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Use this page for engine installation, job pick-up or drop-off, & helpful facts about engine machining & parts

Guide to successful engine machining & parts installation


	Dropping-Off Engine Components (New Job)
	Complete Engine or Block 01. Drain oil 02. Remove all engine covers 03. Remove all electrical components 04. Remove all accessory brackets 05. History of any recent machine work or problems/symptoms Heads 01. Remove all electrical components 02. For overhead cam engines, include cams, lifters & cam caps 03. History of any recent machine work or problems/symptoms Cranks & Rods 01. Supply connecting rods & rod bolts 02. History of any recent machine work or problems/symptoms


	Picking-Up Engine Components (Finished Job)
	01. Bring all receipts for any payments made 02. Bring straps, tie-downs, pallet, etc. for safely transporting heavy engine components 03. IMPORTANT! Refer to Installation Tips below to avoid common engine installation problems


	Installation Tips - Extend Engine Life
	01. Distributors that are not advancing within spec (either retarded are advanced) will result in detonation or pre-ignition will damage pistons 02. Carburetors either running too lean or too rich thin oil and fuel wash bearings and cause piston galding resulting in premature engine failure 03. Reusing any oil cooler will recycle the debris from the previous engine failure through the oil system of the rebuilt engine and cause bearing damage 04. Not properly priming the oil system prior to the initial startup which includes always prime the new oil filter will cause premature engine bearing failure 05. Not properly breaking in flat tappet camshafts will cause premature camshaft failure 06. Not having a zinc package in the oil of engines with flat tappet cams will cause premature camshaft failure 07. Not installing the oil pickup screen properly either not too close to the bottom of the pan restricting oil from the oil system or not properly installed allowing air to be sucked into the oil system will cause premature engine bearing failure 08. Dirt and debris from not properly cleaning pans, rocker arm covers, timing covers, intakes, etc will result in premature engine bearing failure 09. Not having the correct ignition or fuel set up causing excessive cranking before the engine starts can lead to premature flat tappet cam failure 10. Not having a properly operating EGR valve can cause pistons to overhead and gauld in the cylinder 11. For more information on engine machining refer to Shop Facts below To view, click the video name V1. "How to Prime your GM LS Engine Oil Pump by Melling"


Shop Facts - Rebuilding for Engine Power & Efficiency

Block Machining
Machining the block to achieve precise dimensions is a critical step in balancing & blueprinting your engine

01. Used blocks are cleaned & checked for flaws prior to any machining.

02. Main Bore Align Honing ensures main-bearing housing bores are properly aligned & sized to specification. A long honing mandrel fitted with abrasive stones passes through the main bores. Using caps & a cap grinder, bores are reduced in diameter before matertial removal to achieve original bore diameter. Once main bores have been corrected, crank & bearings can be test fitted.

03. Deck Resurfacing allows head gasket to move without grabbing or tearing. Block decks must be flat, have exact same height from centerline of main bore, & be parallel to main centerline at correct angle of 90 degrees to crank centerline. Removing material from block decks changes the deck height; crank stroke, connecting rod length & piston compression distance must be factored to accommodate desired piston deck clearance & compression ratio.

04. Cylinder Boring & Honing begins with inspecting cylinder wall surfaces for scratches or scoring; damage .025+ inches deep requires overboring. If cylinder walls are not thick enough, sleeving may be required. Cylinders are bored to a diameter slightly less than the final leaving enough material for honing. During the honing process, main caps are installed & a deck/torque plate is used to stress the block, ensuring propper cylinder bore geometry.

05. Plateau Finishing uses plateau brushes to shave the tiny peaks left by honing. This provides a more uniform surface for the rings, improves oil control & ring lubrication, & extends ring life.

06. Cylinder Bore Distortion is a key factor of engine blueprinting. Cylinder distortion results from heat, cylinder pressures & engine assembly (normally from tightening head bolts, bell housing bolts & other attached components.) To avoid cylinder distortion, bore diameter checks are made before, during & after honing. It is critical to properly simulate normal block stresses during cylinder honing to minimize effects from cylinder profile changes during engine operation.

07. Lifter Bores that are damaged can be overbored, fitted with liners & honed for propper lifter oil clearance. Lifter bores should be corrected to proper centerline & angle, especially in older OEM blocks.

Crankshaft Machining
Crankshafts are the heart of your engine, withstanding extreme dynamic demands, horsepower & torque loads

01. Inspection ensures a crank is within specs & identifies any potential issues. Once a crank is cleaned, a magnetic partical process is used to identify any flaws or cracks. Crankshaft runout (or bending) is checked with an indicator probe while rotating it on v-blocks; readings of .001 inch or less are normally acceptable. Main journal measurments are performed with a micrometer to verify diameters are within spec. Main journal front/rear taper should be between .0002 & .0004 inch. Rod journals are measured from base of front fillet to base of rear fillet, & checked against the stacked width of 2 connecting rod big ends.

02. Undersize Grinding is required when main or rod journals have been damaged (usually scoring.) Journals are ground undersized with a crankshaft grinder & require undersized bearings (original outer-diameter but smaller inside diameter.) An undersize grind to .010 or 0.20 inch is common; some crankshaft may allow .030 inch without compromising surface hardness.

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