[rallyusa]

Not a lot of time to do work recently, but managed to clean and blast the calipers (front so far), also managed to clean the pistons and install piston rings, planning on putting the rotating assembly together this weekend, then working out the oil pump/pan situation.

Also, got my new brake lines, they really look like a solid product for around $100, I'm pretty impressed.

I'm thinking of doing a video on piston ring gapping/install but not sure yet. Wrench every day

 

[rallyusa]

Things I did this weekend - got the rotating assembly completed, I took the time to measure the ring gap, and didn't have to grind anything down, they were all within spec, I highly recommend the Mahle rings the quality is great.

The Sealed Power crank and rod bearings seem to be really good quality too, overall it all went together smoothly, and it seems like it's all downhill from here (fingers crossed). I did make one mistake, the 2.5 build manual that I was using calls for the bulkhead/block mating bead to be in a certain place, and I didn't realize until I had mated the two pieces that one section was off, and unfortunately I had already gone through the process of torquing everything down, the good news is that it looks like enough of the sealant spread out via compression that it made up for the spot I missed, I was able to see overflow inside and outside, but time will tell.

BTW, Berryman's carb cleaner + a nylon brush works great for cleaning the pistons, then afterwards clean really well with soap and water, then dry and soak in oil, wipe off excess prior to install (I pre-clocked the rings before soaking so I could just pick them up and go).

 

[mmc757]

Awesome! This is the step I'm currently stalled out on in my build. The bearings are sitting on the shelf, I just haven't made the effort to go buy a dial indicator and get it done. I also want to paint the block a different color than its currently painted so that's another excuse to let it sit there.

Glad to see somebody else doing a build from the ground up though. Historically, this community rarely goes that far but I imagine it will get more common as the low-mileage donors start to dry up.

 

[B3NN3TT]

Remember to install the PCV breather and top engine mount before you bolt down the heads!