[littletractorguy]

So, I figured since I had the honing done, and I'd measured the end gap of my rings to check the bore (and its even within spec, between .010 and .020), I'd drop the piston back on the connecting rod and pop the rings on...

So, following the advice in the tech manual, here's the con rod in bench vice with soft jaws (Well, actually, wrapped in a plastic bag)...

Dang these little wrist pin retainers are finicky... Pushed them into the grooves using a 1/2" socket, after I was able to wedge them in and catch them a couple of times when they went "PiiiiiinnnG!"

All set for the rings!

I can see THIS tool being REAL handy when I FINALLY get around to a ring job on Ernie... Worked very slick! And the tech manual had a really good section on how the rings go on...

And there we are!

Took me far longer than I thought, for this first time.... Had a bit of a panic after, as I got to thinking I couldn't remember where I'd put my brand new connecting rod cap lock nuts... Frantic search turned them up in my cabinet where my tools are... Whew!

Next steps.... Following Derekbroerse's advice, I think my next step will be a thorough cleaning of the whole block, inside and out, and a run through all the passages with some bottlebrushes... Then, oil seals - have to grease them up real good.... Then crank goes back in, and camshaft and tappets and piston...

Dunno if I should pull apart the Franken-engine to see if the camshaft is in better shape or not... I may steal the valve springs....

Doh, guess I gotta decide when I want to lap the valves in...

 

[marlboro180]

LTG- Looking great there, the hone looks better too as TG mentioned.

That ring tool sure is handy, my brother and I just the other day were wondering hoe we ever re- ringed engines without one back in our youth. hehehehe ....we managed , but what a pain.

Oh, those wrist pins clips are really fast little suckers, and they like to play hide and seek on me too. :duh:

You must be getting itchy to fire that engine up , it's really just a short ways off now, good going so far.:fing32:

 

[Team_Green]

HEY i never had a set of THOSE pliers.. you cheater...

Anyhow..


Nice work LTG.. I bet you can hear it running already....

 

[derekbroerse]

Next steps.... Following Derekbroerse's advice, I think my next step will be a thorough cleaning of the whole block, inside and out, and a run through all the passages with some bottlebrushes...

Just remember the first rule of engine rebuilding... when you think it's clean enough, start over and do the whole thing one more time!

And if bottle brushes are too big for the valve guide hit up a smoke shop for a couple pipe cleaners...

Happy Scrubbing....

PS the honing turned out very good

 

[Team_Green]

have ya pressure washed the jug? scrub scrub scrub..

 

[larrybl]

The hone looks real good.. as for the rings, This is the best I can advise.
Oil ring first
Next is the second compression ring, The compression rings have an inner bevel that the instructions says need io me on the bottom.
Same with the top ring.

You can take the top ring (before installing on the piston) and check the end gap in the cylander.


http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=160114&highlight=hulk+ii&page=5

 

[coldwater]

Hey! It's 11/19, and no updates!!......what have you got to say for yourself!

 

[Robert Webb]

its only 9/19.............lol

 

[coldwater]

its only 9/19.............lol

What???!!! .........you know what I meant!!:drunkie:

 

[derekbroerse]

its only 9/19.............lol

Don't remind me, no where near ready for winter!!!

 

[Robert Webb]

Cold........you KNOW that I couldnt let you slide on that one.......lol

 

[coldwater]

Cold........you KNOW that I couldnt let you slide on that one.......lol

Not my fault!.....The sun was in my eyes when I typed that!

 

[littletractorguy]

Hey! It's 11/19, and no updates!!......what have you got to say for yourself!

Arr matey! I had to take the day off fer International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Avast! Shiver Me Timber! (I've been ill, down to just one timber!)

Belay that, you scurvy dogs!

Arrrrrr...

 

[Greensail]

Hope you feel better soon.......

 

[marlboro180]

Arrrrr Matey, yer sure to be talkin' Pirates at the

Get yer scallywag out there and get scrubbin' those head decks!

 

[littletractorguy]

Started the cleanup this afternoon

Convinced Kidlet#2 to come babysit LTBabe (since LTGal is down with the first of the nasty Fall colds ), so I could get back to work on Bror....

Decided to cleanup the crankcase cover first, so cleaned up a big bucket, got some hot soapy water into it and set to... Well, first I figured I should make sure I had all the small movable bits off it, like the breaker points and breaker shaft,

and the governor arm (at least I think thats it...)

Of course the governor arm was held in by one of those infamous "j-clips"...

but as you can see, I triumphed! HahA! My secret was to move to the center of the garage, then take my calipers

and CAREFULLY force the clip off with the pointy bits, while holding my hand over the other side...

So, once I got the shaft out I noticed that the end piece here seems a bit loose on the shaft.... Wonder if that means replacement....

I then pulled all the rest of the plugs off the crankcase cover... What I don't know is why these two would be there at all...

and I'm really not sure why the LEFT one looks like a fitting for, say an oil pressure gauge...

So, then a whole bunch of cleaning and scrubbing and drying, then firing up the air compressor to do a final air dry... My bottle brushes came in REAL handy (well, actually they're cleaning brushes from a friend's water filtration system).

I got SO ambitious, and figured I'd start on the actual crank case... First order of business, after my successful removal of the governor arm, was removal of the governor spool (Also held on by a j-clip!).

(I have to admit, the governor spool is one of the PRETTIEST pieces of the whole engine....). Of course, I paid for my hubris about C-clips by seriously puncturing my thumb with the caliper this time!

I was surprised to find a bushing/washer behind the spool...

So, now that supper's done, and Kidlet #2's still in charge of LTBabe, I'm gonna head back out and clean the OTHER side of the crank case...

 

[littletractorguy]

Late night cleaning and Connecting Rod Questions!

So went out and scrubbed hard on the crankcase...

Once I got it all clean and fully dried with towels and compressed air, I set everything required for the basic reconstruction up on a table in the garage.

Then, following Oo-v-oO's advice, I greased up my oil seals....

Too bad I hadn't read the tech manual closely enough to realize that oil seals go in AFTER the crankcase is buttoned up! DOH! :banghead3

BUT I met my nemesis the J-clip once again, and bested him, getting the governor spool reinstalled!

Of course, once I went to put the crank in, I remembered why it was I built the engine stand... Boy that crank spins nice, tho

Then I broke out the ring compressor, and spent a frustrating hour and 3 quarters trying to master the art of inserting a piston into the cylinder via a ring compressor.... Hope I oiled it up enough, and that I didn't get any schmutz in the cylinder in the process. I DID space the rings out as advised in the tech manual, just hope they didn't wander too much in the ring compressor.

Finally, it went in, and I placed the rod cap on, dropped on the washers and the lock nuts and gently tightened them...

So, I digressed a bit after checking the tech manual for the torque numbers for the lock nuts... It said 86-110 ft-lbs... Okay, so I broke out the big new torque wrench, eager to use it for the first time... Read the manual, tested it on a bolt I'd pulled out of the head of Frank, the donor motor, at the lowest setting it did, 20 ft-lbs, got the click.... okay, well, lets dial it up to 86 ft-lbs and test it on the head bolt... Geez 86 ft-lbs seems like a LOT... Particularly for a connecting rod... So lets look again.... OOOOHHH.... 86 IN-LBS... THAT'S significantly less... So I dug out the trusty old Canadian Tire torque wrench and torqued to about 7-8 foot-lbs (good thing I could use THAT one tho, as the big new one wouldn't have fit in that spot...).

Okay, now for the big stumper for the evening... The tech manual says,
"After initial torque, use a drift and a hammer (13 oz) and strike the rod bearing cap above each lock nut. This will seat the cap releasing some torque on the lock nuts. Retorque lock nuts to specification"

Okay, what the heck is a "Drift"? Is that like, a big punch? And where the heck do they want me to HIT? On the side of the rod bearing cap? I can't see getting a hammer and a drift in to hit the ends of the bolts on the connecting rod... How the heck does this work?!?

 

[7sleeper]

As usual excellent picture documentation! Great to see progress again. I was at times a little worried.

7

 

[biker3777]

Drift punch is just a straight punch in different sizes,1/4 inch would do for you,I think what they are referring to is ,set the punch on the end of the rod bolt and tap it.I just use a plastic hammer to tap the rod cap on the side just make sure it is not bound up. Good Luck.

 

[marlboro180]

Looking great LTG.:fing32:

After squirting some assembly lube up into the bore from the crank side, rotate that crank so you can get to the rod cap readily.

A drift is not something from the " Fast and Furious" in this instance. You are correct- a big punch, but with a blunt end. A nice brass rod works well so you don't mar the cap.

Take that drift , and place it above the rod cap bolt nuts, up on on the cap a bit but near the nuts . Give it a couple loving smacks with a hammer. ... This will help in true alignment of the cap ( and thus the bearing surface ), relieves stress from assembly should it be cocked in any way due to oil / crud/ ugly bits in between the mating surfaces. I'd bet that the way those rod bolts are assembled at the plant they are only so " true" to one another, and smacking the cap would help that too.

Then go about re- torquing the rod cap nuts per the manual. :fing32:

So, you didn't break a head bolt at 86 ft/lb? Wow, those are strong... I've snapped Briggs ones at 20 ft/lbs.....:duh: Now, make sure to read the scales right