Engine Overhaul

• Obtain an engine I bought two engines in pieces for R1000.
• Disassemble sub-assembly and head.
  2000-01-17: Stripped block, delivered block and crankshaft to Inderbore Engineering for measuring.
  Got a call from someone wanting to buy the other block, crank, and one conrod.
  2000-01-19: Sold three conrods and pistons for R50. Less junk in my garage.
  Bought new pistons, bearings and gasket set from Masterparts.
  Delivered head, pistons and cam bearings to Inderbore.

  KolbenSchmidt pistons with rings, 40 thou oversize	535.12
  ACL 4cyl con-rod main bearing set, 10 thou oversize	43.60
  ACL flanged main bearing set, 10 thou oversize	106.33
  ACL cam bearing set (6 cyl, no stock on 4 cyl)	90.59
  Payen overhaul gasket set	229.70
  VAT	140.75
  Total	R1146.09

  2000-01-24: The valves in the head were standard, so I need first oversize replacements. (Note: On this
  engine, they don't fit new valve guides, they ream out the head and fit valves with a thicker stem. I'm not
  sure whether this is a good idea...) The plastic / phenolic / whatever cam gear bothers me (if it strips in the
  middle of nowhere, hooo boy!) but an aluminium (oops, sorry, chev is an american engine, aluminum :-)
  replacement is available.

  Dynagear aluminium camshaft gear	159.78
  AE .003" inlet valves	87.48
  AE .003" exhaust valves	101.16
  Worldwide hydraulic cam followers	109.20
  VAT	64.07
  Total	R521.69

• Head, block and cam to engineering shop (Inderbore, they're good, but not cheap) to:
  • Bore block (Get measurement for new pistons).
    2000-01-18: The block is worn 25 thou oversize, so I'll need 40 thou oversize pistons.
  • Check crank journals, grind if required (Get measurement for big end and main bearings).
    2000-01-18: Not much damage here, 10 thou oversize will do.
  • Check cam journals and lift.
    2000-01-24: The cam is OK but I need a new gear.
  • Fit new cam bearings.
  • Ream valve guides.
    2000-01-24: New valves (first oversize, 3 thou) required.
  • Fit new valve seats and lap.
    2000-01-28: Fetched everything from Inderbore, the pistons and conrods have to go back
    after balancing to shrink-fit the gudgeon pins.

    Rebore 4 cylinders	180.00
    Grind crankshaft	250.00
    Shrink fit 4 pistons	98.00
    Fit 3 cam bearings	64.00
    Clean block, head and crank	80.00
    1 set welch plugs (block)	65.00
    Reface 8 seats	60.00
    Ream 8 guides	80.00
    Surface grind head	96.00
    Surface grind block	96.00
    Grind in and assemble (head)	80.00
    Glass bead head	40.00
    1 set welch plugs (head)	48.00
    VAT	173.18
    Total	R1410.18

    Note: I could have saved about R100 by sourcing and fitting the welch plugs myself, but when
    I got the quote I assumed it excluded the welch plugs and it still sounded reasonable to me, so
    in my books I'm ahead.

• Pistons, conrods, crank and flywheel to Finley Turbines for balancing.
  
  • 2000-01-28: The three holes that hold the Chev pressure plate to the flywheel line up with
    the Land-Rover pressure plate. I had three more holes drilled and three alignment pins fitted.

    Drill and tap flywheel

    R125.00

  • 2000-02-07: Balancing done.

    Balance 4 cyl engine complete	335.00
    VAT	46.90
    Total	R381.90

• Adaptor plate
  • 2000-02-08: It will be too expensive to modify the 6 cyl adaptor plate, easier to buy a new
    one. Moose engineering makes solid steel adaptor plates, very nice but fairly expensive
    (R2500-ish). Gilo Engineering has a foundry and casts aliminium adaptor plates. Ordered an
    adaptor plate and a pilot bearing.

    Adaptor plate	724.25
    Oillite bush	28.50
    Freight JHB-CT	110.58
    Total	R863.33

• Assemble.
  Tip: Use paper towels or toilet paper to clean everything when assembling an engine. Bits of rag
  that stay behind might block an oil passage, the paper towel bits dissolve in the oil.

  Oil pump	145.70
  Thermostat	24.72
  Oil Filter (GUD Z44)	28.31
  Plugs (NGK BP5ES)	26.96
  Distr. Cap (Echlin RR181)	48.22
  Points (Echlin CS788)	9.58
  Condensor (Echlin RR175)	10.27
  VAT	41.13
  Total	R334.89

Back to Chev 2.5 page (This page last modified 2002-09-18)