4A-GE MK1 Engine r6boater's '86 rebuild

r6boater · 08-18-2009, 10:09 PM

So, if you check out the "checking in" section you may have read about my situation. I purchased an '86 with a basket case motor but it has a great body and interior. So being the tinkerer I am, I'm ready to tackle this..

Here's what I have found so far...

The #1 rod spun a bearing. Somehow I ended up, in the boxes of parts, having two cranks, one is "machinable" with the only real defect being the race for #1 but it's close enough to get an oversized bearing. The other is a door stop.

All the rods are salvagable and will be trued up by the machine shop.

I'll be replacing all the pistons/rings. Two of the pistons have pieces missing between the rings; so I'll be getting all four new.

As I mentioned earlier, I have two cranks. I have a lot a duplicate parts, heads, cams, gears, oil pumps, just a lot of stuff I had to go though to figure out what was what.

I'm going to try to keep this thread going as I progress on this "journey" and I'm gonna keep a running total of $ spent and a rough estimate on time involved.

If anyone has any tips/tricks/pointers/lines on parts etc please let me know.
Thanks...

The block is good, all the cylinders measured true.

Jackstand Queen · 08-19-2009, 02:52 PM

I'm going through a "Budget Rebuild" process myself.

The very first thing that will break in your rebuild project is "The Budget" itself.

I'm running way over 200% of what I had hoped it would cost.

I've replaced the valve springs, and valve guides on my head. And I gotta tell you working on this 16 valve, shim under bucket head is one of the hardest automotive jobs I've started. Arrrrrggghhh!

I will share one tip I got off a TV program: round the sharp edges off the rings, where the ring gap area will touch the cylinder wall. This will prevent the rings from cutting "ring grooves" in the cylinder and freezing the rings in one position. And consuming oil as a result.

You measured your cylinders for roundness when you measured them I guess. It doesn't seem possible for an engine with 165k miles to have round cylinders (anymore).

I have no idea how much my rebuild cost to the nearest hundred dollars. Because I don't want to know how much it cost.

Good Luck with your rebuild . . .

08-18-2009, 10:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
r6boater rebuild a go-go Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Riley IN Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	r6boater's '86 rebuild So, if you check out the "checking in" section you may have read about my situation. I purchased an '86 with a basket case motor but it has a great body and interior. So being the tinkerer I am, I'm ready to tackle this.. Here's what I have found so far... The #1 rod spun a bearing. Somehow I ended up, in the boxes of parts, having two cranks, one is "machinable" with the only real defect being the race for #1 but it's close enough to get an oversized bearing. The other is a door stop. All the rods are salvagable and will be trued up by the machine shop. I'll be replacing all the pistons/rings. Two of the pistons have pieces missing between the rings; so I'll be getting all four new. As I mentioned earlier, I have two cranks. I have a lot a duplicate parts, heads, cams, gears, oil pumps, just a lot of stuff I had to go though to figure out what was what. I'm going to try to keep this thread going as I progress on this "journey" and I'm gonna keep a running total of $ spent and a rough estimate on time involved. If anyone has any tips/tricks/pointers/lines on parts etc please let me know. Thanks... The block is good, all the cylinders measured true.

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08-19-2009, 02:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jackstand Queen Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 840 Thanks: 75 Thanked 64 Times in 60 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	I'm going through a "Budget Rebuild" process myself. The very first thing that will break in your rebuild project is "The Budget" itself. I'm running way over 200% of what I had hoped it would cost. I've replaced the valve springs, and valve guides on my head. And I gotta tell you working on this 16 valve, shim under bucket head is one of the hardest automotive jobs I've started. Arrrrrggghhh! I will share one tip I got off a TV program: round the sharp edges off the rings, where the ring gap area will touch the cylinder wall. This will prevent the rings from cutting "ring grooves" in the cylinder and freezing the rings in one position. And consuming oil as a result. You measured your cylinders for roundness when you measured them I guess. It doesn't seem possible for an engine with 165k miles to have round cylinders (anymore). I have no idea how much my rebuild cost to the nearest hundred dollars. Because I don't want to know how much it cost. Good Luck with your rebuild . . .