Well, talked to the mechanic about my wounded 'B', and got the
numbers for the rebuild. Turns out the main bearings were all about
destroyed, but he found no other problems that could have led to
their failure. The oil pump did look like sand had gone through it,
but he couldn't tell if it was a pre-existing problem, or if it was
the shavings from the bearings. Here's what he's doing:
Hot tank block, paint it, line-bore it, new freeze plugs, and install
new cam, rod, thrust, and main bearings.
Turn crank, resize rods, hone cylinders and fit new rings.
New 3-piece clutch kit
New exhaust valves, reface intake valves, and grind seats. New valve
seals, replace broken rocker shaft stud, and paint head.
New HD oil pump and uprated relief spring.
The rocker shaft and bushings are well within tolerances.
He also said that several lobes on my cam were about worn down to
nothing. I already knew that, and gave him my new Piper 270 cam,
lifters, and dual-row timing set that I've been sitting on for a few
months, waiting to put in.
He said that he didn't use any particular cam "break-in" procedure,
he just recommended against extended idling or heavy-duty driving for
the first 500 miles or so. I asked him to humour me and use the
procedure in the Piper brochure, and he said he would. (30 minutes
above 2500 RPM immediately after installation)
I guess I need to call him back and ask him if he flushed out the
oil cooler, too. Does anyone know where the oil goes right after the
cooler? To the engine first or to the filter first?
The total parts cost is about $710, and the labor for everything,
including the clutch, broken stud, and painting, is about $875. I'll
have basically a new engine, and with the semi-gloss black block,
bright red head, and polished aluminium alloy valve cover, I think it
should look pretty sharp.
Scott
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