L20B Rebuild

[datzenmike]

You staggered the ring end gaps properly right?

 

But of course! :)

I do have the '78 shop manual. I have been reading and re-reading allot of it today.

 

 

 

;)

[Farmer Joe]

use more lube... i aint kiddin.

 

i used like 3 tube of lube on the last engine i built.

 

what kind do you already have?

 

that engines gonna run soo good tho! i need to get another car so i can start tearing mine apart...

[deadmonkey]

use more lube... i aint kiddin.

i used like 3 tube of lube on the last engine i built.

what kind do you already have?

 

that engines gonna run soo good tho! i need to get another car so i can start tearing mine apart...

Shitty thing is this IS my other car. It is starting to get too cold to ride the motorcycle, but I still am.

I used this, it said in the directions to put a thin film on.

[Braden]

no no no no no, this must be your first engine build, when they mean lube they mean lube!!!!! enough lube for an elephant to fuck a whale, seriously drizzle the shit on like syrup!!!!!!!

[Braden]

looking fawking nice though man!!!! nice nice nice!!! good and clean and new!!! thumbs up man it takes ahile to get the bottom end all buttoned up but once you do youll be almost there!!!! watch the hainz vid to help you with the head/ timing chain, it helps even if you think you knwo what your doing, i used the manual you are using and it really helps, good job on reading it thoroughly, you seem like a smart guy, you shouldnt have any probelms. more pics!!!!!

[Braden]

hey i just thought of something!!!!! do this now!!!! put in the steel mesh and crankcase vent baffle plate!!!!!! if you try and put this on after the crank and rods are in you could possibly drop a screw down into the rod/ piston area, these can be a bitch to get out sometimes so better off to save yourself some time and put it in now. put loctite on the screws and use the proper screwdriver to ensure they are tight, those are some screws you really really wouldnt want coming out!!! also when driving in the rear main seal be very very careful, i buggered up my first one and learned alto doing it, i had trouble fidning something to fit the seal so i could drive it in, i ended up using the end of my potato gun which is actually just a cheap 4 inch pvc threaded end cap, maybe something you might wanna go to lowes and get to give a try, it fit perfectly and made it super easy to drive the seal in.

[deadmonkey]

Yeah, I know about the baffle, funny thing is I think the machine shop lost one of the screws. So I have to go get a replacement. I'm hoping I didn't bugger up the rear main seal but I tapped it in with the 1/2" - 3/8" socket adapter all the way around and around and around until it went in. Now that I think of it I might have some PVC stuff from the fog machine chiller I made last year.

 

Anybody have advice about the old head (does not have a valve job yet) on the new engine?

The weather is good enough for me to ride the motorcycle a bit longer, so I may be able to wait until next pay day and get the valves done too before snow. I just hate working on engines in the cold, but it always seems like I do.

[hang_510]

The weather is good enough for me to ride the motorcycle a bit longer, so I may be able to wait until next pay day and get the valves done too before snow. I just hate working on engines in the cold, but it always seems like I do.

i traded a MC for my first 510! i was tired of the rain.

 

get a VJ done!!!

new seals, guides and seats... :)

 

:blink: imagine trying to do the top end all over again in 3 mos (while its snowing out) :angry:

[deadmonkey]

Took the head in today for a valve job and resurface of the bottom side.

I have the U58 Head so I think those had the metal valve seats? Hope they aren't worn too far. From what I saw everything looked good.

 

I also finished up the timing cover and painted that and the oil pump.

The other parts are soaking in degreaser and should have those done tomorrow.

If I'm lucky the shop should have the head done this week.

 

Worked on the drivers side door today because the sun finally peeked out enough to paint.

It's been too long with out paint and needed to sand a bit of flash rust off before primer today.

The fenders where done a few weeks ago

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/7483-dms-76-620-pickup-first-project-attempted/page__view__findpost__p__380062

 

Got a little ahead of myself with the RTV for the oil pump gasket.

Duh, cover goes before because of that stupid hidden screw.

[deadmonkey]

We... the head won't be done until the end of next week. :(

I'm sure I'll find something to do until then.

[banzai510(hainz)]

I dont put the water pump on untill engine is installed ,just more room to work with

 

No sealant on gasket and antir seize the bolts so it helps prevent rust. i anti seize the long bolts all the way up.

[deadmonkey]

Well the head is ready and I'll be picking it up tomorrow.

I think I'm going to end up painting the block tomorrow inside in the shower since it is way too cold outside. I figure, spray, heat gun, spray heat gun, etc should do the trick. Little bits at a time so I don't make the house reek of paint. Sucks not having a proper shop.

Pics tomorrow I promise. Wish my luck.

 

Edit:

as promised pics. I didn't get much done today though since I'm sick as a dog.

 

[deadmonkey]

So I've been reading up on how to check the valve clearance and ran into this guys build. What a sexy motor. I don't understand most of what is in the post, but I do love his timing chain wedge design, which apparently lets you turn the motor over with it in. This seems like it would come in handy for working on the top end with out having to take off the head.

http://www.carandimage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18535

[deadmonkey]

OK... 4 days later and engine is swapped and everything is in save a few small things here and there.

Thanks to Chester for helping even though we didn't get er in.

 

By trial and error I learned how to get the engine in rather painlessly with out taking out the transmission:

- floor jack holding up tranny for adjustment if needed

- remove engine mount rubbers but leave mounts on block

- remove/drop the muffler or at least get the exhaust out of the way of the engine.

- line up tranny bolt holes with engine bolt holes as best as posible, making sure he engine is angled the same as the tranny (this took a bit of fine tuning).

- carefully get the transmission shaft into the thrust bearing

- push the engine forward (this is were an extra pair if hands is very helpful)

- twist the engine counter clockwise (this depends on how the engine is hanging, but most likely is cocked to the right). This is the magic moment, if everything is lined up it should pop right in. this is why removing the engine mount rubbers is needed because you need the extra room to wiggle the engine around, other wise it will bind and cause you grief.

- Once you get the spline in, twist until you can get a bolt in, most likely the bottom drivers side

- Cock the engine to the passenger side so you can easily get the top drivers side bolt in (get the others in if you can

- Don't tighten them down until they are all in

- Put in the drivers side engine mount, then passenger (this will take some fine tuning with the up/down with engine/tranny

 

- It took me maybe 20 minutes to get everything buttoned up once I had the engine in place.

[chester]

glad you got it in

[deadmonkey]

Well fuck me sideways!

My heart about fell out of my chest this evening....

 

I turned her over finally after work.

It fired very nice...no rattles or anything. I kicked it down to idle at 1,500rpm and get out to listen for bad things.

not 2 seconds later, it dies... Stops dead in its tracks! no sputtering or anything, just dead stop.

I freak, thinking it seized. I calmly turned it over again and to my relief it turns over just fine but there is no spark. Nothing, dead to the world.

 

So at least the engine is fine.

 

Then it dawns on me... I didn't gap the plugs They were at the default setting of about .040 I'm almost certain I fried the ignition computer or pickup in the dizzy maybe?

 

I tested the coil and it is right were it used to be at 1.3Ohms, wasn't hot or anything.

checked all fuses, none blown.

Checked center spark plug wire and it reads 1.5kOhm (not sure if that is normal)

Checked continuity between inside and outside of center of the distributor cap (the one I was was using did not test out, swapped and the newish one did but still no spark)

Checked and there is power to the Coil 12.22 on both sides.

Checked for power at Transistor unit (between BW/B and B/L)

Checked pickup coil and its at 682Ohms (manual says 720) but I think its close enough to work.

 

Any Ideas Ratsun?

I'm hitting the manual to start testing things, but I fear I killed my ignition system.

EDIT:

The manual says (to test with out an ociloscope) if no spark its either the Transistor Unit or the secondary high-tension wire...what ever that is.

Does this sound right?

[herculesinwyoming]

judgeing by the pics you are either single or you have very cool wife lol

[deadmonkey]

lol I live w/ the GF... but it didn't stay there long since she stubbed her toe on it. (don't know how that is possible, but what ever)

 

Anybody have an extra pickup coil or Transistor unit I can test?

[chester]

if i could head out there i do but i dont know when i will be out that way

[banzai510(hainz)]

secondary high-tension wire...what ever that is.

 

 

thats a fancy word for the center coil wire or the output of the coil

 

 

PS if you have a Point coil on a EI et up and no ballast if could kill the coil. But never seen it happen that fast.

ck the HOW TO section for using the EI set ups on how to wire them.

Persoanlly I would have used the stock set up first(if your not already using it) than swapping in different stuff before breaking in the motor

[deadmonkey]

secondary high-tension wire...what ever that is.

 

 

thats a fancy word for the center coil wire or the output of the coil

 

 

PS if you have a Point coil on a EI et up and no ballast if could kill the coil. But never seen it happen that fast.

ck the HOW TO section for using the EI set ups on how to wire them.

Persoanlly I would have used the stock set up first(if your not already using it) than swapping in different stuff before breaking in the motor

 

Its a '76 with '78 EI wiring and dizzy...all stock

I'll try another center wire...otherwise I guess I'll pop open the Transistor box and see what's fried. I may have some extra parts laying around to fix it....Big Maybe there. There can't be many components in there, guessing its all solid state w/ out any IC's.

[banzai510(hainz)]

I guess good time to read PAC COAST'S write up on the the GM module.

 

did you use the 76s coil as that is a point coil/

&8 use a low ohm coil designed to run on the 12-14volts/

 

point coils run only on about 6 volts thats why a ballast resisitor. Only during start they get the full voltage(the bypass wire)

[deadmonkey]

yup, knew all that

 

With the the resistor it wasn't that low though. But it IS the coil off the points setup (weather it was meant for a points setup or not is another story, but came with the points setup when I bought the truck). Though I was using it this way for quiet awhile with out one bit of issue...

 

I'm guessing the .040 spark plug gap was too much for the transistor unit and fried it?

[banzai510(hainz)]

I'm guessing the .040 spark plug gap was too much for the transistor unit and fried

 

Thats not going to affect it by .040.

 

.040 is close to the standard on EI ignition

[datsunaholic]

Spark gap isn't going to fry the module. I've seen completely shorted plugs and plugs that were burned open, and the only thing that did was make that cylinder not fire. Maybe some high-end, extremely twitchy computerized systems might fry, but not a stock EI system. Only things that can fry the module is wiring it wrong, too much heat, having too low impedance coil, or having a severely-overcharging (17+ Volts) alternator. Even then, it takes more than a couple seconds.