>
> I don't intend to rebuild an engine in the near future, but based on my
> friend's explanation, and what we used to do after a major repair in the
> shop, if I was to rebuild an engine I would do the following:
>
> 1. Pressure test the cooling system, look for puddles of coolant or oil under
> the car, triple check that there is enough oil in the crankcase, etc,
> and if everything checks out, start the car.
>
What I used to do at this point would be to pull all the spark plugs out
and crank the engine for 30 to 60 seconds, to see if oil pressure light
would go out. Then put the plugs back in and start the engine for the
first time. This way I knew the oil pump was working before I started
the engine.
>
> The only part that I feel is crucial is looking for oil pressure when you
> first start the engine, and topping up the oil after running the engine
> for less than a minute. The rest probably falls somewhere between religion
> and a good idea.
>
> Joe
A guy here at Harris just did major work on his 69 Jaguar engine. The
parts were all oiled before they were bolted up, but due to unexpected
delays, it has taken months to get everything back together again. He
was sure that there was not going to be enough oil on the bearings
when he goes to start it for the first time. So, I have him a two
liter pop bottle with fittings at each end (one through the cap, one
through the bottom) to which small hoses can be attached. The plan
was to fill the bottle half full with motor oil, connect the bottom
to an engine oil gallery, then put 40 pounds or so of air pressure
into the top of the bottle. He can do this with the engine still on
the engine stand, and fix any oil leaks before the engine goes back
in the car. I did warn him in advance that if the hose came off the
bottom of the bottle, he would have this two liter rocket whizzing
around his garage spraying motor oil all over eveything. He was to
do all this over the Christmas break and I have not had a chance to
ask him how it worked yet.
--
Andy Haber (andyh@HWD.csd.harris.com)
Harris Computer Systems Division, Ft Lauderdale, FL
|