In a week or so I'm looking to start assembling my new block. I've picked up a fair bit from different rebuild threads and Haynes like prying the crankshaft when installing the thrust bearings.

Is there anything that anyone with experience can tell me to watch out for, or any tricks you used. For instance does it matter where I pry the c-shaft? Little things like that. Knowing how to do something is always different from actually doing it.

Plastiguage the crankshaft, make sure the bearing clearances are in spec, and of course make sure its clean!!!

Pay the $150 and have a machine shop do it.

Same here; Pay the Machine Shop $150 for the work. I call this a good insurance.

Ghislain.

I understand getting a machine shop to do it, but I don't fully trust that they'll know the correct issues/procedures for MY car.

I'm not saying my car is special, this is just a generic assumption, I'd rather do it and know what went on than wonder if the machine shop took the same time and effort that I know I will. Plus, $150 for assembly sounds like a HUGE load of money for the work they're doing.

Peace of mind's all well and good, but it's a pretty systematic process; tightening from the centre out, plastigauging the crank/rod oil clearances, tapping the thrust surfaces in line, checking the clearances, spring compressors and torque wrenches, checking the clearances.

I'm not in a hurry, and know that I've got my best interets at heart, not the $$. I really just want my assumptions validated, and so far everything's as expected.

Thanks for the input Chris C. Those are a couple of my top priorities that I'll probably end up doing 3 or 4 times.

Some people swear by using moly-grease lube for assembly. DONT USE IT. Moly penetrates the steel, and acts like a barrier. This is all and good any other time, other than break in. Your bearings wont seat in properly if theyve been applied with moly lube. Also break in with NON synthetic oil, for the same reasons. Also for break in, run the engine untill its at normal running temp. Than go for a drive, making sure to mut as much of a load on it as possible. Beat on the engine. This doesnt mean high revs, it means putting load on it. Accelerate through the gears, around 3/4 throttle. Make sure you keep it under load, dont coast, or cruise, speed up, slow down, speed up slow down. So this for about 10 mins. Park it let it cool, do an oil change. Your rings are now properly seated. Good luck.

Excellent break-in advice.

Make sure everything is clean. VERY clean. Check all the crank journals in 3 places, at different angles. Plastigage them all after proper torquing. Gap the rings a few thou larger than spec, just to be on the safe side if you get it too hot.

As for prying on the crank, it's simple. Don't pry on any bearing surfaces, lol. The thrust bearing is a tight fit in the center main journal anyways, so it should line up perfectly anyways. Check the thrust play afterwards.

MAKE SURE YOUR OILPUMP IS GOOD, or use a new one to be safe.

Use GOOD RTV on the pain, and no gasket. The RTV from chrysler is awesome. I've never had anything leak i put together with that stuff.

Prime the oiling system after the engine is assembled using a drill on the oilpump shaft. Get the oil flowing well before you put the timing belt on and start it up.

I've seen machine shops and reman shops mess up things. Stupid things. I'll save the $150 and keep my peace of mind knowing that i built it myself, and i did it right. You don't learn by paying other people to do it. There's also some personal stisfaction to be had knowing that nobody has turned a wrench on your car except yourself, and it beats up on anything you come across because of the work you've done with your own hands.

Great stuff, thanks for putting my mind at ease, Nick, Matt and Chris. Matt your break-in advice was a breath of fresh air; I had read about seating the rings like that but it just didn't sit well with me to run it so hard at first.

I picked up some 'Camshaft and Lifter Prelube' from Partsource, it's a heavy oil with an 'anti-wear' additive for initial startups when oil pressure is still low...sounds like what I need.

The only thing I don't like is all the little rag fibres that catch on the gasket edges that I have to clean off with my fingers, but that's a small price.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mathieu Bourdeau:
[qb] Some people swear by using moly-grease lube for assembly. DONT USE IT. Moly penetrates the steel, and acts like a barrier. QUOTE]

thats funny I have built a few hundred race motors and many street motors without any problems using moly lube, & with the present of motor oil help lube the oil system and prevents wear. Also most racing oils etc use "moly" in the oil. also Moly does penetrates steel (when heated to over 700 deg.) Its the only thing I use on cam & crank journals.

But that my personal opinion and the research info was done by engine tear downs & corperate data from USA & Japan.

Andrew I to have used moly off and on for about 30 years . Lately I am using Torco assembly lube for most things but the topic of moly came up today in the shop and we were all in agreement that none of us had seen it cause any problems .

Your right, it wont cause problems. It will save you if you have an oil pressure problem. So yes the reports you saw, show that, an engine with say no oil pressure, will last much longer and do less damage than the one assembled without moly lube. The bearings will not "seat properly, and not make perfect film of oil. So performance wise, I say if you know your oil pressure will be fine, which theres no reason it shouldn't be, dont use moly lube, that method IMO is better in the long run.

Also, these racing engines are rebuilt how often? I beleive it is the safe way to do it to prevent damage incase theres an oil problem in the first 20 mins. Why do you think they say not to break-in with synthetic oils?? Same reason.

These engines range going 10 miles a weekend then getting a tear down to running and making to the end of the Dakhar rally 7000 miles in three and half weeks. Even motors that hit the big black dyno with 200 miles in under 2 hours of use at daytona. all the bearings look mint after getting nothing but moly base oils. I would not use any dino oil at that place.

I think everyone knows not to use synthetic when breakin the motor in, but thats for the piston rings to be seated properly because moly is slippery

We can sit all day long beating a dead horse on whos way is better, but rather say this. Look at results of engine failures and whos winning races or is the engines lasting without failures on the street? proof is making a customer happy. its all about how its built, clearnaces used, and of course how is assembled with what parts used.

They're many ways an engine could fail, but detecting the fault (driver,quality of the parts used or engine builder) and correcting it. Thats why in my line of work I only trust less than 5 engine builder in Ontario when I get overwhlemed when I'm on the road/out of town racing.

"Break in" bearings ? How much metal is removed from the bearing during break in ? The simple fact is that unlike rings and cylinder walls You never want a crankshaft to touch a bearing .A thin {.0005"-.001"} film of oil must be maintained in order for the bearing and crank to survive . If during a break in period these 2 parts contact each other there will be no break in only parts failure . Most if not all good assembly lubes have some moly in it.
However ,if You know something that engine builders around the globe are unaware of please don't let us stop Your "anti-moly" crusade.

The only moly I've seen around is in an aerosol grease form, is that what you guys are talking about?

No that is not usually used for engine assembly , it is very dark in colour so You can't see if a spec of dirt falls into it . The stuff I am using is made by "Torco" it contains moly , phosphorus and zinc , it is clear red in colour and any automotive machine shop has access to it . There are other equal products available but You won't get them at Canadian Tire .
I know You have the best intentions but You should not do this Yourself if You don't trust the machine shop You used before find another one . There are many trustworthy shops all over North America . If You make a mistake or even fail to recognize something that could be out of spec or is ready to fail it could cost You an entire engine . At least get someone that has done more than one engine to help You with the reassembly . There is much more to putting an engine together than reading a chilton's book .

MPZ right? I've heard that it's a pretty popular assembly lube. Good suggestion, I'll probably end up going with that.

I always intended to have someone at least check over what I did, and it might have been misleading when I said I didn't trust the shop, I just know that I'll spend all the time and do all the research I need to get it right.

Hell do you want to come by and look? You sound like you know what you're doing.

I rarely make house calls LOL . Seriously it sounds like You are on trac with the assembly and yes it is mpz .

Haha, darn...thanks anyways man.

I'll keep you guys posted with how everything goes when I actually start doing it. I just finised cleaning and painting but school calls so I've gotta worry about that right now.