Sent this this morning, but it never showed up. Here it is again, in two parts.
> 1) I'm good with my hands, learn quickly, and fairly technical
> (electrical/computer engineer by trade). Yet, I have no real engine
> rebuilding experience except for small engine rebuilds and repairs. Is
> overhauling the engine something that I may get in over my head with, or will
> proper care, planning, and sheer determination get the job done? (BTW, we're
> talking about a '59 TR3A).
If you can successfully rebuild a lawnmower engine, I think chances are good you
can do a TRactor motor. It's got a few extra components, but for the most part
it's just a lawnmower engine times 4. You'll need to buy (or build) some tools
...
> 2) I don't know the state of the internals right now (it's not even in a
> state where I can do a compression check), but let's assume it needs a
> complete rebuild.
Unless it was abused in a previous life or is frozen up, I wouldn't assume that.
They're quite rugged, and the insides may be fine even if the outside looks
terrible. In fact, there's one in my garage at the moment that looks awful, has
rust on the rocker cover and fuzz on the thermostat housing, but sounded pretty
healthy for the few seconds I got it to run. My plan is to clean it up, fix the
fuel problem and take it for a drive.
> I've seen piston and liner sets advertised anywhere from
> about $425 (British Parts Northwest) to over $800 (Roadster Factory). What's
> the difference between and good set and a bad/mediocre set, and how much
> should I care?
There are lots of things that can be wrong with bad sets (but the ones from BPNW
may be fine, I don't know). I got some once where the liners were too short and
didn't stand proud of the block. The machining is critical, and machining and
inspection are the two most expensive operations (and therefore the places where
it's most likely that corners have been cut).
More in Pt 2
Randall
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