Builds Work In Progress aka: Badass (2 Viewers)

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that damaged journal
hush you. How do we know it’s damaged? The facing side looked smooth and unmarred. At minimum, I need to open that back up and take a mirror up and in there huh? **** piss damn.
 
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Your spidey senses apparently are better than most since you opened it up because you smelled burning oilman knew it was imminent danger. What do your spidey senses tell you about this one? I def had hat on my journals and ran it, but didn’t run it for long because I later pulled my cam, saw how bad it was and decided I wanted to pull my engine just for fun - so naive!
 
hush you. How do we know it’s damaged? The facing side looked smooth and unmarred. At minimum, I need to open that back up and take a mirror up and in there huh? f*** piss damn.

Oohhh, I saw that picture inverted and thought it was the journal!!!! Much less worry then, in my book!!!!!

Let’s start over...
 
Ppppsssh, I ordered only con rod bearings.

I'm only saying you have the pan off, the other bearings were worn, it's just a couple more bolts and the bearing cap and lower bearing comes out and you can look at it. If its nice and smooth, great just put it back, torque to spec and that's that. But if it's really worn wouldn't you want to know? Maybe you could plan on a total rebuild later. Now is not the time to be an ostrich with your head in the sand! Do they really do that? And since your doing a 1/2 rebuild you could always just replace the bottom 1/2 of the main bearings as that part takes most of the abuse anyway.

I'll shut up now.
 
There’s the little issue of pulling the front cap (and maybe the rear), that it disturbs the seal. I did it and wouldn’t recommend doing it. It doesn’t seal back up. Maybe do the other two or three bearings but I don’t think they’ll be as worn. It wasn’t hard to do but it’s more time and money.
 
but I don’t think they’ll be as wor
assuming the middle ones wouldn’t be as worn as the first and last? Is that what you mean? Or simply less worn than the con rod bearings? And FYI, glad you piped in and said that. I do remember you or someone else saying that about each of the four corners. Books points it out too.

I’m just home from my friends house and a bite at a local NY style deli for corn beef sandwich and cole slaw (my fav, I could simply eat the slaw and be happy) and a shared slice of warm chocolate pecan pie.
 
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I miss those good deli sandwiches from the east, they haven’t quite got the same touch out here (not even close)! And pecan pie, really? My second favorite after a good Michigan blueberry pie.

It was me talking about the seal on the front bearing before. It was a big deal. Robbie had warned me, and I didn’t listen to him and it leaked. I was only happy after I fixed it the second time around when I had the engine pulled and the front plates off. Now that I’m thinking of it - maybe it can be done correctly if you can get the front plate off. I can’t remember the details but anyway, someone might have a work around, but I wouldn’t recommend doing it unless you plan on sealing the entire thing like it shows in the fsm.

My gut feeling is the main bearing (front and back) got more wear as opposed to the center ones but I don’t have a logical reason for that. I wish I had taken pictures when I did it. Like I think I said, I don’t remember it being hard to replace those bearings but they can always be done later too. Just don’t put a bunch of FGIP all over your new oil pan gasket.
 
Yeah that timing plate is on snug. Those torx screws aren’t giving up. Again I’ll say it, possibly heat but man does that make me nervous since two are so close to the crank gear.
 
I’d like to hear what a materials engineer would say, but I think it’s hardened steel and I don’t think you heating the torx screws with a torch will hurt it. You could cold wrap it in a rag soaked in cold water. But are you worried about the heat on the gear or something behind it?

The other thing I’ve been thinking about is that there’s a lot of metal there to dissipate the heat (at the screws) and maybe just burning off the sealant and getting them hotter than the surrounding area will let them come free. I’ll check with a friend that works a lot with metal and will know. Maybe other people will have opinions as well.

I totally get it if you don’t want to. From what you’ve said, I’d put those con rod bearings in, get the cam shaft back in and button it up and drive it for a year and then revisit if you feel like it later. But that’s just me.
 
Laughing, I wouldn’t have thought to wrap a wet rag around it. Lightbulb (there needs to be an emoji for that)!
 
Once, you're done with all this I think you should take "badass" for a clay bath too... or mud bath rather. You both deserve it!

In regards to using a torch on the locked up torx screws, you could shield your gears with some aluminum as a heat sink or maybe a heat pad that a plumber would use. Home depot sells them for a few bucks.
 
Once, you're done with all this I think you should take "badass" for a clay bath too... or mud bath rather. You both deserve it!

In regards to using a torch on the locked up torx screws, you could shield your gears with some aluminum as a heat sink or maybe a heat pad that a plumber would use. Home depot sells them for a few bucks.
Good thinking. I did get these not long ago... waiting for the Napa that has a paint scanning to get their machine fixed and I’ll have the red I had added to the front valance matched. Once I can get it I’ll start moving forward on some pin stripes and adding these.

A1907450-E347-4551-B7F9-2373AF6BC985.jpeg
 
While under the truck today I laid down a tarp as the driveway was super wet... my dogs felt the front section was made especially for them. My trusty mutts kept me company while I pissed and groaned trying to get those nuts torqued.
And just a bit ago I’m reading through the fsm, a turn of the page and to my surprise and annoyance, the con rad caps are not 90ish ft/lb, they are only 35-54!!! I’d mistakenly read the specs for the mains.

6A476809-4A23-4103-89AF-7AA618EC5CBF.jpeg
 
Are you familiar with an impact driver. Not an electric or pneumatic impact wrench but the one you hit with a hammer. To get those Torx out. They work like magic. Issue is getting the Torx bit to fit.

If I had a bit to fit the impact driver I'd hit the head of the screw with MAPP gas starting with a 10 second burst. There's so much thermal mass the heat won't go anywhere. Then hit it with the impact driver.

Having said that I'd be inclined to put the rod bearings in and call it good.

Oh look it's got a socket adapter thing.

IMG_20180722_204233419.jpg
 
Eric I tried some straight shots w/ the bit and a hammer. I do have one of those manual impact screwdrivers but the torx #50 bit came attached to a socket driver and it doesn’t fit..... ignore that. I think I do have an appropriate adapter. I’ll check it out tmrw. I had tried the battery operated Ryobi impact wrench as well and got no where.
 
Well there it is.... if it’s not a monsoon tmrw I’ll try it.

F7983EE7-98AA-41AF-BFD1-5A7442DB6BE5.jpeg
 
Are you familiar with an impact driver. Not an electric or pneumatic impact wrench but the one you hit with a hammer. To get those Torx out. They work like magic. Issue is getting the Torx bit to fit.

If I had a bit to fit the impact driver I'd hit the head of the screw with MAPP gas starting with a 10 second burst. There's so much thermal mass the heat won't go anywhere. Then hit it with the impact driver.

Having said that I'd be inclined to put the rod bearings in and call it good.

Oh look it's got a socket adapter thing.

View attachment 1750419
My impact driver must be real old, like me. I've had it for a long time and the case is metal, not plastic.
 
My impact driver must be real old, like me. I've had it for a long time and the case is metal, not plastic.
I’d rather have metal... but mines just a harbor freight special. Your only real old if some of your parts are metal now too. ;)
 

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