonafide mechanic helping and supervising)
New OEM main bearings after dressing the crank with crocus cloth
New OEM rod bearings
New OEM piston rings
New, not reground cam, stock lift and duration
New lifters
Oil pump spec'd out to FSM, so I did not replace it. 70psi at cold start-up, 62psi at operating temp and anything above idle, and 40psi at 550rpm warm idle
Used OEM rebuild gasket set

Total parts and machine work was about $1400 including cam $200, lifters $100
Pistons$300, OEM gasket set $240?, OEM bearings?

Mechanic friend ground valves and helped with all the reassembly.
I used some assembly lube on everything when putting the motor back together.

Hope I've covered everything, but probably not


And it was purdy fun...never done it before.


Ed


Ed

 

[Degnol]

Ed- Always see pictures of your engine OUT of the truck but never in it

Bitch! It is in and running just fine.
I did not, however get it done in time for my trip West to see IDave. It did make it to Flat Nasty though.

Ed

 

[74fj40]

how much performance change was there with the bore?

 

[Degnol]

how much performance change was there with the bore?

I imagine....none Went from a '74 F to a '772F so I have no comparison. This has been discussed, but generally boring .030 or even .050 over does not by itself yield much of anything measurable. Just makes things round again



Ed

 

[brider]

My opinion, based on experience, on an engine in the condition of yours:

If, as you say, you want to gain experience working on this type of engine, now IS the time to pull the head and/or change out the rings and bearings.

However, you also mention the presence of kids, which in my world means .001th of the time I USED to have to do that fun stuff, so you COULD realistically just clean out the wasp nests from the intake/exhaust ports, maybe pull a few rod caps and plasti-gauge the clearance and convince yourself the bearings are good (look at them, too, for scoring marks), replace the rear main seal, and put that thing in and drive away. If it is as low mileage as you say and ran good when you pulled it, it should run like a top again without any real work.

I've started rigs that sat out in upper NY weather for years, and they ran just fine (once you get the wasp nests out of the intake and put in fresh gas).

Even if it DOES need head work after you install it, it's easy to pull the head when it's in the truck.

I have wasted many months, going on years, in the middle of projects that really didn't benefit my cruiser much, and I wish now I had just put it together and driven the &%#)*&@ out of it.