Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: JamesV6CDX on 27 March 2007, 01:04:28
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Well, today has been a busy day with Project Elite's top end rebuild!
Everything stripped off that needs to be pretty much. I was working on my own doing the stripdown so I'm pleased I did it in an afternoon.
I think I made the wise choice though, in doing the rebuild. It needs it, and most things were leaking. It hadn't been put together very well, there was sealant used on the previous HGs which is a no-no in my book.
The biggest snag I come across, is when removing the manifolds, four studs snapped, (3 clean off).. 3 studs in one head, and one in the other.
One stud I managed to extract, but there was no hope for the others. So Markie and I have spend our entire night in the workshop, drilling the old studs out and tapping in new threads. Not a task to take on carelessly, I'm always nervous drilling alloy heads, especially so close to the water jacket!! We've done it though, all holes are drilled out, and I can get studs to tighten in them and come out again (phew)..! Also snapped two bolts off in the manifolds, where the secondaty air injection pipes go in, these also we had to drill and tap. although, they weren't so bad, they tapped really well.
For example, here is a pic of one of the manifold studs snapped off:
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/snapped.jpg)
Here are studs being drilled (we both did a few!)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/10.jpg)
Holes being re-threaded...
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/17.jpg)
End result..... holes with thread, ready for new studs!!
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/threaded.jpg)
Here are some general pics of the stripdown today!
Out of interest, decided to see how well the cam timing was done previously before taking the belt off. Who can stop what's wrong with this picture?!
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/1-2.jpg)
More snapped studs...(all sorted now..)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/7-1.jpg)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/6.jpg)
The RH cylinder head just taken off...
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/3-1.jpg)
Both of the heads...
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/4-2.jpg)
The old HGs, a little worse for wear...
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/2-2.jpg)
The engine, looking a bit sorry for itself!
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/9.jpg)
This oil cooler plate will definately need re-sealing, and lots of cleaning in this area:
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/8.jpg)
One of the heads...
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/5-2.jpg)
I knew these heads had their uses...!
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/13.jpg)
Tomorrow, the plan is to clean up the heads surfaces, flatten the exhaust manifolds and their mating surface on the head, and re-fit the manifolds with new gaskets, new studs and nuts, and get them torqued down to perfection (in progressive stages, to prevent them working loose).
I then plan to clean up the engine area, re-seal the oil cooler plate, and get the heads back in place, using new copper gaskets (or whatever they are) on the manifold to downpipe joins.
I will then spend the rest of the day cleaning out the throttle bodies, breathers, etc etc... in prep for the rebuild.
I'll be happy if I can do this, because then I can just tinker for a couple of hours each night in the week, until I get it finished, it shouldn't take too long.
That's me done, enough for one day... time for a beer... ;D
I'll post more tomorrow night on tomorrow's progress, any comments welcome :)
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Now thats what I call an engine in bits - I would be so scared right now, but I can see you obviously have it all in hand James, blindingly good work! :) I was looking at your timing photo, is it out like mine was? They don't look very well lined up..
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Now thats what I call an engine in bits - I would be so scared right now, but I can see you obviously have it all in hand James, blindingly good work! :) I was looking at your timing photo, is it out like mine was? They don't look very well lined up..
Worse... your timing was one tooth out on number 4 only.... this was a tooth too advanced on all the cams!!!
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James, can you try to use 640 x 480 photos - we target 1024 width screens here, so max photo size is 640 to prevent annoying horizontal scrolling?
:y
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Making good progress James. I'm impressed! :)
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Me too! Looking forward to further news. It certinaly seems as though you had a dew "issues" to overcome!
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Gr8 piece of work, keep it up. :y
8-)
DaveL
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James, can you try to use 640 x 480 photos - we target 1024 width screens here, so max photo size is 640 to prevent annoying horizontal scrolling?
:y
Ok boss ;D
What's the best software to resize them? Anything in XP that'll do it, or do I need something else?
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James, can you try to use 640 x 480 photos - we target 1024 width screens here, so max photo size is 640 to prevent annoying horizontal scrolling?
:y
Ok boss ;D
What's the best software to resize them? Anything in XP that'll do it, or do I need something else?
As Tunnie pointed out to me, Office 2003 includes Picture Manager that can do a whole dir in one hit...
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thats a lot of work and some smashing pics James ;)
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Well done pal, and great with the pics too. :y
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great pictures James, looks like its going well :y
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James, can you try to use 640 x 480 photos - we target 1024 width screens here, so max photo size is 640 to prevent annoying horizontal scrolling?
:y
Ok boss ;D
What's the best software to resize them? Anything in XP that'll do it, or do I need something else?
You can get a picture re-size tool from Microsoft downloads, just right click & choose your size :y
[edit]Just noticed you use Photobucket, they have a re-size option there.[/edit]
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I think his plan was to get it all back together again today... ...judging by no update, its taking longer than planned ;)
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I think his plan was to get it all back together again today... ...judging by no update, its taking longer than planned ;)
I have been delayed today for three reasons.
A) I didn't get out of bed much before lunchtime, due to getting royally hammered after the previous days work. ;D
B) Rather than throw it all together, I spent a huge amount of time cleaning the cylinder head surfaces, block, exhaust manifold mating faces etc... resealing the oil cooler.. and getting the manifolds torqued onto the heads properly, including the secondary air injection.
Believe it or not... all of my drilled/tapped holes held out to the correct torque!!
C) The Barstweard ebay gasket kit, didn't come with the rocker cover O rings, and the dowels for the head gaskets.. so I wasn't able to complete the job today. Hence I just spent the time cleaning components and sorting the manifold joins etc.
Progress IS being made.. it will take a few working days to complete.. (whenever I get time off)... but it is definately coming along nicely :)
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I will post up pics of the manifold shortly, I really can't be arsed now... looking good though, with flat mating surfaces, metal gaskets and new studs and nuts all round.......
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Good stuff, James. The prep work may be forced on you now but its also really important to a good rebuild and long strong life of the lump once running. Time spent cleaning and preparing will be repaid in spades in the future....
Keep up the good work and more power to your elbow!!
B
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good job - i said you were being too ambitous with time ;)