New at engine rebuild L16

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

On 6/13/2021 at 8:14 AM, tsekc said:

Stroffregen: you referenced setting up the cam timing using a dial indicator several times. Can you give a quick tutorial on how to do that?

Thanks. T

Basically all you need is a dial indicator.

Remove the valve cover and make sure the valves are adjusted correctly.

Make sure your TDC pointer is accurate and bring the motor to TDC. You're checking the rear cylinder at "split overlap".

Set the dial indicator on the #4 intake valve then back the motor up until the valve stops moving (closed).

Zero the indicator.

Bring the motor slowly up to TDC and watch the dial indicator. When it's at TDC, write down the measurement (should be something like .100" for a stock cam).

With the motor still at TDC, set the indicator up on the exhaust valve and zero it out.

Turn the motor until the exhaust valve stops moving (closed) and take that reading.

For the sake of this discussion, if the exhaust reading is .090" and the intake reading is .100" then your cam is .010" advanced, which is good for a L motor.

Straight up is ok (.095" and .095"), and retarded (higher number on exhaust than on intake) is not great.

 

[tsekc]

On 6/16/2021 at 11:47 AM, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Basically all you need is a dial indicator.

Remove the valve cover and make sure the valves are adjusted correctly.

Make sure your TDC pointer is accurate and bring the motor to TDC. You're checking the rear cylinder at "split overlap".

Set the dial indicator on the #4 intake valve then back the motor up until the valve stops moving (closed).

Zero the indicator.

Bring the motor slowly up to TDC and watch the dial indicator. When it's at TDC, write down the measurement (should be something like .100" for a stock cam).

With the motor still at TDC, set the indicator up on the exhaust valve and zero it out.

Turn the motor until the exhaust valve stops moving (closed) and take that reading.

For the sake of this discussion, if the exhaust reading is .090" and the intake reading is .100" then your cam is .010" advanced, which is good for a L motor.

Straight up is ok (.095" and .095"), and retarded (higher number on exhaust than on intake) is not great.

 

Thanks! Very clear instructions. I'll give it a try when I put my engine back together. 

T

[Richie]

Yoo two questions. I bought a gates water pump. Why is there a hole underneath it? And should I put sealant around the water pump? 
 

https://imgur.com/a/WQjN9ni

[datzenmike]

It's called a weeping hole. If the seal inside should fail it lets the coolant leak out rather than bugger up the bearing. It's assumed the owner will notice the leak and replace before that happens.

 

If the two surfaces are clean a dry, a gasket is all you need. But it seems today everyone is unsure of their work and glues all engine parts together. You are free to do as you please and good luck trying to get that water pump off if it fails some day.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Aisin water pump WPN 032 is the one to get.

Gates pump sounds like a 12$ water pump unless it says made in Japan on it(then its OK.

 

i sometimes put a very very thin coat on there. or there is a spray type one can use and makes it nice and even.

I sometimes not. Just really How I feel that day. and how thick the gasket paper is and the mating surface if gaulled up or imperfections

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2387834.m570.l1313&_nkw=wpn+032&_sacat=0

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

17 hours ago, tsekc said:

Thanks! Very clear instructions. I'll give it a try when I put my engine back together. 

T

I forgot to mention, use a ratchet with a socket on the crank bolt and try to move in one sweep, not jerky movements. Using the starter will not work for this procedure.

[Richie]

I need help now trying to find a clutch kit. Zcar depot has one but the pressure plate doesnt look that same. I didnt want to change the clutch and everything but i figured why not. 

 

https://zcardepot.com/collections/clutch/products/clutch-kit-240z-260z-1970-74

 

Rockauto is out of EXCEDY and only has AMS (which i never heard of) any suggesting? 

[Richie]

21 hours ago, datzenmike said:

It's called a weeping hole. If the seal inside should fail it lets the coolant leak out rather than bugger up the bearing. It's assumed the owner will notice the leak and replace before that happens.

 

If the two surfaces are clean a dry, a gasket is all you need. But it seems today everyone is unsure of their work and glues all engine parts together. You are free to do as you please and good luck trying to get that water pump off if it fails some day.

So i went to work and let my buddy put the pump on for me. I come back and see he didnt use and gasket but glued it with RTV...is this a problem? 

 

[datzenmike]

He's probably a chev owner. Does the water pump turn ok? It's now mounted a gasket thickness closer to the timing cover. It's not needed but if done right it's ok. Over use of RTV where it blobs out on the surface means that an equal amount blobs out to the inside. That potentially means chunks of RTV are floating around in the cooling system.

 

 

[Richie]

10 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

He's probably a chev owner. Does the water pump turn ok? It's now mounted a gasket thickness closer to the timing cover. It's not needed but if done right it's ok. Over use of RTV where it blobs out on the surface means that an equal amount blobs out to the inside. That potentially means chunks of RTV are floating around in the cooling system.

 

 

He is a chevy and jeep guy. Yea it spills out a little and turns fine.  

[Richie]

2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

He's probably a chev owner. Does the water pump turn ok? It's now mounted a gasket thickness closer to the timing cover. It's not needed but if done right it's ok. Over use of RTV where it blobs out on the surface means that an equal amount blobs out to the inside. That potentially means chunks of RTV are floating around in the cooling system.

 

 

Yea i took it off and cleaned it. Definitely happy i did that. RTV already got inside of it.  

[datzenmike]

This is what a gasket is for, to seal between two surfaces, and unless there is damage to these surfaces you can trust it to do it's job. Adding RTV to a gasket is so redundant.

 

'Yo dawg I hear you like RTV so we put RTV on on your RTV and on both side of your gasket. 

 

It's not just Chev owners that have no idea how simple mechanical assemblies and surfaces are mated together. Just ask yourself, did the factory put it together with RTV???? On an entire engine they might use less than 1/2 a cc. and never on a gasket. RTV has it's uses but not on a gasket. In some cases the gasket is unavailable (as in a differential cover) and RTV used, that OK, but critical parts rely on the thickness of the gasket to space between them.  

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Gaskets that seal water almost never need any kind of sealant, as they grow when they get wet. Not using a gasket on a water pump is just lazy.

 

Glad you got it sorted out.

[Richie]

13 hours ago, Richie said:

I need help now trying to find a clutch kit. Zcar depot has one but the pressure plate doesnt look that same. I didnt want to change the clutch and everything but i figured why not. 

 

https://zcardepot.com/collections/clutch/products/clutch-kit-240z-260z-1970-74

 

Rockauto is out of EXCEDY and only has AMS (which i never heard of) any suggesting? 

When I first got the engine boiled also, the guy told me RTV strings came out of it. But any ideas on a clutch kit? 

[datzenmike]

You have what looks like an L20B in spite of the title. So what flywheel do you have on it? L20Bs could be 200mm (cars) or 225mm (trucks).

 

Measure across the friction surface diameter.

 

 

 

[datzenmike]

On 6/12/2021 at 4:38 PM, datzenmike said:

 

I pulled this 4" long Blue RTV worm out of a KA head. The owner used to own Chevs and sealed up the water pump or thermostat cover with RTV instead of a proper gasket. Christ knows how much ended up in the rad. 

 

Less is more. If the factory didn't use it, YOU shouldn't use it.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Again, Mike, I don't agree. A lot has changed since the first L motor rolled off the assembly line. It is ok to use RTV and other sealers on these engines. Just choose the right one and use it properly.

 

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

your titiel says you have a L16 ????  Datzen mike says different

 

so make clear what motor you have and vehicle.  if you think it has not been motor sewapped

 I would get the Exedy that DP just got . 580 I think part number

 

but tell us what you have first and what you really want to do.

 

You can get exedy stock clutches anywhere for a L16

[datzenmike]

On 6/20/2021 at 8:15 AM, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Again, Mike, I don't agree. A lot has changed since the first L motor rolled off the assembly line. It is ok to use RTV and other sealers on these engines. Just choose the right one and use it properly.

 

 

 

I agree. For a home mechanic you just can't go wrong using the proper gasket, than to improperly use RTV or a sealer in place of a gasket or to use it with a gasket. (which is another form of improper) Yes you could 'glue' a timing cover or water pump onto the engine but now the timing cover or water pump is the missing gasket thickness closer to the block. The distributor drive spindle and front seal are all what? 1mm to the rear of where they normally should be? That's not how it was intended. If a cheap after market water pump with crappy tolerances, will the impeller rub the timing cover cavity wall? 

 

Once more if Nissan didn't use it you shouldn't be using it, shouldn't NEED to use it. This below... could be avoided if you just use, and trust, the proper gasket. Just imaging how much is stuck in the rad or heater core.

 

 

[Richie]

20 hours ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

your titiel says you have a L16 ????  Datzen mike says different

 

so make clear what motor you have and vehicle.  if you think it has not been motor sewapped

 I would get the Exedy that DP just got . 580 I think part number

 

but tell us what you have first and what you really want to do.

 

You can get exedy stock clutches anywhere for a L16

so when i started the build the engine was rusty and i couldnt see the engine stamp. I assumed it was an L16, then i cleaned the engine and noticed it said L18 after i already made this thread. 

[datzenmike]

Hell I thought this ended up being an L20B. I knew it changed from the original.

[Richie]

16 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

Hell I thought this ended up being an L20B. I knew it changed from the original.

yea i kinda f'ed that up. My bad. I ended up just using the same clutch and flywheel because i want to just getting started first, and fix the breaks.

 

[datzenmike]

I saw you had a blue block so I panned backwards till I found one, but it was figbuck's L20B.

[banzai510(hainz)]

MIke wasnt there a 225mm 5 bolt in 620s. It was a one off year I believe.

[datzenmike]

The '74 with the 5 bolt crankshaft L18 had a 5 bolt 225mm flywheel.