do i do piston rings (1 Viewer)

[franklin40]

here is a break down of my cold compression values on a 1hdt i’m currently driving i my fj62.

Cylinder six was 440, cylinder five is 420, cylinder for was 420 cylinder three was 440 cylinder two was 400 and cylinder one was 440.

this was done with all glow plugs out at the same time and just crank the engine 3-4 times per cylinder.


anyway i have a significant oil leak at the girdle so i have to pull my engine to do a reseal. i’ve already done the BEBs not too long ago. no other bottom end stuff has been done. the engine actually runs pretty well and cold starts like a champ. it does however have near
600 000km on it. while i have the engine upside down and that deep to the crank should i do new rings while i’m there? this could go down a rabbit hole really fast. i really want to just get it to stop leaking but it’s also one of those things i’m not planning on pulling the engine again so i want to do what i should while it’s out.

what are your thoughts? do i need to go that deep?

 

[veiloctane]

if your gonna seal the girdle.. you might as well do it all that you can afford. $$$ = peace of mind

 

[franklin40]

is it worth doing if i’m not honing the cylinders though? i have a very small amount of blow by it would be nice to improve. i just worry that new rings in an unhoned cylinder may not mate right and make the blow by worse. i’ve never done rings before so don’t know if that a legit concern or not. i have a mechanic friend who know his stuff helping so i’m not worried about doing it right. it’s just whether it’s really worth it and what are the risks of making a bigger problem

 

[chapel gate]

You have to hone the bores.

They are good figures for a cold compression test. Probably add 40-60 psi if the engine was up to temp.

 

[mudgudgeon]

How tight is your budget?
If it's a survey car and you've got the money, buckle up and be prepared for a ride down the rabbit hole.

If you're on a budget, assess once you're in there.

At that mileage, I'd plan on a full once over. Be prepared to machine the block, refresh the head etc.

You can always dial it back once you have things stripped and assessed

 

[veiloctane]

just get an overhaul kit you should get everything you need rebuild kit

 

[franklin40]

budget isn’t the driving issue. it’s more time line. i don’t want to go down the rabbit hole at this point if a full rebuild. everything runs really well it’s just the oil leak i can’t live with. yes maybe i’ll kick myself if something breaks after i put it back in but i guess then it’s just more time to pull it again. i’m happy to do quick simple things but i done want to have to pull it all apart to get machining done etc. i just want to get it sealed up and simple things like bearings. stuff i can do quickly and get it back running. that’s my though process at this point

 

[veiloctane]

600K km is quite a lot to me. Therefor if I have the time and resources I would do the rebuild.

Or.

Just keep adding oil for now and do the rebuild later.

 

[aztoyman]

Tough call. If it runs good and the compression numbers are within spec..........?? If you ring it, you have to hone it. It has to be the correct finish so get the proper hone. A ball hone of the correct grit is probably best in the home garage.

When I worked field service for a Caterpillar dealer I did plenty of bearing roll ins on high hour engines. Never a ring and hone.

Smaller engines sometimes got an in frame rebuild but that was a liner pack change which was assembled pistons, rings inside new liners and new bearings.

If you are in it to fix leaks, fix the leaks. If you see a reason to rebuild now, then rebuild now because it will be cheaper than a catastrophic failure later. If it's got no signs of imminent failure and it's running well you have to decide what is more important. Your time line or pulling it again in the future.

Rebuilding now since it's not budget driven is probably a good choice IF you can get it done within your time constraints. If it HAS to be running soon, you don't really have that option so fix your leaks. No way around pulling it again at a later date. You just don't know when that will be.

Hurry up and decide so you can get some real sleep.

 

[veiloctane]

Turn this thread into a poll!!!

I say rebuild it now and enjoy it for the longer run!!! Piece of mind and I would sleep well every night!!!

 

[Dougal]

I say don't start on a rebuild unless you're ready to do a complete rebuild. The chances of finding or causing new problems are extremely high. To make sure you're good you're going to end up with new bearings throughout, new pistons/rings and either a new or reconditioned cylinder head.

IMO putting rings in an engine with good compression is madness. But embarking on a full rebuild isn't.

 

[veiloctane]

just swap in a 1HD-FTE. It’s not too difficult. And not too many electronics.

 

[franklin40]

can’t leave the leak and keep filling. that’s not an option. it’s going through an extra gallon of oil every oil change to keep it filled. my garage floor and underside of the truck is filthy and i can’t live with it. maybe i’ll call my engine builder and see what they’ll charge. it’ll be faster if they do it than if i do it!

naw i don’t want a new engine. this one’s good for me and i already own it.